Understanding the Three Types of Phone Transfers
July 11, 2018
Category: Phone Systems
After an organization installs their new business phone system, many users have questions about what the three different types of phone transfers are. They may have heard the phrases in passing (or read about them online), but they often aren’t sure what they do or when the best times to use them are. That said, let’s take a deep dive into the three types of phone transfers and how to use them.
Consultative Transfer
A consultative (or attended) phone transfer gives you the opportunity to announce the person who is calling. In other words, it allows you to consult with the requested speaker before transferring the caller over.
For example, say a caller is trying to reach the president of a company. But before they can speak to the president, the receptionist answers the phone and asks for the caller’s name and intended purpose. Then, the receptionist can hit transfer, which then places the caller on hold, and dial the president to see if they are available. If yes, the receptionist just needs to hit transfer once more to complete the call. If not, they can hit cancel to speak directly to the caller again.
Blind Transfer
On the other hand, a blind transfer does not include the ability to consult with the recipient. So, if a caller speaks with the receptionist and they do not need to consult with the president, they can simply hit transfer to move the call forward. In that case, the president could either answer the phone or let it go to voicemail.
This transfer is most appropriate in cases where the call is expected. For example, it’s frustrating for a caller to be told they are being transferred only to speak to a person who has no idea about their situation–or for the caller to reach a person’s voicemail when they were promised a person.
Parking Lot
Although it sounds more like the space you left your car in and less like a business phone feature, a parking lot refers to a holding room that employees can place callers. From there, another employee can pick up the phone and speak to the caller–even those who are working remotely.
This feature is advantageous in situations where the call recipient is not at their desk or their location is unknown, as the call can be picked up from any phone on the system. It is also used to transfer calls between offices and different devices where the person’s extension is unknown. For example, if you call into your doctor’s office to make an appointment and are put on hold by Receptionist One, Receptionist Two could then answer your call without leaving their station.
Notably, many park features offer multiple spaces, which allow different callers to be placed in unique “parks” to be picked up by the appropriate party; this is especially helpful for organizations that receive a lot of calls.
Furthermore, many organizations look for parking lot features on their phone systems, which may or may not have it included. Datastream Communications, a hosted VOIP provider that offers businesses within the Mid-Atlantic region complete cloud phone systems as well as phone numbers, by default includes parking lots in an organization’s business phone solution.
For more information on the different types of phone transfers (and other business phone system solutions), reach out to us today.
