Transfers on the phone

What you will achieve

You will set up a handover to a person, decide what happens when nobody picks up, and know exactly when it works.

Prerequisites

• A Twilio phone call. The bridge to a person uses Twilio's call control, so the agent's number must be a Twilio number and your Twilio account details must be saved on the Providers tab of the Phone numbers page.
• A public address for your Phynxa server, so Twilio can report whether the person answered.
• The agent's Transfer to a human switched on with a number. See Call features.

How a transfer to a person works

1. The caller asks for a person, or the agent decides it cannot help.
2. The agent speaks a short line, by default "One moment, I'll connect you with someone who can help." Nothing the caller says during the line cancels the transfer.
3. When the line has finished playing, Phynxa replaces the live call with a call to your Transfer number. The phone rings for the number of seconds in Ring for (seconds) (5 to 60, default 30).
4. If the person answers, the caller is connected to them and the agent leaves the call.

The number is the one saved on the agent. The agent cannot dial any other number, so a caller cannot talk it into calling somewhere else.

When nobody answers

If the number is busy, does not answer in time, or Twilio cannot connect it:

1. If you saved a Backup number, it is tried once.
2. Otherwise, or if that fails too, If nobody answers decides:
   • Go back to the agent: the caller is put back with the agent, who apologises, offers to help or take a message, and does not offer another transfer.
   • Say goodbye and hang up: the caller hears "Sorry, we could not reach anyone just now. Please try again later. Goodbye." and the call ends.

If Twilio refuses the transfer at the start (for example the call has already ended), the agent says "I wasn't able to connect you, so let's continue here." and carries on. At most two attempts are made on one call.

Which calls can be transferred

A phone call whose Twilio details are missing is not treated as a test: the agent says the transfer is not available and stays on the call, and the history shows "Not set up".

Check your setup

On the agent's page, under Transfer to a human, press Check setup (save first: the check reads saved settings). It lists what is in place and what is missing: the number, the backup number, the provider of the agent's phone number, the saved Twilio details and the public address. Check setup and Twilio login also asks Twilio whether the saved account details are accepted. Neither dials anything.

Only a real call proves the whole path. See Testing.

History of transfers

Every attempt is saved against the call: which agent, where to, why, the provider, the result (answered, busy, nobody answered, failed, not available, not set up, caller hung up first) and how long it rang. Open the call in History to see the Transfers card. Webhooks for the call include the same list.

Transfer to another agent

This needs no phone provider support: the caller stays on the same line and the next agent takes over with the conversation so far. See Call features.

Configuration details

• Use international format for the number, for example +14155552671. Phynxa normalises it when you save.
• The backup number must be different from the transfer number.
• In a browser Talk test the agent speaks the line and ends the test; it does not dial.
• On a website voice widget call nothing is dialled either: the agent says it cannot transfer from there and keeps helping.

Testing

Call your Twilio number from a phone, ask for a person, and confirm your transfer number rings and the caller is connected. Then repeat with your transfer phone set to decline, and confirm the fallback you chose happens. Use your own phones: every transfer attempt is a real call and is billed by Twilio.

Expected result

The caller is connected to your number. The call record in History shows the conversation up to the handover and a Transfers card with the result.

Troubleshooting

• The agent never transfers. Check the toggle is on and a number is saved, and tell the agent in its System prompt when to transfer.
• The agent says it cannot transfer, and History shows "Not available on this provider". The call is on a provider other than Twilio. Use a Twilio number for agents that must transfer.
• "Not set up" in History. Run Check setup: Twilio details or the public address are missing.
• "I wasn't able to connect you." Check the number is valid and can receive calls, and that your Twilio account may dial that country.
• Nobody is called after the line. Check the transfer number is in international format.

Related guides

• Call features
• Twilio