After talking to the AI Callbot, a caller goes to the transfer destination: the one phone number you enter on the Callbot's Phone Number tab. The Callbot sends the call there when it is switched off, outside its business hours, under a manual override, or when the caller asks for a person. With no number set, the call ends.
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When does the Callbot transfer a call?
The Callbot hands a call to your transfer destination in two situations:
- The Callbot isn't supposed to answer right now. The Callbot is switched off, a manual override is sending every call to a person, or the call comes in outside your business hours. TripWorks checks these in that order on every call. A Callbot that is switched off never answers, whatever the schedule says. The caller is transferred straight away, without talking to the Callbot first.
- The caller asks for a person. If a caller asks to speak with someone, the Callbot transfers the call.
In both cases the Callbot doesn't announce the hand-off. The call simply rings through to your number. Transferred calls show up in your call history with the Transferred outcome.
Set the transfer destination
- Go to Setup Sell online Callbots and open your callbot.
- Select the Phone Number tab.
- Under Transfer Destination (Optional), enter the number in Your Business Phone Number. Include the area code.
- Save. The new number applies to calls from that point on.
TripWorks checks the number when you save and accepts a US phone number in any common format. It tells you if there are too few or too many digits.
Choose the right number
Pick a number that a person actually answers during the times the Callbot isn't handling calls. A few things to check:
- It rings somewhere staffed. After-hours transfers to a line nobody checks are no better than a missed call.
- It isn't the line you forward to the Callbot. If you forward all calls from your business line to the Callbot and also use that same line as the transfer destination, a transferred call can be forwarded straight back to the Callbot. Use a different number, or forward only unanswered calls. See Forward your phone line to your Callbot.
- It's one number. Each Callbot has a single transfer destination. If different people should take calls at different times, point it at a main line or ring group that your phone provider sets up.
What happens if nobody picks up?
The transfer dials your number like any other call. The Callbot setup has no setting for how long it rings or for a voicemail greeting, so what the caller hears when nobody answers comes from your phone provider. If you want a voicemail or an after-hours recording, set it up on the transfer destination line itself.
The Callbot's take a message feature is separate from the transfer. When the Callbot is answering and can't help a caller, it records their name, phone number and reason for calling, and texts that to the people you chose under How should we notify you? See Set up your AI Callbot.
If you leave the destination blank
The transfer destination is optional, but without one the Callbot has nobody to hand a call to. A caller who reaches the Callbot when it shouldn't answer hears an apology and the call ends, and the Callbot can't pass a caller to a person when they ask. If you use business hours or want callers to be able to reach a person, set one.
Examples
- Send after-hours calls to your front desk. Enter your front-desk number, then set the Callbot's hours to match your opening times. Calls outside those hours ring the desk instead of the Callbot.
- Send after-hours calls to a voicemail line. Enter a number whose phone system plays a recorded greeting and takes a message. Evening callers to your zoo or aquarium reach that voicemail instead of the Callbot.
- Cover a holiday closure. Start a manual override that sends every call to a person, with your transfer destination pointed at the owner's cell for the day.
- Hand off a private charter request. A caller asks to speak with someone about a private charter. The Callbot transfers them to the number you set, with no announcement.
- Send calls to the ticket office on busy days. Point the destination at the ticket-office line before a festival weekend, so callers who ask for a person reach staff who are on site.
- Change who gets the calls. A seasonal manager takes over phones. Replace the number on the Phone Number tab and save. The next call goes to the new number.
Frequently asked questions
Where does a caller go after talking to the Callbot?
A caller who needs a person goes to the transfer destination, the phone number you set on the Callbot's Phone Number tab. A caller whose question the Callbot answers simply finishes the call. If no transfer destination is set, the Callbot can't pass the caller to anyone and the call ends.
Is the transfer destination required?
No. The field is optional and your Callbot works without it. But without a transfer destination, the Callbot can't hand a call to a person. Set one if you use business hours or want callers to be able to reach someone.
How do I make the Callbot transfer a call to a human?
Enter a staffed phone number as the transfer destination. The Callbot then transfers when a caller asks for a person, and also when it is off, under a transfer override, or outside its business hours. You don't need to turn on a separate option for caller requests.
Does the Callbot tell the caller it's transferring them?
No. The hand-off is silent. The call just rings through to your transfer destination, and the caller doesn't hear a "one moment" message first.
Can I use a different transfer number at different times of day?
Not directly. Each Callbot has one transfer destination. If you need different people at different times, use a main line or ring group set up with your phone provider, or create a second Callbot with its own number for a different team.
What happens to a transferred call if nobody answers?
That depends on your phone system, not on TripWorks. The Callbot dials your transfer destination as a normal call and has no setting for ring time or voicemail. Set up voicemail or a hunt group on that line with your phone provider.
How quickly does a new number take effect?
When you save the Callbot. Calls already in progress aren't affected, and the next call uses the new number.
I saved a number and see an error. What's wrong?
The number isn't in a format TripWorks can use. It must be a valid US phone number with a correct area code. The error under the field says what to fix, for example that the number has too few or too many digits.
Where do I see which calls were transferred?
In the Callbot's call history, where transferred calls have the Transferred outcome. See Review AI callbot calls & analytics. If calls aren't reaching your team, see Callbot troubleshooting.
Related
- Set up your AI Callbot
- Forward your phone line to your Callbot
- Set your Callbot's business hours and manual override
- Callbot troubleshooting
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