Your AI Receptionist can automatically transfer calls to the right person based on scenarios you define. When the AI recognizes that a caller needs to speak with someone specific, it connects them seamlessly, creating a warm handoff without you lifting a finger.

⚠️ Business plan only: Call Transfer is available on the 👥 Business plan. It is not available on the 👤 Starter plan.

What is Call Transfer?

Call Transfer lets your AI Receptionist redirect an incoming call to a specific person while the call is still in progress. This could be the business owner, a team member, or a department representative.

You define transfer scenarios that tell the AI when a transfer should happen and who should receive the call. For example:

Transfer to the owner when a caller asks to speak with someone in charge
Transfer to billing when a caller has a payment question
Transfer immediately for urgent or emergency calls

You can create as many scenarios as you need, each with a different recipient.

Before you start

Make sure the following are in place before setting up Call Transfer:

You are on the 👥 Business plan
Your AI Receptionist is enabled for phone calls (📖 Set up your AI Receptionist to answer calls)
You have the recipient's phone number read

Set up a Call Transfer scenario

From the Beside mobile app

Open the Beside mobile app
Go to the AI tab
If you have multiple lines, select the line you want to configure from the dropdown at the top left
In the 📞 Phone section, under Actions, tap Call Transfer rules (iPhone) or Transfer Calls (Android)
Tap Add Scenario
Enter a description of when the AI should transfer the call (e.g., "Caller asks to speak with the owner" or "Billing or payment question")
Enter the recipient's name and phone number
Save your scenario

From the web dashboard

Go to app.beside.com and click AI Receptionist in the left sidebar
Select the line you want to configure from the dropdown at the top right
Click the Calls tab
Click Transfer Calls
Enter the recipient's name and phone number
Define the scenario that should trigger a transfer
Click Save Changes

💡 Tip: Use clear, descriptive scenarios so the AI can easily match caller intent. For example, "The caller mentions a billing issue or wants to discuss an invoice" is more effective than just "billing."

Manage your transfer scenarios

You can add, edit, or remove transfer scenarios at any time. Changes apply to new calls immediately. Any call already in progress won't be affected.

If you're on the 👥 Business plan with multiple lines, each line has its own independent set of transfer scenarios. This means you can route calls differently depending on which line receives the call.

How Call Transfer works

Here's what happens during a transferred call:

A caller is speaking with your AI Receptionist
The AI recognizes that the caller's request matches one of your transfer scenarios
The AI acknowledges the request to the caller (e.g., "Let me connect you with John right now.")
The recipient's phone rings
If the recipient answers, a three-way call is established and the AI steps back
If the recipient doesn't answer, the caller is sent to the recipient's voicemail

📌 Note: The AI remains a silent participant during the transfer but stops speaking. This enables a smooth warm handoff.

Transfer outcomes

If your recipient is unavailable, the outcome depends on the situation:

Busy - The recipient's line is occupied. The caller is sent to the recipient's voicemail.
No answer - The recipient didn't pick up. The caller is sent to the recipient's voicemail.
Canceled - The transfer was canceled before connecting. The AI continues the conversation with the caller.
Failed - A technical issue prevented the transfer. The AI apologizes and offers alternatives.

Test your Call Transfer setup

Before going live, test that your transfer rules work correctly:

Open the Beside mobile app and go to the AI tab
Tap Try Receptionist at the bottom, then Call Receptionist
During the test call, describe a situation that matches one of your transfer scenarios
Confirm that the AI acknowledges the transfer and attempts to connect you

⚠️ Important: If you're forwarding your personal number to Beside, calling your Beside number from that same phone may not work. Beside detects this as a self-call and may end it automatically. Use a different phone to test.

📖 Test your AI Receptionist

FAQ

Can I transfer calls to an international number?

Yes, as long as the phone number is in a valid format and your account supports international calling.

Can the AI transfer to multiple people at the same time?

No. Only one transfer can happen at a time per call. However, you can create multiple scenarios with different recipients. The AI will pick the right one based on the caller's request.

Is the transferred portion of the call recorded?

Yes. If call recording is enabled, the entire call, including the transferred portion, is recorded.

Can the AI transfer to a department or call queue?

Currently, transfers go to a single phone number. Queue-based or department routing is not yet supported.

What if I don't have any transfer scenarios configured?

If no scenarios are set up, your AI Receptionist will handle the call normally without attempting any transfers. It will take a message and you'll receive a summary as usual.