Phone basics
Transfers and Hold
Hold and transfer controls help you manage a conversation after a call connects. You can temporarily place the caller on hold, send them directly to another Waveline inbox, or speak with a teammate before connecting the caller.
Transfers and Hold
Hold or transfer a connected call
Use Hold when the caller needs to wait, then Resume to continue talking. Use Transfer when another teammate or team should handle the conversation. Tell the caller before placing them on hold or transferring.
Choose the right action
Hold
Temporarily pause the conversation without changing who is handling the call. Select Resume to continue.
Blind transfer
Immediately send the caller to another personal or shared inbox. You leave the call without first speaking with the recipient.
Consult first
Place the caller on hold and privately speak with a teammate before deciding whether to connect them.
Before you begin
- Wait until the call shows as connected.
- Decide whether the caller should reach a particular teammate or a shared team.
- Tell the caller before placing them on hold or beginning a transfer.
- Make sure the destination inbox is configured to receive calls.
- Review the inbox's Hold Music if callers should hear customized audio while waiting.
Where to find Hold and Transfer
On mobile, use the active-call screen; on the web, use the active-call panel at the top of the page. Both provide Transfer after the call connects. Mobile also provides Hold for connected internal calls. On the web, Hold is offered for external calls.
Place a caller on hold
- Tell the caller you are placing them on hold.
- Select Hold.
- Complete the task or conversation that required the pause.
- Select Resume when you are ready to speak with the caller again.
The other person remains connected while the conversation is on hold. External callers hear the handling inbox's hold music. Mute only prevents them from hearing your microphone.
See Mobile Call Controls for a complete tour of Hold, Mute, and the other mobile controls.
Choose a transfer destination
Transfers are made to another Waveline inbox. Choose a teammate's personal inbox when the caller needs that person directly. Choose a shared inbox when any member of a department or team can help.
See Shared vs Personal Inboxes if you are unsure which destination fits the caller's needs.
Make a blind transfer
On the web:
- Select Transfer during the connected call.
- Choose Blind transfer.
- Select the teammate's personal inbox or the appropriate shared inbox.
- Select Transfer.
On mobile:
- Select Transfer during the connected call.
- Select the teammate or shared inbox.
- Choose Blind transfer.
The caller leaves your call immediately and enters the destination inbox's routing. You will not speak with the recipient before the transfer is sent.
Tell the caller before transferring
Before using a blind transfer, tell the caller where you are sending them. If the destination does not answer, the call follows that inbox's configured no-answer and voicemail routing.
Consult before transferring
On the web:
- Select Transfer.
- Choose Consult first.
- Select the destination inbox.
- Select Start consult.
On mobile:
- Select Transfer.
- Select the recipient.
- Choose Consult first.
Then, on either app, speak privately with the teammate while the original caller remains on hold, and select Bridge when the teammate is ready to receive the caller.
Bridge connects the caller and the teammate, completes the transfer, and removes you from the conversation.
Switch between the two conversations
During a consultation, Waveline keeps the original caller on hold while you speak with the teammate. The held caller appears as a separate call with a Swap control. Select it when you need to return to the caller, provide an update, or move back to the consultation.
Only one conversation is active for you at a time. The other person remains on hold until you switch back or complete the transfer.
Swap can also appear when you answer another incoming call while concurrent calls are enabled. See Mobile Call Controls for that workflow.
If you decide not to complete the transfer
End the consultation call, return to the original caller, and select Resume. Explain what happened, then continue the conversation or try another destination.
Starting a consultation does not require you to complete the transfer. Select Bridge only after the intended recipient answers and is ready for the caller.
What happens after a transfer
- The receiving inbox handles the caller using its own routing.
- A personal inbox routes the call to that teammate's configured calling devices.
- A shared inbox can route the caller to multiple members.
- Call History records the transfer and the inboxes involved.
- Transferred calls may contain multiple recording portions when recording is enabled.
What does the caller hear?
An external caller placed on hold manually or during a Consult first transfer hears the hold music configured for the inbox handling the call. Review Hold Music to change that audio.
Using a deskphone?
Deskphones can also place and transfer calls, but the buttons and sequence vary by device. See Deskphones and IP Phones for device-specific guidance.
Best practices
- Tell the caller before holding or transferring.
- Use Consult first when context needs to be explained to the recipient.
- Use Blind transfer only when the destination is clearly appropriate.
- Transfer to a shared inbox when any qualified teammate can help.
- Return to the original caller if the consultation is unsuccessful.
Troubleshooting
The transfer destination does not appear
Transfers from the Waveline web and mobile apps use internal personal and shared inboxes as destinations. Confirm that the intended teammate or team has an active inbox, then reopen the transfer list.
The teammate did not answer the consultation
Return to the original caller and resume the conversation. You can continue helping the caller, try another destination, or send the call to an appropriate shared inbox.
The original caller is still on hold
Select the held caller's Swap control to return to that conversation, then select Resume if the call remains on hold.
Nobody answered the blind transfer
A blind transfer follows the destination inbox's routing after it leaves your call. Review that inbox's members, Default Ring Order, availability, call flow, and voicemail behavior if callers are not reaching the intended team.
The caller hears the wrong hold music
Hold music follows the inbox handling the call. Review Hold Music for that inbox and confirm the intended file is uploaded.
The transfer failed
If the original caller remains connected, return to the call and explain the delay before trying again. Confirm that the destination inbox is available and check Call Quality if the connection is unstable.
My deskphone transfer works differently
Deskphone transfer buttons and attended-transfer sequences vary by model. Review Deskphones and IP Phones for device-specific guidance.