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Most calls can be automated with Phonely’s AI agents, but no automation system covers every scenario. A frustrated customer, a request for a specific team member, or a policy that requires human sign-off are all situations where escalation is necessary. Phonely makes it simple to design call flows that are both efficient and flexible: the AI handles routine calls while ensuring humans are available when needed.
Escalation is not a fallback of last resort. It is a deliberate part of your call design, ensuring every customer journey has a safe path to resolution.

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Transfer Types

Phonely supports two kinds of transfers, both available through the Transfer Call block.

Cold Transfer

The call is forwarded immediately to the destination number with no introduction or context sharing.Use cold transfers when speed is more important than context.For example, forwarding general inquiries to a receptionist line or emergency situations where immediate connection is critical are good use cases for cold transfers.

Warm Transfer

A contextual handoff where the AI briefly introduces the caller and shares relevant context before connecting.Use warm transfers when context and personal touch are important.For example: “Hi Sarah, I have John on the line with a billing question.” Warm transfers also support voicemail detection and will resume the call if no one answers.

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Global Transfer Flows

Transfers don’t always happen in predictable places. A caller may ask for support halfway through an appointment booking flow, or the AI may detect frustration at any point. For these cases, Phonely supports Global Flows.
Use a Global Flow when you want escalation to be available at any time, regardless of where the caller is in the conversation.
Create a new flow, mark it as global, and define the triggers that should cause calls to jump into it. Add transfer logic inside that flow just as you would in any other.

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Adding Conditions

Transfers can be made conditional. The most common example is business hours: you may want to route calls to your support team between 9 AM and 9 PM, but after hours the AI should handle them differently.
1

Add a Time Filter block

Place the block before your Transfer Call block in the flow.
2

Set your business hours

Define the days and hours when transfers are allowed.
3

Configure fallback

Outside of business hours, route the caller to a Talk block that explains the team is unavailable and offers to take a message.
This ensures that transfers only occur when someone is available to answer. Similar conditions can be applied to frustration detection, caller intent, or other business rules.

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Example Flow

Here’s how escalation can be built into an appointment scheduling flow:
  • Step 1: Confirm intent
  • Step 2: Route by choice
  • Step 3: Handle with care
  • Step 4: Protect against failure
Use a Talk block to ask the caller who they want to speak with - for example, customer support, technical support, or a specific person.

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Advanced Options

Transfer Call blocks come with additional controls that improve reliability.
OptionTypeDescription
Voicemail DetectionbooleanDetects voicemail and brings the caller back into the flow with a fallback message
Transfer FailuresactionDefines what happens if a transfer cannot connect - for example, retry once or send the call to a fallback Talk block
IVR DetectionbooleanDetects if the destination number has an IVR (phone tree) and handles it appropriately
These options ensure that escalation is never the end of the conversation. Even when transfers fail, callers remain supported.

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Best Practices

Phonely’s transfer features are flexible, but good design makes them effective. A few guidelines:
  • Use warm transfers in customer-facing scenarios where context matters.
  • Always configure fallbacks so that no call ends in silence.
  • Apply Time Filters or other conditions to avoid unnecessary transfers.
  • Treat escalation as part of the customer journey, not an exception to it.
Failing to set fallbacks can result in dropped calls. Always define what should happen if a transfer does not complete.
Call routing, transfers, and escalation transform AI automation from a closed system into a flexible, human-aware experience. Cold transfers are fast, warm transfers are professional, Global Flows provide responsiveness at any point, and Time Filters give you control over when transfers should occur. By layering in advanced options such as voicemail detection and transfer failure handling, you can design flows that never leave a caller unsupported.
For more detail, see our guides on Warm Transfers and Time Filters.