Human call transfer lets the AI Agent hand a caller to a real person when the conversation needs human help. It is different from call forwarding: forwarding sends new inbound calls to the AI Agent, while transfer happens during a live AI Agent call.
When the AI Agent may transfer a call
The AI Agent is designed to transfer when a human is clearly needed. Supported transfer situations include:
- The caller explicitly asks to speak to a person
- The caller is frustrated
- The request is outside what the AI Agent can safely handle
- A booking conversation needs human help after repeated issues or a special case
The goal is not to transfer every complex question immediately. The AI Agent should handle supported requests itself, then transfer when continuing with automation would create a poor or unsafe experience.
Where the transfer number comes from
Speako uses the location's Fallback Phone as the main handoff number.
You can find this in the location details area. The field is labelled Fallback Phone, with the placeholder Enter handoff phone number. The helper text says: Calls forward to this number when AI Agent is offline or outside scheduled hours.
That same number can also be used when the AI Agent needs to hand a live caller to a person.
💡 Tip: Use a number that your team can actually answer during business hours. A transfer number that rings unattended creates a worse customer experience than asking the caller for details and following up.
What the caller experiences
When transfer is triggered, the caller is asked to hold while Speako connects them. The system then calls the handoff number and bridges the caller with the person who answers.
The team member receiving the call is told they are being connected to a caller who was speaking with the AI assistant.
Human transfer and booking calls
Booking-related calls can also transfer when the booking flow needs human support. For example, a caller may have a special request, the booking cannot be completed cleanly, or the caller insists on speaking to staff.
If a specific booking handoff number is configured for the business, Speako can use it for booking transfers. If not, the location's fallback phone is used.
What to check before relying on transfers
Review these details before telling customers that live handoff is available:
- The location has a valid Fallback Phone
- The number reaches the right person or team
- Someone is expected to answer during the times your AI Agent is active
- Your team understands they may receive calls from customers who started with the AI Agent
If transfers do not work as expected
Start by checking the fallback phone number in the location details. Make sure it is valid for the location's country and does not contain a typo.
If the number is correct but calls still fail, test whether that number can receive normal inbound calls. The AI Agent can only hand off to a number that is reachable.