Live call transfer
Kai puts urgent callers through to you, not just into a message.
Your cell rings first. If you miss it, Kai answers. When a caller needs a person, Kai transfers them to you or your on-call person. If nobody picks up, he takes the details, reads them back, and you get the message.
$2 for your first week, then from $10/mo. Cancel anytime. See pricing
How it works
Kai is your secretary. He answers what you can’t, and he knows when to hand a call to a person.
- 1
Your cell rings first
Turn on ring-first and a call to your KaiCalls number rings your cell before Kai. Add a teammate and the phones ring one after another, in your order.
- 2
You hear who it is
When you answer, you hear "Incoming call from" and the caller’s number, and their name if we know it. Say yes and you are talking to them.
- 3
Missed it? Kai answers
If nobody takes it, Kai picks up and greets the caller as if he answered first. The caller just heard ringing. Your own voicemail does not get the call.
- 4
Kai puts them through mid-call
When a caller asks for a person, or needs someone Kai should not handle alone, he tells them he is transferring and rings the number you chose.
- 5
The person who answers gets a heads-up
Before the caller joins, the person who picks up hears a short line first. On a team phone with your own whisper message, they also hear the caller’s name, why they called, and how urgent it is.
Where you set it up
In your agent settings, open Actions, then Transfer Calls To A Person. Add your main number and a backup if you want one. Pick how long it rings, from 15 to 60 seconds, and what Kai does if nobody answers. Team phones, like your on-call line, go under Human Handoff Destinations in your phone settings.
What happens when nobody picks up
A transfer that rings out does not end the call. You pick what Kai does next.
Try the backup number
Add a backup number and pick "Try the backup number." If the first person does not answer, Kai tries the backup.
Offer a callback
Kai tells the caller no one is free right now and asks for the best number to call them back.
Keep helping
Kai says sorry no one is free and keeps helping the caller himself.
Want to know right away when it is serious? Write a rule in your notification settings, like “Caller has an emergency.” When a finished call matches it, you get an urgent text and email.
How Kai gets names and numbers right
A message with the wrong number is no message at all. Kai checks before he moves on.
Every message has a name, a number and a reason
Kai always asks for these three. A caller who gives nothing else still leaves you something you can act on.
Numbers are read back
Kai reads the callback number back in groups and waits for a yes. If he heard too many or too few digits, he asks the caller to say it again slowly. He does not guess.
Names and emails are checked
Kai repeats a name and asks if it is right. If he misses it twice, he asks the caller to spell it or offers to text instead of asking a third time.
You choose to ask for the address
Turn on the service address question and Kai asks where the work is needed, which is not always where the caller is.
Kai can text the caller from your business number. He only texts the number they are calling from, so a text never goes to the wrong person. Links he sends are ones you saved, and he asks before he sends one.
Kai says who he is
Callers should know who they are talking to. By default, every caller hears one short line before the greeting saying Kai is an AI agent for your business. Then Kai greets them the way you set up.
- You can change the wording of that line.
- You can choose when it plays: on every call, or only for callers in states whose law asks for it.
- A separate line can tell callers the call is recorded. By default it plays where state law asks for it.
Questions owners ask
Can Kai transfer a caller to my cell?
Yes. Add your cell as the transfer number in your agent settings. When a caller asks for a person, or needs someone Kai should not handle alone, Kai tells them he is transferring and rings your cell.
Can Kai transfer to someone other than me?
Yes. Save a person or team phone, like "Front Desk" or your on-call tech, under Human Handoff Destinations. If you save more than one, Kai asks the caller which one they want.
What happens if nobody picks up the transfer?
You choose. Kai can try a backup number, offer the caller a callback, or say sorry and keep helping. Either way, the caller is not left on a dead line.
Will my voicemail take the call?
Not on ring-first. A person has to say yes on your phone before the caller is joined. A voicemail greeting, a busy signal or silence sends the caller back to Kai.
How does Kai get the callback number right?
He reads it back and waits for a yes. A U.S. number has 10 digits, so if he heard more or fewer, he asks the caller to repeat it slowly instead of guessing.
Can Kai text the caller?
Yes, from your business number. He only texts the number the caller is calling from. Links he sends are ones you saved, and he asks before he texts one.
Does Kai tell callers who he is?
Yes. By default, every caller hears a short line before the greeting saying Kai is an AI agent for your business. You can change the wording and when it plays in your compliance settings.
Is a KaiCalls person on the other end of a transfer?
No. Kai transfers to the numbers you choose: you, your team, or your on-call person. KaiCalls does not staff your phones.
Do I have to forward my old number?
No. Kai’s number can be your main line. Forward only if customers already call an old number, and then forward only the calls you do not pick up.
Take the calls you can. Kai handles the rest.
Already have a number customers call? Read the call forwarding guide. Forward only the calls you don’t pick up. Forwarding all of them sends Kai every call, and your own phone stops ringing.
$2 for your first week, then from $10/mo. Cancel anytime. See pricing
Setting it up? Ring-first help · Call routing help