How to Enable Supervised (Attended) Call Transfer on Desk Phones

By default, many desk phones—especially in Evo Voice setups—use blind transfers, where calls are forwarded without announcing them. Supervised (attended) transfers, however, allow the transferring party to speak with the recipient first before completing the transfer. Here’s how to enable and use supervised transfers on compatible devices.

What Are Blind vs. Supervised Transfers?

Blind Transfer (also known as cold or unsupervised): The call is transferred immediately without notifying the recipient.
Supervised Transfer (also known as warm or attended): You hold the caller, ring the recipient, speak to them first, then complete the transfer. (Bicom Systems, onsip.com)

Steps to Enable and Perform Supervised Transfers

1. Confirm Your Desk Phone Supports Supervised Transfers

On many Polycom or similar SIP desk phones, both blind and attended transfers are supported.
To perform a supervised transfer:
1. During the call, press the Transfer (or Trans/Trnsfr) soft key.
2. The caller is placed on hold.
3. Dial the target number.
4. Wait for the recipient to answer, announce the call, then press Transfer again to complete.
  
  (ws.fusionconnect.com)

2. Configure Button Mode for Supervised Transfer (Where Applicable)

On some models like Yealink, you can alter the behavior of the transfer button via the Web GUI:
- Navigate to Features → Transfer
- Set the Transfer mode to Attended Transfer or Supervised instead of Blind
  
  (Bicom Systems)

3. Enable Supervised Transfers in Evo Voice Settings

Access the Evo Voice Admin Console and go to Endpoints → select the phone/device.
Under Transfer Settings, locate and enable Attended (Supervised) Transfer if the option exists.
Save and apply the settings, then reprovision the device to pull the new configuration.

4. Test the Supervised Transfer

Initiate a call to your phone.
While on the call:
1. Press Transfer
2. Dial another internal extension or external number.
3. Wait for the call to be answered.
4. Press Transfer again to complete the supervised handoff.
Confirm the caller is connected successfully and the calling party is no longer on the line.

Troubleshooting Tips

Problem Solution No attended option on phone Verify device supports it; check phone firmware. Transfer defaults to blind mode Adjust transfer mode in device GUI or Evo settings. After transfer, caller remains Ensure correct button sequence—dial, wait, then transfer. Device lacks provisioning updates Reprovision the endpoint in Evo Voice console.