TLDR: Yes. Otto can transfer any call to a staff member at any point, either because the caller requests it or because the call exceeds what Otto has been configured to handle. Before the transfer, Otto captures all context so the staff member picks up with full information. The caller does not need to repeat themselves.
The concern about needing a human available as a backstop is completely reasonable. A phone agent that can only handle simple calls and drops everything else is not a solution. It is a liability. The ability to transfer to a person, smoothly and without the caller losing their context, is one of the most important features of a well-designed restaurant phone agent.
This article explains how the transfer works, what triggers it, and why it is a feature rather than a fallback.
When a call needs to be transferred, Otto tells the caller they are being connected to a team member. It does not apologise, it does not put the caller on hold in silence, and it does not drop them. The transfer is handled as a direct handoff.
Before the transfer completes, Otto captures the context of the call: the caller's name if provided, what they were calling about, any order items already discussed, and any specific requests or requirements already noted. This information is passed through to the staff member receiving the call.
The staff member picks up knowing what the caller needs, what has already been discussed, and where in the process the conversation reached. The caller does not need to explain their situation again. The handoff feels like being transferred between two team members who have spoken to each other, not like being dropped back into a queue.
Two things trigger a transfer. The first is the caller requesting it. At any point during a call, a caller can ask to speak to a person. Otto responds to this request immediately and initiates the transfer. The request does not need to be phrased in any particular way. "Can I speak to someone?" or "I'd like to talk to a real person" both trigger the transfer.
The second is Otto reaching the edge of its configured scope. When a call involves a request or situation that Otto has not been configured to handle, it recognises this and transfers rather than attempting to handle it incorrectly. A complex delivery arrangement, an unusual menu customisation, a complaint that requires management involvement, or a catering enquiry that needs pricing negotiation, these are the types of interactions that trigger a scope-based transfer.
Read more about how Otto works at callotto.ai/how-otto-works.
If a staff member is not available when a transfer is initiated, Otto captures the caller's details and the reason for the call and ensures someone follows up. The caller is not simply dropped. They are told that someone will be in touch and their contact details are recorded for follow-up.
This is important for after-hours transfers in particular. A catering enquiry that comes in at 10pm and requires a human response is captured and queued for follow-up the next morning. The enquiry is not lost.
The framing of the transfer matters. It is easy to think of an AI transferring a call as evidence that it could not handle something, which is a negative outcome. The right framing is that a well-designed AI system knows its own limits and hands off appropriately, which is exactly what good human operators do.
A new staff member who encounters a complex catering negotiation they are not authorised to handle escalates to the manager. An experienced staff member who takes a complaint beyond their resolution authority calls the owner. Good handoffs are part of how professional service operations work, not evidence of failure.
An AI that attempts to handle every call regardless of complexity, making up answers or guessing at things it does not know, is more dangerous than one that transfers appropriately. Otto transfers when it should and handles everything else.
Yes. A caller can request to speak to a staff member at any point during the call. Otto responds to the request immediately and initiates the transfer. The request does not need to use any specific phrasing.
Otto captures the caller's name if provided, what they were calling about, any order items already discussed, and any specific requests or requirements noted during the call. This context is passed to the staff member receiving the transfer so the caller does not need to repeat themselves.
Otto recognises when a call involves a request it has not been configured to handle and initiates a transfer to a staff member with the call context captured. This is preferable to attempting to handle something incorrectly.
Otto captures the caller's details and the reason for the call and ensures the information is queued for follow-up. The caller is told that someone will be in touch. After-hours enquiries requiring human response are captured for follow-up the next morning.
Yes. The ability to transfer calls to a staff member is available on all Otto plans including the Growth, Pro, and Unlimited plans.
Otto transfers calls to staff members when callers request it or when the call exceeds its configured scope. The transfer preserves all call context so the caller never repeats themselves.
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