Hangup Xfer vs Hangup Both: dropping the third party vs ending the whole call

These two buttons sit next to each other in the transfer-conf frame and do very different things. Hangup Xfer drops only the third-party line. Hangup Both ends the customer line and the third-party line together. Clicking the wrong one is an easy way to drop a customer you meant to keep.

Hangup Xfer: drop only the third party

Hangup Xfer maps to the HANGUP_XFER value of the transfer_conference function, and it hangs up the third party line only. You are still connected to the customer afterward. This is the button you want when a Three-way call did not pan out, the specialist was the wrong fit, or the dialed number went to voicemail, and you want to come back to the customer and carry on.

There is a recording option tied to it. Hangup Xfer Recording Start, when enabled, starts recording the session the moment you click Hangup Xfer. That is handy if you stop the recording during the 3-way for compliance and want it back the second you return to a one-on-one with the customer.

Hangup Both: end everything

Hangup Both maps to HANGUP_BOTH and hangs up both the customer and the third party. Use it when the call is simply over and you want a clean teardown of every leg before you move to Disposition. It is the right call when nobody needs to stay on the line.

Why the recording option matters here

Hangup Xfer pairs naturally with a recording campaign setting because of what it leaves behind: a fresh one-on-one with the customer. If you stop the recording when the 3-way starts, you want it back the moment the third party drops. Hangup Xfer Recording Start does exactly that, kicking the session recording back on the instant you click the button. Without it, the rest of your conversation with the customer goes uncaptured.

Hangup Both does not need that, because there is no conversation left to record. Everyone is gone. The only thing that follows is your disposition, which is why teams sometimes reach for the Transfer No Dispo option, though that one carries its own warning about data inconsistencies when calls go to other agents.

A common floor mistake

New agents reach for Hangup Both when they really wanted Hangup Xfer, and they drop a customer they meant to keep. The fix is muscle memory: if the customer should survive the click, it is Hangup Xfer, always. A quick laminated card at each desk during onboarding cuts these mistakes fast, especially on floors that run a lot of outbound 3-ways into a closing Ingroup.

How they branch

flowchart TD
  A[On a 3-way call] --> B{Keep the customer}
  B -->|Yes| C[Click Hangup Xfer]
  C --> D[Third party drops]
  D --> E[You and customer continue]
  B -->|No| F[Click Hangup Both]
  F --> G[Customer and third party drop]
  G --> H[Go to disposition]

Do not confuse these with leaving

Neither button is the same as Leave 3-Way Call. Leaving keeps the customer and third party talking while you step out; Hangup Xfer keeps the customer with you and drops the third party; Hangup Both ends it all. Three buttons, three outcomes, and the Agent chooses based on who should still be on the line.

A quick way to remember it: Hangup Xfer is your undo for a Warm transfer that did not work out, while Hangup Both is the end-of-call teardown. If you tend to start 3-ways into a Campaign in-group, train your agents on the difference before go-live.

For the step-out alternative see what Leave 3-Way Call does, and for the full set of handoff options the transfers and closers guide covers every button in one place.

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