The logic your phones should already have
Time conditions are the everyday scheduler: within hours ring the teams; lunch route to the cover group or the AI; after close play the out-of-hours greeting with the emergency option; Saturday morning ring only the two people actually in. It sounds basic, and the absence is loud โ calls ringing an empty office at 7pm, or worse, daytime callers hearing 'we're closed' because someone forgot to flick a switch after the bank holiday. The schedule runs itself; the switch-flicking era ends.
The details that make it elite
Layering: holiday routing overrides the weekly pattern on special dates, and a manual override ('closed early โ snow') sits on top for real life. Granularity: different departments keep different hours โ support until 8pm while sales stops at 5:30 โ each with its own conditions. And honesty in the greetings: an out-of-hours message that states reopening time and a real alternative (book online, AI takes it, emergency line) converts a dead call into a kept customer. Configured on day one of every install; edited by you in minutes forever after.
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Frequently asked questions
Can different teams have different hours?
Yes โ conditions apply per number, department or group. Support's 8pm finish and sales' 5:30 coexist happily.
What happens when we close early unexpectedly?
One tap on the manual override switches to closed mode immediately, and normal scheduling resumes when you clear it.
What should out-of-hours calls hear?
Reopening time, a genuine alternative, and ideally the AI receptionist capturing the booking. 'Closed, goodbye' is a lost customer โ we script better.