Overview
Purpose
Configure business hours and holidays to automatically route calls differently based on time of day, day of week, or special dates. Ensure calls are handled appropriately during office hours, after hours, weekends, and holidays.
Business hours and holiday schedules enable time-based call routing, allowing your PBX to:
- Route calls to different destinations based on time
- Play appropriate announcements for closed hours
- Send calls to voicemail outside business hours
- Handle holidays with special greetings
- Override schedules for special events
Business Hours Configuration
What Are Business Hours?
Business hours define when your organization is open for calls. Calls received during business hours follow one routing path, while calls outside business hours follow another.
Single Business Hours Schedule
Most organizations need one primary schedule:
Common Pattern:
- Monday-Friday: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
- Saturday-Sunday: Closed
- Lunch Break: Optional handling
Use Case
Standard office hours for businesses with consistent schedules across all departments.
Multiple Business Hours Schedules
Different departments or services may have different hours:
Examples:
- Sales: Monday-Friday 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
- Support: Monday-Sunday 24/7
- Accounting: Monday-Friday 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
- After-Hours Emergency: Always available
Benefit
Route calls to appropriate departments based on their specific availability, improving customer experience.
Complex Scheduling Scenarios
Lunch Hours:
- 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM: Reduced staff or special message
- Route to voicemail or alternate destination
Split Shifts:
- Morning: 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
- Afternoon: 2:00 PM - 6:00 PM
- Closed: 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Seasonal Hours:
- Summer hours (June-August)
- Winter hours (December-February)
- Different schedules by season
Complexity Management
Use multiple schedules and time conditions to handle complex scenarios. Test thoroughly to ensure correct routing.
Create Business Hours
Navigate to Business Hours
Go to Call Control > Business Hours
Location
Business hours configuration is found under Call Control features alongside time conditions and call routing.
Add New Schedule
Click Add to create a new business hours schedule.
Required Information:
- Schedule name (descriptive)
- Time zone (if different from system)
- Weekly schedule
- Exception dates (optional)
Configure Weekly Schedule
Set Regular Business Hours
For each weekday (Monday-Friday):
- Start Time: e.g., 9:00 AM
- End Time: e.g., 5:00 PM
- Status: Open or Closed
Tip: Copy settings to multiple days at once
Weekend Configuration
Options for Saturday and Sunday:
- Closed All Day: Most common
- Limited Hours: e.g., Saturday 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
- Same as Weekdays: For 7-day operations
Retail Example
Retail stores often have Saturday hours (10:00 AM - 6:00 PM) and Sunday hours (12:00 PM - 5:00 PM).
Custom Day Settings
Split Hours (multiple periods per day):
- Morning: 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
- Afternoon: 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Different Hours by Day:
- Monday: 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM (extended)
- Tuesday-Thursday: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM (standard)
- Friday: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM (early close)
Set Time Zone
Important
Always verify the time zone matches your physical location or intended scheduling timezone. Incorrect timezone causes calls to route incorrectly.
Options:
- Use System Timezone: Default, inherits from PBX system settings
- Custom Timezone: Specify different timezone for this schedule
When to Use Custom:
- Multi-location businesses
- Regional offices in different timezones
- Virtual businesses serving specific regions
Save and Apply
Click Save to create the business hours schedule.
Result
Schedule is now available for use in inbound routes, time conditions, and call flows.
Holidays Configuration
Purpose
Define holidays when normal business hours don't apply. Holidays override regular schedules with special greetings, closed messages, or alternate routing.
Common Holiday Types
Fixed-Date Holidays (same date every year)
United States:
- New Year's Day: January 1
- Independence Day: July 4
- Christmas Day: December 25
International:
- Boxing Day: December 26 (UK, Canada, Australia)
- Bastille Day: July 14 (France)
- Day of the Dead: November 1-2 (Mexico)
Configuration
Set as recurring annual holidays that automatically apply each year.
Floating Holidays (calculated dates)
United States:
- Thanksgiving: 4th Thursday in November
- Memorial Day: Last Monday in May
- Labor Day: First Monday in September
International:
- Easter: Varies by lunar calendar
- Chinese New Year: Varies by lunar calendar
- Diwali: Varies by lunar calendar
Manual Update
Floating holidays may require manual date entry each year unless your PBX supports calculated holidays.
Regional/Country-Specific Holidays
Configure holidays relevant to your business location:
Canada:
- Victoria Day
- Canada Day
- Thanksgiving (October)
UK:
- Bank Holidays
- Queen's Jubilee
Germany:
- Reunification Day
- Regional state holidays
Multi-Location
Create separate holiday schedules for different office locations or regions.
Create Holidays
Navigate to Holidays
Go to Call Control > Holidays
Add Holiday
Click Add to create a new holiday entry.
Required Information:
- Holiday name
- Date or date range
- Recurrence (yearly, one-time)
- Optional description
Configure Holiday Details
Single-Day Holiday
Configuration:
- Date: Select specific date
- Name: e.g., "Christmas Day"
- Recurrence: Annual (repeats yearly)
Example: December 25 - Christmas Day (Annual)
Multi-Day Holiday Period
Configuration:
- Start Date: First day closed
- End Date: Last day closed
- Name: e.g., "Year-End Closure"
- Recurrence: Annual or one-time
Example: December 24-26 - Holiday Closure (Annual)
Common Usage
Year-end closures, summer vacation periods, company retreats.
Recurring Holiday
Options:
- Annual: Same date(s) every year
- One-Time: Specific year only
- Custom Pattern: Advanced recurrence rules
Best Practice: Mark all standard holidays as annual to avoid recreating them yearly.
Assign to Business Hours
Link holidays to business hours schedules:
- Select applicable business hours schedules
- Holiday will override normal hours
- Calls route to holiday destination
Automatic Override
When a holiday matches the current date, it automatically overrides the regular business hours schedule.
Save Holiday
Click Save to add the holiday to your schedule.
Time Conditions & Routing
Integration
Business hours and holidays work together with time conditions to control call routing throughout your PBX.
Using Business Hours in Call Routing
Time-Based Inbound Routing
Configure inbound routes to check business hours:
During Business Hours:
- Route to receptionist or ring group
- Play business greeting
- Connect to IVR menu
Outside Business Hours:
- Play closed message
- Route to voicemail
- Forward to on-call mobile
- Send to after-hours service
Example Flow
- Check if within business hours
- If YES: Route to main ring group
- If NO: Play "We're closed" message → Voicemail
User Extension Forwarding
Users can set forwarding based on business hours:
During Business Hours:
- Ring desk phone
- Simultaneous ring to mobile
- 30-second timeout → voicemail
Outside Business Hours:
- Forward directly to voicemail
- Or forward to mobile only
- Or disable forwarding entirely
User Control
Individual users can override global business hours with personal schedules.
Advanced Scheduling
Temporary Schedule Overrides
Special Events
Need to temporarily change business hours without modifying your main schedule? Use temporary overrides.
Use Cases:
- Company meeting (close early one day)
- Special event (extended hours)
- Emergency closure (weather, power outage)
- Maintenance window
Configuration:
- Create one-time holiday entry
- Set specific date and time
- Configure special routing
- Automatically expires after date
Multiple Concurrent Schedules
Per-Department Hours
Create separate schedules for each department:
Example Setup:
Sales Hours: Mon-Fri 8AM-6PM, Sat 9AM-1PM
Support Hours: 24/7/365
Billing Hours: Mon-Fri 9AM-5PM
Reception Hours: Mon-Fri 8:30AM-5:30PMImplementation:
- Department-specific inbound routes
- DID numbers mapped to departments
- Independent time conditions per department
Priority-Based Routing
Use nested time conditions for complex routing:
Logic Flow:
- Check if HOLIDAY → Route to holiday message
- Else, check if AFTER HOURS → Route to after-hours
- Else, check if LUNCH BREAK → Route to limited staff
- Else, BUSINESS HOURS → Route to full staff
Evaluation Order
Time conditions are evaluated in priority order. First match wins.
Seasonal Hour Changes
Summer Hours (June-August):
- Friday: Close at 4:00 PM
- Extended lunch breaks
Holiday Season (November-December):
- Extended evening hours for retail
- Weekend availability increases
Implementation:
- Create seasonal schedule variants
- Activate/deactivate schedules as needed
- Or use date-range conditions
Best Practice
Plan seasonal changes in advance and schedule activation dates.
Best Practices
Scheduling Best Practices
Follow these guidelines for effective business hours and holiday management.
Configuration Tips
1. Test Thoroughly
- Test routing during and after hours
- Verify holiday overrides work correctly
- Check timezone handling
- Test boundary conditions (e.g., exactly 5:00 PM)
2. Document Schedules
- Maintain schedule documentation
- Note which routes use which schedules
- Document override procedures
- Track seasonal changes
3. Regular Review
- Review schedules quarterly
- Update holidays annually
- Verify timezone correctness (DST changes)
- Check for obsolete temporary overrides
4. User Communication
- Inform staff of schedule changes
- Update greetings to match hours
- Provide after-hours contact options
- Set expectations in voicemail messages
Announcement Best Practices
During Business Hours
Keep it brief and professional:
"Thank you for calling [Company Name].
Your call is important to us.
Please hold while we connect you."Or with menu options:
"Thank you for calling [Company Name].
Press 1 for Sales, Press 2 for Support,
or stay on the line for the operator."Outside Business Hours
Provide useful information:
"Thank you for calling [Company Name].
Our office is currently closed.
Our business hours are Monday through Friday,
9:00 AM to 5:00 PM Eastern Time.
Please leave a message and we'll return your call
on the next business day. For urgent matters,
press 0 to reach our on-call technician."Key Elements:
- State current status (closed)
- Provide business hours
- Offer callback option
- Provide emergency option if applicable
Holiday Closure
Be specific about the holiday and return date:
"Thank you for calling [Company Name].
Our offices are closed today for [Holiday Name].
We will reopen on [Date] at [Time].
Please leave a message or call back during
our regular business hours. For emergencies,
press 0 to reach our answering service."Important Details:
- Name the holiday
- Specify return date
- Maintain emergency options
- Set appropriate expectations
Update Annually
Record new holiday messages each year with current dates to avoid confusion.
Troubleshooting
Common Issues
Resolve common business hours and holiday scheduling problems.
Calls Routing Incorrectly
Problem: Calls go to after-hours even during business hours
Solutions:
- Verify Timezone: Check PBX system timezone and schedule timezone match
- Check DST Settings: Ensure Daylight Saving Time is configured correctly
- Review Time Ranges: Confirm start/end times are correct (AM/PM)
- Test Conditions: Manually test time condition logic
- Check Schedule Assignment: Verify correct schedule is assigned to route
Testing Tip
Use the PBX system time display to verify current time matches your expectations.
Holiday Not Activating
Problem: Calls not routing to holiday destination on holiday date
Troubleshooting Steps:
Verify Holiday Date
Check holiday entry has correct date and year
Check Assignment
Ensure holiday is assigned to the business hours schedule used by your route
Confirm Priority
Holiday conditions should have higher priority than regular business hours
Review Time Condition
Verify time condition explicitly checks for holidays
Timezone Issues
Problem: Schedule off by several hours
Causes:
- Wrong timezone selected
- DST not configured
- Server timezone mismatch
- Schedule timezone differs from system
Resolution:
- Check PBX system timezone: Settings > General > Time
- Verify schedule timezone matches
- Enable DST if applicable to your region
- Restart time condition evaluation after changes
DST Transitions
Test call routing during DST transition weekends (spring forward, fall back) to ensure correct handling.
Quick Reference
Sample Business Hours
Standard Office:
- Monday-Friday: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
- Saturday-Sunday: Closed
Retail Store:
- Monday-Friday: 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM
- Saturday: 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
- Sunday: 12:00 PM - 5:00 PM
24/7 Support Center:
- All Days: 24 hours (always open)
- No closed periods
Healthcare Office:
- Monday, Wednesday, Friday: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
- Tuesday, Thursday: 8:00 AM - 7:00 PM
- Lunch: 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM (reduced availability)