How to change your business hours

Your business hours decide when calls go to your team and when they go to your after-hours greeting or voicemail. You can change them yourself in the Hosted Voice portal in a few minutes, and the change takes effect as soon as you click Apply.

Before you start

• You need an administrator login for the Hosted Voice portal. If you don't have one, contact us and we can make the change for you.
• Your phones shouldn't be stuck in a manual mode. If someone has used a phone button or a dial code such as *99 or *8xxx to force the system open or closed, it ignores your business hours until it's set back to follow its schedule.
• One site, one set of hours. If you have several sites, states or time zones, each has its own hours. Contact us if you're not sure which one to change.

Change your opening hours

1. Open your business hours

In the portal, go to Call Control > Business Hours and Holidays. The Business Hours tab lists your current hours. Click the pencil icon next to the hours you want to change.

2. Set the new times

Under Business Hours, click the Start Time or End Time and choose or type the new time. Then click anywhere outside the time box so it's saved in the form.

3. Check the days

Scroll down to Date Settings. Tick the days these hours apply to. Untick any day that needs different hours, such as Friday if you finish early.

4. Save, then click Apply

Click Save. An orange Apply button appears at the top of the page. Click it to put your new hours live.

Set different hours for one day

Each set of business hours covers the days ticked in it. For a day with different hours, add a separate set just for that day. Make sure the same day isn't ticked in your other set of hours.

1. Click Add

On the Business Hours tab, click Add.

2. Add the times

Under Business Hours, click + Add, then set the start and end time for that day.

3. Tick the day

Under Date Settings, tick only that day. You can add a note in Remark, such as Friday early finish.

4. Save and Apply

Click Save, then the orange Apply button. The list now shows both sets of hours.

Close over lunch

To send calls to your after-hours greeting over lunch, split the day into two time ranges in the same set of hours. For example, 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM, then 1:30 PM to 5:00 PM. Click + Add under Business Hours to add the second range.

Check it's working

Once you've clicked Apply, the Business Hours list shows your new times and the Apply button disappears. To test, call your main number from a mobile just after your new closing time. You should hear your after-hours greeting.

Troubleshooting

• The new hours didn't take effect. Apply wasn't clicked after saving. Open Business Hours and Holidays and click the orange Apply button.
• The old time came back after saving. The time box wasn't saved in the form. Set the time again and click outside the box before you click Save.
• Calls still ring during closed hours, or go to after-hours during open hours. The system has probably been forced into a set mode with a phone button or a *99 / *8xxx dial code. Set it back so the system follows its schedule.
• A day follows the wrong hours. It's ticked in more than one set of hours. Untick it in the one that doesn't apply.

Closing for Christmas or a public holiday? See How to set up a holiday closure. For how business hours, holidays and after-hours routing work together, see Business hours, holidays and after-hours call handling.