Call routing, menus and hours
How do business-hours and after-hours rules work?
Business-hours rules check the day and time when a call arrives and send it down one of two paths: the open-hours flow (menu, ring group or queue) or the after-hours flow (a closed greeting, voicemail, an on-call number or an AI receptionist). A holiday list overrides the weekly schedule for specific dates. The rules run automatically, so nobody has to switch the phones over at closing time.
The three pieces of a schedule
Each piece has a destination. Open hours usually go to your main menu or ring group. Closed hours go to a greeting that states your hours and offers voicemail, and sometimes an urgent option that rings a cell phone. Holidays can reuse the closed flow or play a dated message.
- Weekly hours: the days and times you are open, including split shifts such as closing over lunch.
- Holidays: specific dates that are treated as closed, with an optional special greeting.
- Manual override: a switch that forces closed mode during an unexpected closure, such as a storm or a power problem at the office.
What a good after-hours flow includes
The after-hours greeting is where callers want information: "Our office is open Monday to Friday, 8 to 5. Leave a message and we will return your call the next business day. If this is urgent, press 1." The urgent option might ring an on-call cell phone, a partner, or an AI receptionist that takes a structured message.
Voicemail left after hours should go to email so the first person in the morning sees it, and missed-call alerts can go to a shared inbox.
Setting it up
In the admin portal, open Call Routing → Business Hours, enter your weekly schedule, add holidays for the year, and choose the open and closed destinations. Time zone matters for multi-location businesses: each location can have its own schedule. A 3CTel specialist can make this change for you and usually sets the first schedule during onboarding.
Test after-hours behaviour without waiting for 5 pm: temporarily set the closing time to the current minute, call in, then set it back.
Related questions.
Can different departments have different hours?
Yes. Each menu option or number can use its own schedule. Support might run 7 am to 7 pm while accounting runs 9 to 5, and each falls back to its own after-hours destination when closed.
What happens on a statutory holiday I forgot to add?
The weekly schedule applies, so the phones behave as a normal weekday. Anyone with admin access can flip the manual override that morning, or a 3CTel specialist can do it on request. Adding the year's holidays in advance avoids the problem.
Can I switch to closed mode from my cell phone?
The mobile app and admin portal are both available from a phone, so an authorized user can toggle the override without being in the office. Some customers also assign a feature code that staff dial from a desk phone.
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