Call routing, menus and hours · For 3CTel customers
How do I set a holiday greeting?
To set a holiday greeting, add the date to your phone system's holiday list, attach a closure message, and choose where callers go afterwards, usually voicemail or an urgent option. The greeting plays automatically on that date and the normal schedule resumes the next day. Text-to-speech makes dated messages quick to change; a 3CTel specialist can also set the year's holidays for you.
Step by step.
List the dates
Note the statutory holidays you observe plus any company closures, such as the days between Christmas and New Year.
Write the message
State that you are closed, when you reopen, and what the caller can do now. Example: "Thank you for calling. We are closed for the holiday and reopen Tuesday at 8 am. Please leave a message, or press 1 if this is urgent."
Record or generate it
Record in a quiet room or type the text and use text-to-speech. Play it back on a phone to check the volume and pace.
Add the holiday
In the admin portal, open Call Routing → Business Hours → Holidays, add the date or range, and select the greeting and the after-greeting destination. A 3CTel specialist can make this change for you.
Test before the day
Set a test holiday for today, call in from a cell phone, listen to the whole flow, then remove the test entry.
One greeting or many?
A generic closure greeting that does not name the holiday or the reopening date can be reused all year, which is the least maintenance. A dated greeting is friendlier and reduces repeat calls, because callers know when to try again. Text-to-speech makes dated greetings practical: change one line of text, no re-recording.
Businesses with several locations can set holidays per location, which matters when provincial holidays differ, such as Family Day or Quebec's National Holiday.
What to offer callers
- Voicemail to a shared mailbox, delivered by email so it is seen on the first day back.
- An urgent option that rings an on-call cell phone or an AI receptionist that takes a structured message.
- A reminder of your website or online booking for routine requests.
- For service businesses, a note about emergency arrangements or an alternate contact.
Add the whole year's holidays in January. Most missed-holiday problems come from a date that was never entered.
Related questions.
Can I close early on the day before a holiday?
Yes. A holiday entry can cover part of a day, for example from 1 pm on December 24. Callers before that time get normal routing; after it, the holiday greeting plays.
Will my regular after-hours greeting still play?
The holiday entry takes priority for the dates you set, so callers hear the holiday message instead. Outside those dates, the normal weekly schedule and its usual after-hours greeting apply without any change on your part.
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