If you use AI inside your CRM to handle customer conversations, working hours can help you stay responsive without sounding like your business is available around the clock. You can decide when the AI should reply, how after-hours messages are handled, and what follow-up should happen when you reopen.

📌 Why This Matters

Small business owners often want fast replies for customers, but not every message needs a live response at all hours. With working hours, your AI can match your real business schedule, send a helpful reply when you are closed, and make sure important conversations are not forgotten. That means a better customer experience, fewer missed opportunities, and less confusion about when someone will hear back.

✨ What’s New

• Set hours for each AI assistant: Choose the days and times when it should actively reply, including split shifts or breaks during the day.
• Pick which channels follow the schedule: Apply working hours only to selected channels like text, email, chat, or social messaging while leaving others available at all times.
• Use the right timezone: Run the schedule based on your business timezone or the customer’s local timezone.
• Keep active conversations going: If a conversation starts during open hours, the AI can continue responding after closing until the chat becomes inactive.
• Send an after-hours reply: Automatically acknowledge customers when they message outside business hours with a custom message.
• Alert your team: Send email notifications for after-hours messages so your staff can jump in when needed.
• Tag after-hours contacts: Automatically label people who message when you are closed so you can filter and follow up easily.
• Follow up when you reopen: Send a message once business hours resume if the customer has not already received a response.

🛠️ How to Use It

1. Step 1: Open your CRM’s AI conversation settings and turn on working hours for the assistant you want to manage.
2. Step 2: Set your business days and hours, including multiple time blocks if you close for lunch or have split shifts.
3. Step 3: Choose which message channels should follow that schedule and decide whether to use your timezone or the customer’s.
4. Step 4: Add an after-hours auto-reply, turn on team notifications, and apply tags for contacts who message when you are closed.
5. Step 5: Enable a reopen follow-up so unanswered customers hear from you when business hours begin again.

💡 Pro Tip

Use your after-hours reply to set clear expectations and invite the next step, like booking, calling, or leaving details, so missed late-night messages still turn into sales opportunities.