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Business Hours

Business Hours schedules allow you to route calls differently based on whether your organization is open or closed. This document explains how to create and configure business hours routing in OPBX.

What are Business Hours?​

Business Hours in OPBX provide:

  • Time-based routing - Different destinations for open vs. closed hours
  • Timezone support - Accurate scheduling across timezones
  • Day-of-week configuration - Set different hours for different days
  • Holiday handling - Special routing for holidays

Creating a Business Hours Schedule​

Step 1: Create the Schedule​

  1. Navigate to Business Hours in the main menu
  2. Click Create Schedule
  3. Enter a Name (e.g., "Main Office Hours")
  4. Select your Timezone
  5. Configure open/closed hours for each day
  6. Set routing destinations
  7. Save the schedule

Step 2: Configure Hours​

For each day of the week, set:

  • Open Time - When business opens
  • Close Time - When business closes
  • Closed All Day - For days you're not open

Example Configuration:

DayHoursStatus
Monday8:00 AM - 6:00 PMOpen
Tuesday8:00 AM - 6:00 PMOpen
Wednesday8:00 AM - 6:00 PMOpen
Thursday8:00 AM - 6:00 PMOpen
Friday8:00 AM - 5:00 PMOpen
Saturday-Closed
Sunday-Closed

Step 3: Set Routing Destinations​

Configure what happens during open and closed hours:

Open Hours Action:

  • Route to ring group
  • Route to extension
  • Route to IVR menu
  • Route to AI assistant

Closed Hours Action:

  • Route to voicemail
  • Route to after-hours IVR
  • Route to emergency extension
  • Route to AI assistant

Step 4: Apply to DID​

  1. Go to DID Numbers
  2. Select the phone number
  3. Set routing type to Business Hours
  4. Select your schedule
  5. Save changes

Timezone Configuration​

Selecting Timezone​

Choose the timezone where your business operates:

TimezoneUse For
America/New_YorkEastern US
America/ChicagoCentral US
America/DenverMountain US
America/Los_AngelesPacific US
Europe/LondonUK
Europe/ParisCentral Europe
Asia/TokyoJapan
Australia/SydneyEastern Australia
tip

Always use the timezone of your physical location, not where callers are located.

Daylight Saving Time​

OPBX automatically handles daylight saving time transitions based on your selected timezone. No manual adjustment needed.

Routing Configuration​

Open Hours Routing​

When your business is open, route calls to:

Option 1: Ring Group

During business hours → Ring Group (Sales Team)

Option 2: IVR Menu

During business hours → IVR Menu (Main Menu)

Option 3: Extension

During business hours → Extension (Reception)

Closed Hours Routing​

When your business is closed, common options include:

Option 1: Voicemail

After hours → Leave voicemail

Option 2: After-Hours IVR

After hours → IVR Menu
  - Press 1: Leave message for Sales
  - Press 2: Leave message for Support
  - Press 3: Emergency contact

Option 3: AI Assistant

After hours → AI Assistant (handles common questions)

Option 4: Emergency Line

After hours → Extension (On-call engineer)

Business Hours Examples​

Standard Office (9-5)​

Schedule: "Standard Office Hours"

  • Timezone: America/New_York
  • Monday-Friday: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
  • Saturday-Sunday: Closed

Routing:

  • Open: Ring Group 500 (Main Office)
  • Closed: IVR Menu (After Hours)

Extended Hours Support​

Schedule: "Support Department"

  • Timezone: America/Chicago
  • Monday-Friday: 7:00 AM - 8:00 PM
  • Saturday: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
  • Sunday: Closed

Routing:

  • Open: Ring Group 501 (Support Team)
  • Closed: Extension 399 (Emergency Support Voicemail)

Multi-Location Business​

Schedule 1: "East Coast Office"

  • Timezone: America/New_York
  • Open: Ring Group 510 (East Team)

Schedule 2: "West Coast Office"

  • Timezone: America/Los_Angeles
  • Open: Ring Group 520 (West Team)

Different DIDs use different schedules based on location.

Managing Schedules​

Editing Hours​

To modify your schedule:

  1. Navigate to Business Hours
  2. Select the schedule to edit
  3. Adjust hours for specific days
  4. Save changes

Changes take effect immediately.

Temporarily Disabling​

To disable a schedule without deleting:

  1. Edit the schedule
  2. Change Status to "Inactive"
  3. Save changes

When inactive, the schedule won't affect routing.

Multiple Schedules​

You can create multiple schedules for different:

  • Departments - Sales, Support, Billing
  • Locations - East office, West office
  • Seasons - Summer hours, Winter hours
  • Special numbers - Emergency line (24/7)

Holiday Configuration​

Handling Holidays​

For holidays when you're closed:

Option 1: Manual Schedule Update

  1. Edit the schedule before the holiday
  2. Mark the day as "Closed"
  3. Change back after the holiday

Option 2: Separate Holiday Schedule

  1. Create a "Holiday Schedule" that's always closed
  2. Temporarily assign DIDs to this schedule during holidays
  3. Switch back to regular schedule after

Option 3: Special Holiday Greeting

  1. Create a holiday-specific IVR
  2. Route closed hours to this IVR
  3. Include holiday-specific information

Common Holiday Schedule​

New Year's Day - Closed
Memorial Day - Closed
Independence Day - Closed
Labor Day - Closed
Thanksgiving - Closed
Christmas Day - Closed

Testing Business Hours​

Current Status Check​

Verify your schedule is working:

  1. View the schedule in OPBX
  2. Check "Current Status" indicator
  3. Verify it shows "Open" or "Closed" correctly

Call Testing​

Test routing at different times:

  1. During business hours: Call the DID, verify open-hours routing
  2. After hours: Call the DID, verify closed-hours routing
  3. Weekends: Test weekend routing if different

Time Travel Testing​

To test without waiting:

  1. Temporarily change your computer/phone timezone
  2. Make test calls
  3. Verify correct routing
  4. Change timezone back

Troubleshooting​

Calls Not Routing Correctly​

Problem: Calls go to wrong destination based on time.

Solutions:

  1. Verify timezone is correct
  2. Check schedule hours are set correctly
  3. Verify AM/PM is correct (common mistake)
  4. Confirm schedule is assigned to the DID
  5. Check schedule status is "Active"

Timezone Issues​

Problem: Routing happens at wrong time of day.

Solutions:

  1. Double-check timezone selection
  2. Verify system time is correct
  3. Consider daylight saving time
  4. Check if timezone observes DST

Schedule Not Applied​

Problem: Business hours routing doesn't work.

Solutions:

  1. Verify DID routing type is set to "Business Hours"
  2. Confirm correct schedule is selected
  3. Check schedule has both open and closed actions configured
  4. Verify destinations exist and are active

Best Practices​

Design​

  1. Match actual hours - Be accurate to avoid missed calls
  2. Consider all days - Don't forget weekends
  3. Plan for holidays - Decide handling in advance
  4. Use clear names - "Main Office" vs "Support Desk"

Configuration​

  1. Test thoroughly - Verify at different times
  2. Have good fallbacks - Closed-hours destination is important
  3. Document exceptions - Note any special handling
  4. Review quarterly - Update for schedule changes

Maintenance​

  1. Update for DST - Automatic, but verify
  2. Plan holiday changes - Update before holidays
  3. Monitor effectiveness - Check voicemail volume
  4. Communicate changes - Notify staff of routing updates

Next Steps​

Related Documentation: