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Business Hours Setup

Configure when your Welco AI receptionist routes calls to human agents versus handling them with AI. Set up custom schedules, define after-hours behavior, and ensure seamless call routing based on your business operating hours.

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Prerequisites

Before configuring business hours, ensure you have:
  • A Welco account with an active AI receptionist
  • A phone number configured for human agent routing
  • Your business timezone configured in your profile settings
  • Agent and tenant IDs properly set up in your account

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Understanding Call Routing Logic

Welco uses a smart routing system that determines whether incoming calls should go to your human agents or the AI receptionist based on your configured business hours: During Business Hours:
  • Calls are routed to your human agent’s phone number
  • If the human agent doesn’t answer within the timeout period, the call automatically transfers to the AI receptionist
  • The system respects your configured business days and hours
Outside Business Hours:
  • All calls are handled directly by the AI receptionist
  • No attempt is made to reach human agents
  • Callers receive immediate AI assistance

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Accessing Business Hours Configuration

accessing the profile settings
  1. Log into your Welco dashboard
  2. Navigate to Profile or Settings
  3. Click on Off-Hours AI Receptionist or Business Hours section
  4. You’ll see the current status and configuration options

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Setting Up Basic Configuration

off hours ai receptionist

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Step 1: Enable Business Hours Routing

  1. Toggle Business Hours Routing: Enable the “Enable business hours routing” switch
    • When enabled: Calls route based on your schedule
    • When disabled: All calls go directly to the AI receptionist
💡 Tip: Start with business hours routing disabled to test your AI receptionist behavior before adding human agent routing.

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Step 2: Configure Human Agent Phone Number

  1. Enter Phone Number: Input your human agent’s phone number using the international phone selector
    • The system supports international numbers with proper country code formatting
    • Use the dropdown to select your country and enter the local number
    • Example: For US number (555) 123-4567, select “United States” and enter the number
  2. Verify Format: The system automatically formats your number in E.164 format (e.g., +15551234567)

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Step 3: Set Call Timeout Duration

  1. Configure Timeout: Set how long the system waits for your human agent to answer
    • Range: 5-60 seconds
    • Default: 20 seconds
    • Recommended: 15-25 seconds for optimal user experience
  2. Understand Timeout Behavior:
    • If the human agent answers within the timeout: Call proceeds normally
    • If no answer within timeout: Call automatically transfers to AI receptionist
    • The caller experiences a seamless transition without disruption

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Configuring Business Hours Schedule

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Daily Schedule Configuration

For each day of the week, you can:
  1. Enable/Disable: Toggle whether the day is a business day
  2. Set Hours: Configure start and end times using 24-hour format
    • Start Time: When human agents begin taking calls
    • End Time: When human agents stop taking calls
Default Configuration:
  • Monday-Friday: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM (enabled)
  • Saturday-Sunday: Disabled (AI handles all calls)

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Weekly Schedule Examples

Standard Business Hours: 
Monday:    9:00 - 17:00 (enabled)
Tuesday:   9:00 - 17:00 (enabled)
Wednesday: 9:00 - 17:00 (enabled)
Thursday:  9:00 - 17:00 (enabled)
Friday:    9:00 - 17:00 (enabled)
Saturday:  Disabled
Sunday:    Disabled
Extended Hours Service: 
Monday:    8:00 - 20:00 (enabled)
Tuesday:   8:00 - 20:00 (enabled)
Wednesday: 8:00 - 20:00 (enabled)
Thursday:  8:00 - 20:00 (enabled)
Friday:    8:00 - 20:00 (enabled)
Saturday:  10:00 - 16:00 (enabled)
Sunday:    12:00 - 18:00 (enabled)
Restaurant Hours: 
Monday:    Disabled (closed)
Tuesday:   11:00 - 22:00 (enabled)
Wednesday: 11:00 - 22:00 (enabled)
Thursday:  11:00 - 22:00 (enabled)
Friday:    11:00 - 23:00 (enabled)
Saturday:  11:00 - 23:00 (enabled)
Sunday:    11:00 - 21:00 (enabled)

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Time Zone Considerations

  • Business hours are calculated based on your profile timezone setting
  • The system uses moment-timezone library for accurate time calculations
  • Current time display shows your local timezone
  • Supported timezones include major regions worldwide
💡 Pro Tip: The system displays your current status in real-time. Use this to verify your configuration is working correctly.
By following this guide, you’ll have a fully configured business hours system that intelligently routes calls between human agents and your AI receptionist, providing seamless service to your callers around the clock.