routing
Business hours routing automatically changes how calls are handled depending on the time of day. It sends calls to the team during opening hours, and to voicemail or an after-hours message once the day ends.
A schedule defines opening hours for each day of the week, and the phone system checks the current time against it before deciding how to route a call. No manual switching is required once it is set up.
Outside business hours, calls typically go to a dedicated after-hours greeting and voicemail. Some small businesses forward urgent lines to an on-call mobile instead, especially in trades or emergency-adjacent services.
Holidays and one-off closures usually need a separate override. A standard weekly schedule alone will not know that a normal Tuesday is actually a public holiday.
Worked example
A 3-person electrical business wants calls handled differently outside its 8am-6pm hours.
They set a business hours schedule so calls route to the team during the day, and after 6pm switch automatically to a message directing genuine emergencies to an on-call mobile, with everything else going to voicemail.
Why it matters to a small team
Business hours routing stops a small business needing to remember to manually redirect calls every evening and weekend. It still gives callers an appropriate message, instead of the same daytime menu at 11pm.
Business hours routing automatically applies different call handling rules depending on the time of day, typically sending calls to the team during set opening hours and to voicemail or an after-hours message outside them.
Most systems support holiday overrides separate from the standard weekly schedule, letting a business mark specific dates as closed so calls route to the after-hours message even on what would normally be a working day.
Yes, most cloud phone systems let each number or department have its own independent schedule, so a support line and a sales line can follow completely different hours if needed.
One app, your number, calls logged to your CRM. Per-user pricing, no minimums. Free for 7 days, working in minutes.
7-day free trial. No card required. Cancel anytime.
7 days free, no card required. Tell us about your setup and we'll have your number ready in minutes.