Setting business hours that change agent behavior

How the agent reasons about open/closed and what to do after hours.

3 min readUpdated May 20, 2026

Your business hours are not just metadata — they actively change what your agent says.

During open hours

The agent promises responsive service: "I can book you in for tomorrow at 2pm" or "Someone will follow up within the hour."

Outside open hours

The agent shifts to: 'We're closed right now, but I can book you in for first thing when we open at 8am tomorrow' OR 'I can take a message and someone will reach out as soon as we're open.' It does NOT promise immediate response after hours.

How to fill out the hours editor

  • Each day has a checkbox — open or closed
  • Pick a start time and an end time for open days
  • Closed days behave as "we are not open at all that day"
  • 24/7 businesses: set every day 12:00am to 11:59pm

What about emergency / after-hours service?

Mark your normal business hours in the editor. Add a FAQ called "Do you do emergency service?" with the answer "Yes, for plumbing emergencies after hours, call our emergency line at [number]." The agent will answer that question accurately while still treating the rest of after-hours as closed.

Don't set your hours to '24/7' just because you want to seem responsive. The agent will overpromise during hours nobody is actually working, and you'll burn customer trust on day one.

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