Business hours & out-of-hours routing

Business hours route calls only when your team is available. Out of hours, WorkDial can forward the call, play a message, or take voicemail.

Business hours define when a number or queue accepts calls. Out-of-hours routing defines what happens to a call that arrives outside those hours or when no agent is online. Both are configured in WorkDial Setup and stored against your Salesforce org.

Step 1: Configure business hours

  1. In Salesforce, go to App Launcher → WorkDial Setup → Business Hours.
  2. Add a business hours profile:
    • Give it a clear name (for example, US Sales Hours).
    • Select the time zone.
    • Define open days and open/close times.
  3. Save the profile.

Tip: Create a separate profile per region (for example, US, EMEA, APAC) if you operate across time zones.

Step 2: Apply business hours to numbers and queues

  1. Go to WorkDial Setup → Numbers (Sender IDs).
  2. For each number or queue, assign the appropriate business hours profile:
    • Example: a US Sales number linked to US Sales Hours.
    • Example: a Support Queue linked to 24/7 Support Hours.

Step 3: Configure out-of-hours actions

Out-of-hours routing decides what happens when a call arrives outside the defined business hours or when no agent is online. Available actions:

  • Reply with a message: play a custom audio file, or text WorkDial reads aloud using text-to-speech (for example, “Our office is closed. Please call back during business hours.”).
  • Forward to another number or call center: route to a backup team, an external answering service, or a manager’s mobile.
  • Route to voicemail: the recording is saved against the related Salesforce record for follow-up.

Whichever action runs, the missed out-of-hours attempt is logged against the related Salesforce record, so no attempt is lost.

For what happens when a specific agent marks themselves offline during business hours, see Offline routing scenarios.

Step 4: Test your configuration

  • Call the number during open hours and confirm normal routing.
  • Call outside the set hours and confirm the out-of-hours action runs.
  • Have an agent mark themselves offline and verify calls forward to the backup or voicemail.

Best practices

  • Keep profiles region-specific (separate profiles for US, EMEA, APAC).
  • Always set a backup out-of-hours action. Never leave calls without a response.
  • Document your out-of-hours process for compliance (voicemail handling, data retention).
  • Use queues for resilience. Avoid assigning critical numbers to a single user.

Troubleshooting

  • Calls ring outside business hours: check that the correct profile is assigned to the number.
  • Out-of-hours message not playing: verify the audio file, or the text-to-speech text and language, are set.
  • Forwarding does not work: verify the forwarding number is valid in Twilio and supports voice.
  • Agents not receiving calls during hours: confirm their status is Available in the WorkDial panel and that routing rules are set.