Workflow: Notify customers of business hours when no agents are online (Legacy)

<p>Learn how to create an answer for your AI agent to notify end users about your business hours when no agents are online. An admin sets this up.</p><p>Watch the video to set this up, or follow the steps below. Change the steps in the answer if they don't fit your workflow.</p><p><iframe src="//www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/rzaXgGwhuUE" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p><p>This article includes these topics:</p><p>Related articles:</p><ul>
<li data-list-item-id="e39375951e7a1b7be1be67cac94812938"><a href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4422584657434" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Creating answers for common customer questions in AI agents for messaging (Legacy)</a></li>
<li data-list-item-id="ee88df2d11cda9a05dd0dab197933d1b4"><a href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408842938522" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Setting your schedule with business hours and holidays</a></li>
</ul><div class="note">Note: This article describes functionality available only to customers who had a drafted or published AI agent as of February 2, 2025. For information about equivalent functionality in the <a href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/6970583409690" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">AI agents - Advanced add-on</a>, see <a href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/sections/8264324615322" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Building dialogues for AI agents - Advanced</a>.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 20px; text-align: right;">
<button id="master-toggle" class="btn fw-semibold text-dark" data-action="expand" style="background-color: #DEF991; border: none; outline: none; border-radius: 7px; padding: 10px 20px; font-size: 15px; transition: background-color 0.2s ease;" onmouseover="this.style.backgroundColor='#cbef6d'" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='#DEF991'">
Expand all tabs
</button>
</div>
<script>
document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', function () {
const toggleBtn = document.getElementById('master-toggle');

toggleBtn.addEventListener('click', function () {
const action = this.getAttribute('data-action');
const headers = document.querySelectorAll('.accordion');

headers.forEach(header => {
const isActive = header.classList.contains('active');
const panel = header.nextElementSibling; // Grabs the corresponding .panel container

if (action === 'expand' && !isActive) {
// Open it by simulating a standard click
header.click();
} else if (action === 'collapse' && isActive) {
// Close it by simulating a standard click
header.click();
}
});

// Flip button text and states
if (action === 'expand') {
this.setAttribute('data-action', 'collapse');
this.textContent = 'Collapse all tabs';
} else {
this.setAttribute('data-action', 'expand');
this.textContent = 'Expand all tabs';
}
});
});
</script><div class="accordion"><h3 id="h_01K888FYCDYHJ3A0WQAV0WG6R3">Step 1: Create the answer</h3></div><div class="panel">
<p>Create an answer that your AI agent uses to respond to an end user's request.</p>
<p>To create the answer:</p>
<ol>
<li data-list-item-id="e7b03ecf8b9c610393cce6013f4d5574c">In <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4581766374554#topic_hfg_dyz_1hb" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Admin Center</a>, click <img class="wysiwyg-image" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/icon_ai.png" id="topic_qkv_hxn_2yb__d9e18"> <strong>AI</strong> in the sidebar, then select <strong>AI agents &gt; AI agents</strong>
</li>
<li data-list-item-id="efee5c86843eb217a622edc607df31221">Click the name of the AI agent you want to edit</li>
<li data-list-item-id="ebe5247f07786a55096efd82e4fae5b9d">Select the <strong>Answers</strong> tab, then click <strong>Create answer</strong>
</li>
<li data-list-item-id="e613c7b007cf10dabb54bda18b6d9f1ee">Click <strong>Build your own answer</strong>, then click <strong>Next</strong>
</li>
<li data-list-item-id="eb4f178159324e332d33d3a413dd0906e">Enter the <strong>Answer name</strong>, then click <strong>Next</strong>
</li>
<li data-list-item-id="ec51ec27d3c17aaee31d5f64ae891b720">Do one of the following: If topics are available in your account, select one or more of the topics that appear. If you don't have topics, enter <strong>Training phrases</strong> in the available fields. If you need to add more than three phrases, click <strong>Add phrase</strong>.</li>
<li data-list-item-id="e236dbf0503d3b2f442924ab24bf2fa4a">Click <strong>Next</strong>. The answer opens. Build your response.</li>
<li data-list-item-id="e982ccc40f015f42631f22078ca6e166b">Click <strong>Add step</strong>
</li>
<li data-list-item-id="e6115b6d0d9f09977e4c7d631908acce6">Under <strong>Choose step</strong> in the configuration panel, select <strong>Present options &gt; Manual</strong>
</li>
<li data-list-item-id="e33cc8a0a12b296ff6968452db3ae4ea3">In the <strong>AI agent message</strong> field, enter the initial message you want the AI agent to send to the end user. In this example, the message is: <strong>Hey there. Ask me a question and I'll try to help. Or, select an option below</strong>.</li>
<li data-list-item-id="ee2e1851ad28ba2dcb605d0f7342aaa8c">Under <strong>Options</strong>, add the options the AI agent should present to the end user. In this example, the two options are <strong>Connect with agent</strong> and <strong>Browse articles</strong>.</li>
<li data-list-item-id="e83770fcd0a734b8d2a2cbab9b71f31bd">Under <strong>Connect with agent</strong> in the answer flow, click <strong>Add step</strong> and select <strong>Add business hours condition</strong>. If you've <a href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408842938522" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">configured business hours</a> in your account, the available schedules appear in the drop-down. If you have more than one schedule, select the one you want.</li>
<li data-list-item-id="e6da1437d87fdd9bddb86113c16d94cdb">Under <strong>When open</strong> in the answer flow, click <strong>Add step</strong> and select <strong>Transfer to agent</strong>
</li>
<li data-list-item-id="ee55e0e69e147d3eab8550b90e5f9f74f">In the <strong>AI agent message</strong> field in the configuration panel, enter the message the AI agent sends to an end user while you transfer the user to an agent. In this example, the message is: "One moment, I'll transfer you."</li>
<li data-list-item-id="edf990d1d6370678bd1c73fb8ce1b5d94">Under <strong>When closed</strong> in the answer flow, click <strong>Add step</strong> and select <strong>Send message</strong>. In this example, the message is: <strong>Sorry we missed you! It's currently outside of our business hours. Please try again at these times: - Weekdays: 9 AM – 5 PM - Weekends: Closed</strong>.</li>
<li data-list-item-id="ea07fa8ace917881bfc24f314f35872a2">Under <strong>Browse articles</strong> in the answer flow, click <strong>Add step</strong> and select <strong>Show Help Center articles</strong>
</li>
<li data-list-item-id="eed56a58d38d2cd2eb0c36131cae5a4c1">In the <strong>AI agent message</strong> field in the configuration panel, enter the message the AI agent sends to an end user when the user chooses to browse help center content. In this example, the message is: <strong>Check out these articles for helpful information</strong>.</li>
<li data-list-item-id="efed8cd1521d00a7323be50913667de9e">Under <strong>Articles</strong> in the configuration panel, select up to six help center articles to present to the end user</li>
<li data-list-item-id="e7804af78ef92ccfdc3e3bc362e487362">Click <strong>Done</strong> <img src="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/article_attachments/9707250592794" alt="ai_answer_business_hours.png" width="680" height="458">
</li>
</ol>
</div><div class="accordion"><h3 id="h_01K888FYCD854TKPPEZPRQDXYA">Step 2: Add the answer as a standard response</h3></div><div class="panel">
<p>After you create the answer, specify when the AI agent uses it in conversations with end users.</p>
<p>To add the answer as a standard response:</p>
<ol>
<li data-list-item-id="e6efce537f4e4ef2799cf107d4fee2baf">In your AI agent, select the <strong>Messaging behavior</strong> tab</li>
<li data-list-item-id="ecb44cf1955f2250f07cb0721148bfb0c">Expand the <strong>Start of the conversation</strong> section</li>
<li data-list-item-id="e8c626aa05a996b933aba8c1d0a54c19f">Select <strong>Start with an answer</strong>
</li>
<li data-list-item-id="e8784f309b485633522452a2a015fede8">In the drop-down field, select the answer you created above to show business hours <img src="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/article_attachments/9707212932506" alt="Messaging behavior tab" width="577" height="329">
</li>
<li data-list-item-id="e94d1f07484d0d0cffc9e5b944b39dbe1">Click <strong>Publish AI agent</strong>
</li>
</ol>
</div>