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

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.

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.

This article includes these topics:

Step 1: Create the answer

Step 2: Add the answer as a standard response

Related articles:

Creating answers for common customer questions in AI agents for messaging (Legacy)

Setting your schedule with business hours and holidays

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 AI agents - Advanced add-on, see this article: Building dialogues for AI agents - Advanced.

Step 1: Create the answer

Create an answer that your AI agent uses to respond to an end user's request.

To create the answer:

In Admin Center, click AI in the sidebar, then select AI agents > AI agents

Click the name of the AI agent you want to edit

Select the Answers tab, then click Create answer

Click Build your own answer, then click Next

Enter the Answer name, then click Next

Do one of the following:

If intents are available in your account, select one or more of the intents that appear

If you don't have intents, enter Training phrases in the available fields

If you need to add more than three phrases, click Add phrase

Click Next
The answer opens. Build your response.

Click Add step

Under Choose step in the configuration panel, select Present options > Manual

In the AI agent message field, enter the initial message you want the AI agent to send to the end user
In this example, the message is: Hey there. Ask me a question and I'll try to help. Or, select an option below.

Under Options, add the options the AI agent should present to the end user
In this example, the two options are Connect with agent and Browse articles.

Under Connect with agent in the answer flow, click Add step and select Add business hours condition
If you've configured business hours in your account, the available schedules appear in the drop-down. If you have more than one schedule, select the one you want.

Under When open in the answer flow, click Add step and select Transfer to agent

In the AI agent message 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."

Under When closed in the answer flow, click Add step and select Send message
In this example, the message is: 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.

Under Browse articles in the answer flow, click Add step and select Show Help Center articles

In the AI agent message 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: Check out these articles for helpful information.

Under Articles in the configuration panel, select up to six help center articles to present to the end user

Click Done

Step 2: Add the answer as a standard response

After you create the answer, specify when the AI agent uses it in conversations with end users.

To add the answer as a standard response:

In your AI agent, select the Messaging behavior tab

Expand the Start of the conversation section

Select Start with an answer

In the drop-down field, select the answer you created above to show business hours

Click Publish AI agent