Availability Hours
Configure when human agents are available and how the widget behaves after hours.
Set your team's working hours so customers know when to expect human responses. The AI is always available, but availability hours control human agent presence.
How Availability Works
tahc operates in two modes:
Online Mode
When agents are available:
- AI responds immediately to all questions
- Human escalation is available
- "Talk to a person" button is visible
- Conversations can be assigned to agents
Offline Mode
When agents are unavailable:
- AI continues to respond 24/7
- Offline greeting is shown
- Conversations are queued for later
- Customers can leave contact info
Your AI never sleeps! It handles questions 24/7, with human backup during your configured hours.
Setting Up Availability
Navigate to Settings > Organization in your dashboard.
Select your business timezone for accurate scheduling.
Set working hours for each day of the week.
Click Save to apply your schedule.
Weekly Schedule
Setting Hours
For each day of the week:
- Toggle the day on/off
- Set start time (e.g., 9:00 AM)
- Set end time (e.g., 5:00 PM)
Common Configurations
Standard Business Hours:
| Day | Hours |
|---|---|
| Monday - Friday | 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM |
| Saturday - Sunday | Closed |
Extended Support:
| Day | Hours |
|---|---|
| Monday - Friday | 8:00 AM - 8:00 PM |
| Saturday | 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM |
| Sunday | Closed |
24/7 Human Support:
| Day | Hours |
|---|---|
| Every day | 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM |
Timezone Handling
For Your Team
- Set your team's timezone in settings
- All schedules display in this timezone
- Dashboard notifications follow this schedule
For Visitors
- Visitors see availability in their local time
- "Open in 2 hours" type messages
- Timezone is auto-detected
If you have agents in multiple timezones, set your primary support timezone and coordinate coverage.
Offline Behavior
When you're offline, customize the experience:
Offline Greeting
Set a custom message for after-hours visitors:
"We're currently away, but our AI can answer most questions. Leave your email and we'll follow up during business hours!"
Configure in Widget > Theme Editor > Persona.
Lead Capture
During offline hours:
- Prompt for email address
- Collect phone number
- Save to contacts list
- Queue for follow-up
Conversation Handling
Offline conversations are:
- Answered by AI when possible
- Saved with timestamp
- Added to queue for review
- Available when agents return
Real-Time Status
Agent Status
Individual agents can set their status:
- Available — Ready for conversations
- Away — Temporarily unavailable
- Busy — Handling conversations, no new assignments
- Offline — Not working
Team Availability Indicator
The widget shows current status:
- Green dot: Agents online
- Yellow dot: High volume, may delay
- No dot: AI-only mode
Best Practices
Set Realistic Expectations
- Don't overcommit on hours you can't staff
- It's better to exceed expectations than disappoint
- Consider starting with shorter hours and expanding
Cover Peak Times
Analyze your traffic to identify:
- When most visitors arrive
- When most escalations happen
- When conversions are highest
Focus human coverage on these periods.
Train Your AI
The better your AI, the less critical 24/7 human coverage becomes:
- Add content for common questions
- Review AI responses regularly
- Fill knowledge gaps quickly
Plan for Transitions
When going online/offline:
- Review overnight queue first thing
- Prioritize urgent conversations
- Set status to "Busy" while catching up
Troubleshooting
Widget shows wrong status
- Check timezone settings
- Verify schedule is saved
- Clear browser cache
Agents marked as online incorrectly
- Check individual agent status
- Verify agents have logged out
- Review session timeout settings
Customers confused about availability
- Ensure offline greeting is clear
- Show expected response times
- Provide alternative contact methods
Next Steps
- Set up Slack notifications for escalations
- Configure offline greeting
- Manage conversations
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