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:

1. In Admin Center, click AI in the sidebar, then select AI agents > AI agents
2. Click the name of the AI agent you want to edit
3. Select the Answers tab, then click Create answer
4. Click Build your own answer, then click Next
5. Enter the Answer name, then click Next
6. 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
7. Click Next
   The answer opens. Build your response.
8. Click Add step
9. Under Choose step in the configuration panel, select Present options > Manual
10. 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.
11. 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.
12. 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.
13. Under When open in the answer flow, click Add step and select Transfer to agent
14. 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."
15. 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.
16. Under Browse articles in the answer flow, click Add step and select Show Help Center articles
17. 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.
18. Under Articles in the configuration panel, select up to six help center articles to present to the end user
19. 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:

1. In your AI agent, select the Messaging behavior tab
2. Expand the Start of the conversation section
3. Select Start with an answer
4. In the drop-down field, select the answer you created above to show business hours
   
5. Click Publish AI agent