How to Set Business Hours

Define when you are open so Kai handles calls differently during and after business hours.

Why Set Hours

Setting business hours enables time-based routing for your calls. During business hours, incoming calls ring your phone first so you can answer personally. After hours, Kai handles everything automatically — greeting callers, taking messages, and capturing leads while you are away.

Without business hours configured, Kai uses the same behavior around the clock. Setting hours gives you control over when you are available and what callers experience when you are not.

Setting Hours

Navigate to Dashboard > Business > Settings > Business Hours to configure your schedule.

  1. Set the open and close times for each day of the week.
  2. Toggle individual days on or off. Days toggled off are treated as closed — Kai uses after-hours routing all day.
  3. Click Save to apply your changes. The new schedule takes effect immediately.

Holidays

Add specific dates when your business is closed — holidays, company events, or any day you will not be answering calls. On those dates, Kai automatically uses your after-hours routing regardless of the normal schedule.

To add a holiday, click Add Holiday, select the date, give it a name (e.g., "Independence Day"), and save.

After-Hours Behavior

Choose what happens when someone calls outside your business hours:

  • AI-Only:Kai answers the call, handles the conversation, captures lead information, and takes messages. The caller never hears a voicemail prompt.
  • Voicemail:Callers hear your voicemail greeting and can leave a message. The recording is transcribed and saved to your dashboard.
  • Custom Greeting:Kai plays a custom after-hours greeting you define, then proceeds with AI handling or voicemail based on your preference.
Tip: AI-Only is the most popular option. Callers get immediate help, and you capture more leads compared to traditional voicemail.

Time Zones

Your business hours are set in your business's time zone. Make sure the time zone is correct by checking Dashboard > Business > Business Profile.

Warning: If your time zone is incorrect, calls may route to after-hours mode during your actual business hours (or vice versa). Double-check this setting if call routing seems off.

Tips

  • •Start with your core business hours and adjust as you learn when calls come in. You can always widen or narrow the window later.
  • •Add holidays ahead of time so callers get the right experience without you needing to remember to change settings the day of.
  • •If you have seasonal hours (e.g., shorter hours in winter), set a reminder to update your schedule at the start of each season.
  • •Test your after-hours experience by calling your number outside business hours to make sure callers hear what you expect.
    How to Set Business Hours | KaiCalls Help