A client calls at 2am. Maybe the server room is flooding, or maybe they forgot their password. Until now, your phone agent handled both calls the same way.
Now each phone number can have after-hours instructions. The Neo Phone Agent follows them outside business hours, on days you don't work and on the country's public holidays. For example, it can transfer only emergencies to your on-call line and open a ticket for everything else.
How it works
- Turn on after-hours instructions when editing the agent, then write what it should do when you're closed.
- Business hours come from your workspace working hours, or from custom hours set for that number.
- Each number uses its country's public holidays automatically. You can turn this off.
- Neo checks the hours when a call starts and uses one set of instructions for the whole call. Write each set so it stands alone.
You can also update after-hours instructions through the Neo Support Agent or the API.
Frequently Asked Questions
What counts as after hours for the phone agent?
A call is after hours when it starts outside the number's business hours, on a day you don't work, or on a public holiday. Business hours come from your workspace working hours, or from custom hours you set for that number. Holidays count as closed all day.
Which public holidays does the phone agent use?
Each number uses the public holidays of its own country. UK numbers use the bank holidays of England, and US numbers use the federal holidays. If your team works on some of those days, choose No holidays for that number.
What happens if a call runs past closing time?
Neo checks the hours once, when the call starts, and the agent keeps the same instructions for the whole call. A call that starts at 16:58 keeps the daytime instructions after 17:00. Write each set of instructions so it works on its own.
What does the phone agent do after hours if I don't add instructions?
It uses your normal instructions at every hour, as it did before. The after-hours behaviour comes only from the instructions you write, so it routes calls the way you tell it to, such as sending emergencies to your on-call line.
Get started
Open your phone agent in the dashboard and turn on after-hours instructions. Read the setup guide. New to the Phone Agent? See how it works →