How do I set business hours in the system?

Setting business hours in an AI receptionist system is typically handled through your account dashboard, where you'll find a scheduling or availability section that lets you define exactly when your business is open. Most platforms let you set hours for each day of the week individually, so if you close early on Fridays or stay open later on Tuesdays, you can reflect that accurately. Changes usually take effect immediately or within a few minutes of saving.

The setup itself is straightforward, but the more important decision is what you want the system to do outside those hours. Most AI receptionist platforms give you options: the system can answer calls around the clock and simply tell after-hours callers when you'll be back, it can take a message, or it can handle specific requests like appointment scheduling even when your office is closed. Getting this behavior right matters more than the hours themselves, because a caller who reaches a dead end at 7pm is just as frustrated as one who reaches no one.

Some systems also support holiday hours or temporary schedule overrides, which is worth setting up before major holidays rather than scrambling the day before. If your business has multiple locations or departments with different hours, look for a platform that handles those as separate schedules rather than forcing one universal setting across everything. The more your hours match reality, the better the caller experience and the fewer awkward situations where someone is told you're open when you're not.

For businesses ready to stop missing calls, My AI Front Desk offers 24/7 AI receptionist coverage starting at $65/month. The platform includes straightforward business hours configuration along with after-hours handling, so callers always get a helpful response regardless of when they call. Learn more at myaifrontdesk.com.