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How to Set Business Hours and After-Hours Routing

3CX’s business hours configuration controls how your auto-attendant handles calls at different times — routing callers to staff during the day and to a voicemail or after-hours message at night.

Understanding the Call Flow

When a call comes into your main business number, it hits your Digital Receptionist (IVR/Auto-Attendant). The digital receptionist checks the current time against your business hours schedule and routes the call accordingly:

  • During business hours → rings your staff (ring group, queue, or specific extension)
  • After hours → plays your after-hours message and/or sends to voicemail
  • Holidays → plays your holiday message

Step 1: Access Business Hours Settings

  1. Log in to your 3CX management console
  2. Go to Call Handling → Office Hours in the left sidebar

Step 2: Set Your Weekly Schedule

You’ll see a grid with days of the week and time slots. Click and drag to define your business hours for each day.

For example, a typical Northern Ontario business might set:

  • Monday–Friday: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
  • Saturday–Sunday: Closed

Step 3: Configure After-Hours Routing

In the After Hours tab (or within your Digital Receptionist settings):

  1. Go to Call Handling → IVR / Digital Receptionist
  2. Select your main auto-attendant
  3. Click the Out of Hours or After Hours tab
  4. Set the destination — options include:
    • An extension or ring group
    • A voicemail box
    • A custom recording (uploaded .wav file)
    • A different IVR menu

Step 4: Record or Upload Your After-Hours Message

A good after-hours message tells callers:

  • Your business name
  • That you’re currently closed
  • When you reopen
  • An alternative (e.g., “Leave a message and we’ll call you back the next business day”)

Example: “Thank you for calling DVGVoIP. Our office is currently closed. Business hours are Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM Eastern. Please leave a message and a member of our team will return your call on the next business day.”

To upload a recording:

  1. Record your message as a .wav file (PCM, 8kHz, 16-bit mono recommended)
  2. In the 3CX console, go to Recordings and upload the file
  3. Reference it in your after-hours IVR settings

Step 5: Set Up Holiday Routing

  1. In Office Hours, click the Holidays tab
  2. Add your holiday dates (e.g., Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, etc.)
  3. Set the routing action for holiday calls — typically the same as after-hours

Testing Your Configuration

After saving your settings:

  1. Temporarily set your business hours to a time window that doesn’t include “now”
  2. Call your main business number from an outside phone
  3. Confirm you hear the after-hours message
  4. Restore the correct business hours

Need Help?

Contact DVGVoIP support at (807) 700-0061 or solutions@dvgvoip.com. We can configure your business hours and after-hours routing for you during onboarding or at any time.

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