Many businesses may have periods during a year where they open their office for a longer or shorter time temporarily. This is commonly seen with companies like tax preparers, accountants, title services, garden maintenance services, and winter preparation and maintenance companies. 

Below, there will be two sections that outline how you can create temporary hours:

1. Method 1: Follow this section if you need to extend your business hours temporarily.
2. Method 2: Follow this section if you need to temporarily have your office close early daily until a specific date, or if there is a weekday you will be closed for weekly until a specific date. 

To create a temporary business hours for your company, the following will need to be completed:

1. Create a time frame that starts and expires on specific dates.
2. Add an answering rule that uses the temporary time frame.

Method 1: Extended Business Hours

Many companies may temporarily extend their office hours for special seasons.

Step 1: Create a Temporary Time Frame

In order for the system to know what dates and times calls should be routed to different destinations, a time frame will need to be created.

1. Navigate to the Time Frames page.
   
2. Click Domain or click the Edit icon to pull up a list of the time frames for your whole business.
   
   

   Quick Tip: Alternatively, you can click the Add icon to quickly navigate to the Add a Domain Time Frame menu. 

    
3. Click the Add Time Frame button.
4. In the Add a Domain Time Frame menu, fill in the following information:
   
   • Name - Type a descriptive name that you can use to find this time frame later.
   • When - Select Days of the Week if these times will be recurring on a daily basis temporarily.
5. Click the Next button.
6. On the Days of the Week tab, select the days and times that you will be open for. 
   
7. Scroll down and use the Recurrence dropdown to select Custom.
   
8. For the Starts box, select the starting date for this time frame. 
   

   For example… Companies that offer tax preparation services may start their temporary extended business hours on the IRS' start date for filing taxes.

    
   
9. For the Recur Every option. select how frequently this time frame will be used.
   

   For example… If these hours will take the place of your business hours temporarily, select 1 Weeks. 

    
10. For the Ends box, select the date this time frame will expire.
    

    For example… Companies that offer tax preparation services may have their temporary extended business hours end on the last filing date offered by the IRS.

     
    
11. Click the Save button.
    

    ✔ You should now see this time frame listed in your Domain time frames. 
    Next, this time frame will need to be used to create an answering rule that will set where calls should forward during this time frame. To do so, move on to the next section.

    If the starting or ending date need to be changed or this time frame expires and needs to be set for a following year, this time frame can be edited at any time. 
    

     

Optional: Check Your Phone Number's Routing

If you have phone numbers that route to different destinations, you may need to check where your phone numbers are routing to determine the user that would need answering rules created for routing.

To check the Destination for calls to your phone number, navigate to the Inventory page.

✔ On this tab, you can check where your phone numbers route. Most main business numbers will route to a Routing User, which handles the time-of-day routing for a business/location. 

 

Step 2: Add an Answering Rule

Now that we have a time frame and know where calls for your phone number are being routed, we can add in an Answering Rule that will route calls according to the time of day.

To create an Answering Rule…

1. Navigate to the Users page.
   
2. Use the search bar to find the Inbound Routing User that needs its answering rules adjusted.
   
3. Click the Edit icon next to the Inbound Routing User and select Answering Rules.
   
4. Click the Add Rule button.  
5. In the Add an Answering Rule menu, input the following:
   
   • Time Frame - Select the temporary time frame. 
     
   • Call Forwarding - Select Always and type the name, extension number, or phone number of the destination for calls made during this time frame. 
     
     

     Quick Tip: If calls will be going to the same destination as your regular business hours, select the destination shown in your business hours rule. 

     

      

     Destination Options for Forwarding

     When the destination field is being filled with text, Stratus will show possible destinations based on the input.
     

     Possible destination types:
      •  User - Forward calls to the user at the specified extension and follow their answering rules.
      •  Phone - Bypass the user's answering rules and forward calls to the device associated with the specified user.
      •  Voicemail - Forward calls to voicemail at the specified extension.
      •  Call Queue - Forward calls to a call queue associated with that extension.
     dant - Forward calls to the auto-attendant associated with this user.
      •  Off-Net Number - Forward calls to a 10-digit Phone Number, such as a cellphone or answering service.

      

      
6. Once the answering rule has been configured, click the Save button.
7. Move the Temporary hours rule above the normal business hours rule to make sure the Answering Rules are prioritized correctly.
   

   WARNING: It is imperative that the temporary hours are moved above your normal business hours so that they take priority and become active once the starting date of the temporary hours time frame is reached. 

   Once the ending date of the temporary hours time frame is reached, this time frame will expire. The normal business hours rule below will become active instead.  

    
   • You can move Time Frames around by clicking and dragging the triangles on the left-hand side of the answering rules. 
   • The rules take priority from top-to-bottom.
     • Top = Highest Priority (Usually a Temp Forward or Holiday answering rule)
     • Bottom = Lowest Priority (Default/After Hours answering rule)
8. If these temporary hours need to be used for an additional site or location, repeat steps 2-7.
9. Once it is time for these temporary hours to be followed, place a test call to confirm calls are routing appropriately. 

Method 2: Shorter Business Hours

If there are weekdays that your office will be closing earlier for a weekly basis, you can create a temporary time frame that can expire at a later date. This will ensure that when that time of the day comes, the closed time frame will be followed instead of the normal business hours.

Step 1: Create a Temporary Time Frame

In order for the system to know what dates and times calls should be routed to different destinations, a time frame will need to be created.

1. Navigate to the Time Frames page.
   
2. Click Domain or click the Edit icon to pull up a list of the time frames for your whole business.
   
   

   Quick Tip: Alternatively, you can click the Add icon to quickly navigate to the Add a Domain Time Frame menu. 

    
3. Click the Add Time Frame button.
4. In the Add a Domain Time Frame menu, fill in the following information:
   
   • Name - Type a descriptive name that you can use to find this time frame later.
   • When - Select Days of the Week if these times will be recurring on a daily basis temporarily.
5. Click the Next button.
6. On the Days of the Week tab, select the days and times that you will be closing early for.
   • For the starting time, select the time your office will close early. 
   • Set the ending time to either your normal closing time or 11:59 p.m.
   • If there is a whole day that you are normally open for but will be temporarily closed, select that day and set the starting and ending dates for the whole day (e.g., your normal business hours or 12:00 a.m. to 11:59 p.m.).
      
7. Scroll down and use the Recurrence dropdown to select Custom.
   
8. For the Starts box, select the starting date for this time frame. 
   

   For example… Lawn care companies may have their shortened business hours start the beginning of the winter season. 

    
   
9. For the Recur Every option. select how frequently this time frame will be used.
   

   For example… If these hours will take the place of your business hours temporarily, select 1 Weeks. 

    
10. For the Ends box, select the date this time frame will expire.
    

    For example… Lawn care companies may have their shortened business hours end the beginning of the spring season. 

     
    
11. Click the Save button.
    

    ✔ You should now see this time frame listed in your Domain time frames. 
    Next, this time frame will need to be used to create an answering rule that will set where calls should forward during this time frame. To do so, move on to the next section.

    If the starting or ending date need to be changed or this time frame expires and needs to be set for a following year, this time frame can be edited at any time. 
    

     

Optional: Check Your Phone Number's Routing

If you have phone numbers that route to different destinations, you may need to check where your phone numbers are routing to determine the user that would need answering rules created for routing.

To check the Destination for calls to your phone number, navigate to the Inventory page.

✔ On this tab, you can check where your phone numbers route. Most main business numbers will route to a Routing User, which handles the time-of-day routing for a business/location. 

 

Step 2: Add an Answering Rule

Now that we have a time frame and know where calls for your phone number are being routed, we can add in an Answering Rule that will route calls according to the time of day.

To create an Answering Rule…

1. Navigate to the Users page.
   
2. Use the search bar to find the Inbound Routing User that needs its answering rules adjusted.
   
3. Click the Edit icon next to the Inbound Routing User and select Answering Rules.
   
4. Click the Add Rule button.  
5. In the Add an Answering Rule menu, input the following:
   
   • Time Frame - Select the temporary time frame. 
     
   • Call Forwarding - Select Always and type the name, extension number, or phone number of the destination for calls during your after hours.
     
     

     Quick Tip: If calls will be going to the same destination as your regular after hours, select the destination shown in your Default rule. 

     

      

     Destination Options for Forwarding

     When the destination field is being filled with text, Stratus will show possible destinations based on the input.
     

     Possible destination types:
      •  User - Forward calls to the user at the specified extension and follow their answering rules.
      •  Phone - Bypass the user's answering rules and forward calls to the device associated with the specified user.
      •  Voicemail - Forward calls to voicemail at the specified extension.
      •  Call Queue - Forward calls to a call queue associated with that extension.
     dant - Forward calls to the auto-attendant associated with this user.
      •  Off-Net Number - Forward calls to a 10-digit Phone Number, such as a cellphone or answering service.

      

      
6. Once the answering rule has been configured, click the Save button.
7. Move the Temporary hours rule above the normal business hours rule to make sure the Answering Rules are prioritized correctly.
   

   WARNING: It is imperative that the temporary hours are moved above your normal business hours so that they take priority and become active once the starting date of the temporary hours time frame is reached. 

   Once the ending date of the temporary hours time frame is reached, this time frame will expire. The normal business hours rule below will become active instead.  

    
   • You can move Time Frames around by clicking and dragging the triangles on the left-hand side of the answering rules. 
   • The rules take priority from top-to-bottom.
     • Top = Highest Priority (Usually a Temp Forward or Holiday answering rule)
     • Bottom = Lowest Priority (Default/After Hours answering rule)
8. If these temporary hours need to be used for an additional site or location, repeat steps 2-7.
9. Once it is time for these temporary hours to be followed, place a test call after your office closes early to confirm calls are routing appropriately. 

Update Starting and Ending Dates

If needed, you can edit your temporary hours time frame' starting and ending dates at any time. 

1. Navigate to the Time Frames page.
   
2. Click Domain.
   
3. Click the Edit icon next to the temporary hours time frame.
   
4. In the Edit Time Frame menu, go to the next tab (i.e., Days of the Week).
    
5. Scroll down to the Recurrence options and adjust the Starts and Ends options as needed.
   
6. Click the Save button.