Business Hours allow you to define when your Facility is “open” for client communication. When enabled, clients who message you outside those hours will see a customized notice indicating when to expect a response.
This helps set clear expectations, reduce after-hours stress for your team, and maintain a professional, consistent communication experience.
Check out this video on Business Hours!
Set Clear Expectations and Reduce After-Hours Stress
Business Hours allow you to define when your facility is “open” for client communication. When enabled, clients who message you outside those hours will see a customized notice letting them know when to expect a response.
This helps you:
Set clear response expectations
Reduce pressure to reply after hours
Maintain a professional communication experience
Create better work-life boundaries for your team
Business Hours don’t stop clients from messaging you — they simply ensure everyone understands when replies will occur.
When Should You Enable Business Hours?
Business Hours are especially helpful if:
Your team responds only during specific office hours
You receive frequent evening or weekend messages
You want to reduce after-hours response pressure
You want clients to know exactly when they’ll hear back
If your team already communicates within defined office hours, this feature helps reinforce that boundary automatically.
How to Enable Business Hours
Go to Settings
Select Messaging
Click Business Hours
Toggle Enable Business Hours
Set your open days and hours
Save your changes.
Note: The green section of the slider indicates your "Normal Business Hours", and the gray sections indicate times outside of your normal Business Hours.
Once enabled, two optional automation tools become available.
Understanding the Two Automation Options
Business Hours includes two separate tools. They work together — but serve different purposes.
1️⃣ Outside Business Hours Message
This message is shown immediately when a client sends you a message outside your defined hours.
It sets expectations about when they’ll receive a reply.
Example
Your business hours are:
Monday–Friday, 8am–5pm.
A client sends a message Saturday at 3pm.
They instantly see your custom message letting them know you’ll respond during your next business day.
Example Message Templates
Professional & Direct
Thanks for your message! Our office is currently closed. We respond Monday–Friday, 8am–5pm. We’ll get back to you as soon as we’re back in the office.
Warm & Friendly
Hi there! Thanks for reaching out. We’re currently closed but will respond during our next business day. We appreciate your patience!
2️⃣ Automate Scheduled Messages
This feature applies to your outgoing replies.
If you respond to a client outside your business hours, your message can automatically be scheduled to send during your next open period instead of sending immediately.
This helps prevent messages from being delivered at 9pm, 6am, or on weekends — even if you’re catching up on work.
Example
Your business hours are:
Monday–Friday, 8am–5pm.
A client messages Saturday afternoon.
You reply Saturday evening at 7pm.
If Automate Scheduled Messages is enabled:
→ Your reply will send Monday at 8am.
If it’s not enabled:
→ Your message sends immediately at 7pm Saturday.
This allows you to work when you want — without training clients to expect after-hours responses.
What Clients See
When clients send a message to your business via the Client App or the Client Portal outside of normal business hours, they are shown your “Outside Business Hours Message” as soon as they begin typing their message.
If your clients reply to an email sent by Time To Pet or send your business a text message, the “Outside Business Hours Message” will be immediately sent to them as an “auto-reply”.
All messages sent by your clients outside of normal business hours are tagged with an Outside Business Hours label in the company view of the Conversation Feed.
It is also visible in the client's view of the Conversation Feed.
Your client can hover over this label to see that their message was sent outside of normal business hours. This is designed to help your customer understand that they should not expect an immediate response to their message.
Bypassing Automated Messages To Send Immediately
If you have "Automate Scheduled Messages" enabled, all messages sent to clients will be scheduled to be sent during business hours by default. However, you can bypass this and send the message immediately instead.
From The Admin Dashboard
To bypass a scheduled message and send it immediately, click the arrow next to the Send button, select "Change To Send Now", then click "Send Now" to send the message.
Things to Keep in Mind
Clients can still message you at any time.
Business Hours only apply to messaging — not scheduling
You will still receive notifications based on your personal notification settings.
Time zone settings affect when Business Hours apply.
You can manually override a scheduled message if needed.
Best Practices
To get the most out of Business Hours:
Clearly state your response timeframe (e.g., “We respond within one business day.”)
Keep your tone warm and reassuring
Align your message with your brand voice
Review your hours periodically for seasonal changes
Consistency builds trust, and this tool helps automate it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can clients still message me after hours?
Yes. Clients can send messages anytime. They’ll simply see your Outside Business Hours message if you’re closed.
Does this block notifications?
No. You’ll still receive notifications based on your personal settings.
Can I override a scheduled message?
Yes. You can choose to send a message immediately if needed.
Will this affect emergency communication?
No. Messages are never blocked. This feature only sets expectations and optionally schedules outgoing replies.
Final Thoughts
Business Hours help your facility operate with clarity and professionalism. By setting communication expectations automatically, you reduce misunderstandings, protect your team’s time, and create a smoother experience for your clients.
It’s a small setting that can make a big impact on both client satisfaction and team well-being.