Reply to callers automatically, always or after hours
With call rejection on, a text you write is sent to the caller. Choose Always or Outside business hours only, and use {{next_opening}} so the caller knows when you open.
Before you start · 2 things · for ownersCall rejection turned on, a business hours calendar for the after-hours mode
- You need: The Update permission on the WhatsApp Web row
- Call rejection is on.
- For the outside-hours mode: the workspace’s business hours calendar.
Steps
When is it sent?
The calendar is the workspace’s default business hours calendar, and every session follows it. If there’s no calendar, Set business hours first. No reply will be sent until you do. shows, with Manage business hours.
{{next_opening}} becomes the next opening time in the calendar’s time zone, such as Thu 09:00. It’s empty if the calendar is open or doesn’t exist.
No repeats
A single caller gets the reply once every 10 minutes, however many times they call, and once per call.
The automatic reply doesn’t make the chat Answered: it stays in Unanswered until a teammate replies.
If something goes wrong
{{next_opening}} came out emptyA real example
Patients call after hours and nobody answers.
- The clinic set its working hours in the workspace’s business hours.
- It chose Outside business hours, with the text above.
Everyone who calls after hours knows when the clinic opens, and the messages wait for the team in the morning in unread.