If your team takes calls from around the world, you know that “9 to 5” is meaningless. Covering multiple time zones, keeping agents sane, and making sure customers don’t hit dead ends after hours—that’s where things get tricky. If you’re using Freshcaller as your phone system, you’ve got some tools to help, but they aren’t magic. Here’s how to actually set up business hours and holiday routing so your global support doesn’t fall apart at 2 a.m.
Why business hours and holiday routing matter (and why the defaults won’t cut it)
Running a support team across continents means you probably have:
- Customers calling at all hours, including local holidays
- Agents in more than one time zone
- A basic need to not burn everyone out with midnight calls
Freshcaller’s default settings assume one set of business hours and a single list of holidays. If you stick with that, you’ll either miss calls or wake up your team at 3 a.m. That’s why getting business hours and holiday routing right isn’t just “nice to have”—it’s how you keep your team and customers happy.
Step 1: Map out your real business hours (before you touch Freshcaller)
Don’t open Freshcaller just yet. First, figure out what you actually need.
- List all regions you serve: Where are your customers? Where are your agents?
- Write down coverage windows: What are the support hours for each region? (Be specific—include weekends and odd shifts.)
- Check for overlap: Do you overlap hours for handoff? Are you truly 24/7?
- Note your holidays: Which holidays matter? Local, national, or company-wide?
Pro tip: Don’t trust old docs or assumptions. Ask your team and review your call logs. You’ll spot gaps you didn’t know you had.
Step 2: Set up your time zones and business hours in Freshcaller
Now, log in to Freshcaller and get ready to build your schedules.
2.1. Create custom business hours for each region
- Go to Admin > Business Hours: Freshcaller calls these “Business Hours” profiles.
- Click “Add Business Hour”: Name it something clear, like “APAC Support” or “EMEA Sales.”
- Set the time zone: This controls when the hours apply. Don’t just pick your HQ—pick where your customers are, or where your agents answer those calls.
- Set your open and closed times: Choose the days and hours you’ll take calls. Mark closed days (like weekends) clearly.
- Save and repeat: If you’ve got multiple regions or teams, create a business hour profile for each.
What works:
The flexibility to assign different hours per group is solid. You can cover regions without forcing everyone onto one schedule.
What doesn’t:
No “follow the sun” automation. You’ll need to manage handoffs manually between regions. Also, you can’t set rotating shifts or exceptions—stick to fixed patterns.
2.2. Assign numbers or teams to business hours
- Go to Admin > Numbers: Click on the number you want to manage.
- Assign the right business hour profile: Use the drop-down to link your numbers to the hours you just set.
- Repeat for each number: If you have one global support number, you’ll need to route calls differently (see next section).
Honest take:
The mapping is straightforward, but if you have one phone number for multiple regions, you’ll need to use call flows or IVRs to split callers by location or language. Freshcaller doesn’t guess locations based on caller ID.
Step 3: Set up holiday routing (so you don’t work Christmas in three countries)
Holidays are where call routing gets messy, especially if you’ve got teams or customers in lots of countries.
3.1. Add holiday calendars
- Go to Admin > Holidays: Click “Add Holiday.”
- Create a holiday calendar for each region/team: Name them clearly, like “US Holidays” or “India Public Holidays.”
- Add holidays: Enter each holiday, including multi-day breaks if needed. You can’t import a list, so yes, you’ll be clicking a lot.
- Assign the holiday calendar to business hours: Link the right calendar to each business hour profile.
What works:
You can have multiple holiday calendars and assign them as needed. If you set it right, calls will route as “after hours” during those holidays—no manual switching.
What doesn’t:
You can’t assign holidays at the individual agent level—just to business hours/groups. And there’s no built-in sync with country holiday lists; this is all manual.
3.2. Plan for “holiday overlap” headaches
If you have a global number, remember: today might be a holiday in one country and a regular day in another. You’ll need to decide:
- Do you want global coverage? Route calls to another region if one is on holiday.
- Or just close? Play a “we’re closed” message and send to voicemail.
Freshcaller won’t do this automatically. You’ll have to build these rules into your call flows (see next step).
Step 4: Build call flows and IVRs that match your hours and holidays
This is where the real work happens. Business hours and holidays are just settings; your call flows decide what actually happens to callers.
4.1. Map out your call flow logic
Before you click anything, sketch this out:
- What happens during open hours? (Who answers, or what menu plays?)
- What happens after hours? (Voicemail, transfer, or backup team?)
- What happens on a holiday?
- If you have IVRs: what should happen if someone picks “Support” at 10 p.m.?
4.2. Build or edit your call flows
- Go to Admin > Call Flows: Pick an existing flow or create a new one.
- Add “Business Hours” conditions:
- Drag in a “Business Hours” block.
- Set it to use the right profile (“APAC Support,” etc.).
- Add routing for open and closed:
- During open hours: route to agents/queues/IVRs.
- After hours: send to voicemail, play a message, or forward to another team.
- Add logic for holidays:
- Use the same “Business Hours” block, which treats holidays as closed.
- For critical teams, you might add another route—like escalation to on-call.
- If you have global coverage:
- Chain business hour blocks. If APAC is closed, route to EMEA; if EMEA is closed, route to US, etc.
- Save and test: Always test each path—don’t just trust the preview.
Pro tip:
Record clear, friendly messages for after hours and holidays. Tell callers when you’ll be back and how to get urgent help (if that’s an option).
Step 5: Test every scenario (don’t trust the settings)
The #1 mistake? Assuming your business hours and holidays “just work.” They don’t. Here’s how to stress-test your setup:
- Test from different time zones: Use a VPN or ask teammates abroad to call in.
- Call during holidays, weekends, and after hours: Make sure the right message or routing triggers.
- Try every IVR path: Some menus might accidentally allow calls through after hours.
- Check voicemails: Make sure they land in the right inbox and agents get notified.
Honest take:
Freshcaller’s logic is only as good as your setup. Most routing disasters happen because someone forgot to test a weird edge case. Don’t launch and hope.
Step 6: Keep things maintainable (because business hours change)
Your business hours aren’t static. Teams grow, holidays shift, regions open or close. Make it easy to update:
- Document your setup: Write down which numbers use which business hours and holiday calendars.
- Review quarterly: Set a calendar reminder to check and update hours/holidays.
- Train someone else: Don’t be the only person who knows how this works.
What to ignore:
Don’t bother with over-complicated schedules if you’re a small team. If you’re not truly global yet, start with one set of hours and expand as you grow.
Wrapping up: Keep it simple, stay flexible
Global business hours and holiday routing in Freshcaller aren’t rocket science, but they do take thought and regular upkeep. Start by mapping your real needs, use clear names, and don’t skimp on testing. Avoid clever hacks—simple, well-documented setups are easier to fix when something goes sideways. As your team or coverage grows, revisit your setup and tweak what isn’t working. The goal isn’t perfection; it’s making sure your customers and agents aren’t left hanging—no matter what the calendar says.