How to Use Working Hours action
The Working Hours Component in DoubleTick Bot Studio is designed to help businesses automate conversations intelligently based on time, business availability, and holidays. Instead of sending the same response to every customer at all times, this component enables your bot to behave contextually, just like a human team would.
What Is the Working Hours Component?
The Working Hours component is a time-based condition block available inside DoubleTick’s Bot Studio. It checks when a customer sends a message and automatically routes them to the correct bot flow based on your predefined business schedule.
The component evaluates:
Current day
Current time
Whether the day is marked as a holiday
Based on this evaluation, the customer is routed to one of the following paths:
During Working Hours
Outside Working Hours
On Holidays
This ensures that your bot always responds in a way that matches your real-world business availability.
Why the Working Hours Component Is Important
Customers reach out on WhatsApp at all hours — late nights, early mornings, weekends, and public holidays. If your bot does not understand time context, it can:
Promise agent support when no one is available
Confuse customers with incorrect expectations
Create a poor support or sales experience
The Working Hours component solves this by:
Clearly setting response expectations
Automatically managing availability communication
Reducing unnecessary follow-ups and frustration
Keeping customer interactions professional and accurate
How the Working Hours Component Works
Step 1: Navigate to Bot Studio
Log in to your DoubleTick dashboard
Open Bot Studio
Create a new bot or edit an existing bot flow
Step 2: Add the Working Hours Component
Drag and drop the Working Hours component into your bot flow
Place it at the point where you want the bot to decide how to respond based on time
This is usually done after a menu option like “Chat with Support” or “Talk to Sales”.
Step 3: Check Working Hours Configuration
Once the component is added, DoubleTick automatically checks whether working hours are already configured.
If working hours are already set You will immediately see three routing paths:
During Working Hours
Outside Working Hours
On Holidays
If working hours are not set You will be redirected to Settings to define them first
This ensures the component always works with accurate business timings.
Step 4: Configure Your Working Hours in Settings
In the Settings section, define:
Business working days (for example, Monday to Friday)
Daily working hours (start time and end time)
Holiday dates when your business is closed
Once saved, these timings become globally available for your bot flows.
Step 5: Build Flows for Each Time Scenario
After configuration, you can design customized bot behavior for each condition.
During Working Hours
Use this path when your team is actively available. Common use cases include:
Assigning chats to live agents
Sales or lead qualification conversations
Appointment booking workflows
Real-time customer support
This ensures customers get immediate help when your business is open.
Outside Working Hours
Use this path when your team is unavailable. Typical actions include:
Sending a polite auto-reply acknowledging the message
Informing customers of your next working time
Collecting queries, names, or contact details
Assuring customers that their request is recorded
This prevents customers from feeling ignored while setting the right expectations.
On Holidays
Use this path for days marked as holidays in your settings. You can:
Display holiday-specific messages
Share festive greetings
Inform customers about delayed responses
Mention the next available working day
This adds a thoughtful and professional touch to your communication.
Step 6: Enable Automation
Once all paths are configured and saved:
The bot automatically checks the time for every incoming message
Customers are routed to the correct flow instantly
No manual monitoring or switching is required
Your automation runs smoothly 24/7.
How This Is Different From the Older Setup
Previously, handling working hours required:
Multiple bot flows
Manual logic workarounds
No clear holiday handling
Limited flexibility
The new Working Hours Component offers:
A single centralized time-based logic block
Built-in holiday support
Cleaner and more readable bot flows
Easier maintenance and scalability
This makes bot design simpler and significantly more reliable.
Real-World Example: Smart Customer Support Flow
Scenario: A customer clicks “Chat with Support” on WhatsApp.
Bot behavior using Working Hours component:
Bot checks current time and date
Routing happens automatically:
During Working Hours → Chat is assigned to a live agent
Outside Working Hours → Auto-reply confirms receipt and shares support timings
On Holidays → Holiday message or festive greeting is sent
This creates a seamless and trustworthy support experience.
Key Benefits of Using the Working Hours Component
Improves customer experience with time-aware responses
Reduces agent workload outside business hours
Prevents false promises of availability
Handles weekends and holidays automatically
Makes bots feel more human and professional
Helps businesses scale without increasing support pressure
Why You Should Use the Working Hours Component
You should use this component if:
Your business operates on fixed timings
You offer live support or sales assistance
You receive customer messages after working hours
You want automation that reflects real availability
By using the Working Hours component, your bot works intelligently while your team stays stress-free.
Final Thoughts
The Working Hours Component in DoubleTick Bot Studio is a powerful upgrade that transforms basic automation into context-aware customer engagement. It ensures your customers always receive the right message at the right time — whether it’s a live response, a polite acknowledgment, or a holiday greeting.
Setting it up once can significantly improve customer satisfaction, operational efficiency, and brand trust.
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