Do you only want calls to hit your phones when the staff is available to answer? No problem! Use this feature to redirect diners to self-serve options when staff is unavailable.
Introduction
When your phones are staffed, taking a few high-touch calls is essential to keep diners happy and operations running smoothly. But you can't keep the phones staffed 24 hours a day. That's where scheduled support hours come in. You can set your concierge to forward to your staff only when they're available.
How does it work?
On the Settings page of your Slang admin panel, we currently recommend having one or more phone numbers saved that are available to route your guests to staff in-house if their questions are beyond the current capabilities of our system, or you have special departments for certain caller topics that help streamline your operations.
You can see how these numbers are being used through helper text beneath each one:
The default routing behavior for these phone numbers is 24/7, aka "Restriction-free," but if you have self-serve options for guests that are better than leaving a voicemail, we can share those after hours!
Examples:
- Private Dining requests go to staff during the day, but after hours calls could route to an online event request form on your website.
- Callers asking to talk to staff can go to the host stand during the day, but after hours calls might be better served if the guest sent an email to the manager.
How do I set it up?
Click on the "Restriction-free schedule" label on the Settings page to jump right into the schedule for that phone number. Or, on the new Hours page of the Slang admin portal, navigate to the Support section to select the number you'd like to manage.
Your currently saved phone numbers on the Settings page will default to a restriction-free schedule, and you can change the settings to “Google Business schedule" or "Custom schedule” on this page.
Google Business schedule:
You can keep the buffer at zero to ensure your phones only ring during business hours, or add a buffer window if your staff can answer the phones a bit before you open, and/or for a period of time after you close.
Custom schedule:
For phone numbers not tied to service hours, like a call center or a regional events manager, you can set up a fully custom answering schedule based on their availability.
Call Handling Options:
From there, you can select any other Settings page resource for how to handle callers when your staff is unavailable, such as:
- A phone line that goes straight to voicemail
- An email address
- A link to an online contact form/request submission form
What’s the guest experience?
Guests calling during those times when your phones aren’t staffed will hear specific messaging that alludes to the fact that different times of day will lead to specific support outcomes.
Example:
We usually take calls about private dining by phone, but no one is available to take your call at this time. The best way to get a hold of us is through our website. Would you like me to text you that link?
How will I know it’s working?
When Scheduled Support Hours are set up, your phones will only ring during your stated staffed hours. Placing a phone call outside of your support schedule will result in after hours messaging and the suggested outreach method you select.
Have Questions?
Need more assistance or have a question? Shoot us an email at support@slang.ai. Our dedicated support team is available to help with any questions you might have, so don't hesitate to reach out!