Holiday Hours | Gail Documentation

Overview

Setting up holiday hours ensures Gail knows when your agency is closed and can handle calls accordingly. This guide walks you through configuring holiday schedules and activating the appropriate scripts for holiday periods.

Critical Reminder: Gail does not automatically switch to your holiday script based on the holiday hours you set. You must manually activate your holiday script on the Receptionist page before each holiday period and switch it back afterward.

How Holiday Hours Work

Understanding Gail’s holiday configuration will help you avoid common mistakes:

Date Range Configuration

Start Date: The first calendar day Gail should operate in holiday mode
End Date: Automatically calculated as 12:00 AM on the calendar day after your Days Off period ends

Manual Script Activation Required

While you set holiday dates in the Business Hours section, Gail does not automatically switch scripts. You must:

Set the holiday dates in the Business Hours section (covered below)
Manually activate your holiday script in the Inbound tab before the holiday begins
Switch back to your regular business hours script after the holiday ends

Think of the holiday settings as setting your “out of office” dates, while the Inbound page controls which Inbound Agent is active. Both must be configured properly for holiday handling to work.

Setting Holiday Dates

Step 1: Access the Holiday Settings

Log into your Gail portal
Navigate to Knowledge in the left-hand menu

Go to the Business Hours tab

Scroll to the bottom of the Business Hours page

Holiday Section

You’ll find the holiday configuration section here

Step 2: Enter Your Start Date

Select the Start Date—the very first calendar day you want Gail to begin operating under holiday rules.

Add Holiday Dialog

Example: For Thanksgiving starting Thursday, November 28th, select November 28th as your Start Date.

Step 3: Enter Your End Date

Select the End Date—the very last calendar day you want Gail to end operating under holiday rules.

Holiday End Date

Example: For Thanksgiving ending Monday, December 2nd, select December 2nd as your End Date.

Step 4: Review and Confirm

The holiday configuration will display the complete closure period based on your input.

Double-check:

The displayed date range matches your intended closure period
The resume date is correct
Gail will switch back to normal operations at 12:00 AM on the resume date

Step 5: Save Your Holiday Entry

Once you’ve verified the dates are correct, click Add Holiday to apply the holiday hours.

Add Holiday Confirm

Activating Your Holiday Script

This is the most commonly missed step! Setting holiday dates alone will not change Gail’s behavior. You must manually activate your holiday script.

Before Your Holiday Begins

Follow these steps to activate your holiday script:

Navigate to Receptionist Page

Go to Inbound > Inbound Agents in your Gail portal

Locate the Agent you will use for your Holiday Hours

Find the agent you want to use for your Holiday call handling

Inbound Agents List

CLick On Time & Hours

In the Days Active dropdown, select All days. In the Times Active All times.

Time and Hours

Click the “Next” button

After setting your Days and Times, click the Next button

Click Launch

Click Launch to apply the change and make your holiday script active

Verify

Confirm the agent is saved and active on the Inbound Agents tab

After Your Holiday Ends

Remember to switch back! Once the holiday period is over, repeat the steps above to reactivate your regular business hours script.

Advanced: Time-Based Transfer Logic

The holiday settings define when your agency is closed but don’t support granular time-based transfer logic (e.g., “transfer to John until 2 PM, then transfer to Sarah”).

For more complex time-based routing requirements, see the Advanced Time-Based Transfers section in the Directory guide.

Common Holiday Scenarios

Single-Day Holiday

Example: New Year’s Day

Start Date: Monday, January 1st
Days Off: 1
Resume Date: Tuesday, January 2nd at 12:00 AM

Long Weekend

Example: Thanksgiving weekend

Start Date: Thursday, November 28th
Days Off: 4
Resume Date: Monday, December 2nd at 12:00 AM

Extended Holiday Break

Example: Christmas/New Year’s break

Start Date: Friday, December 20th
Days Off: 13
Resume Date: Wednesday, January 2nd at 12:00 AM

Troubleshooting

Gail is using the wrong script during the holiday

Solution: Check that you’ve manually activated your holiday script on the Receptionist page. Setting holiday dates alone doesn’t change the active script.

The resume date is wrong

Solution: Ensure that you’ve selected the correct end date for the holiday period.

Need to change holiday dates after saving

Solution: Return to the Business Hours tab in the Knowledge section and update the Start Date or Days Off as needed.

Forgot to switch back after the holiday

Solution: Go to Inbound > Inbound Agents > select your agent that handles regular business hours calls > Adjust the Time & Hours section > Click Next > Click Launch. Consider setting a calendar reminder for the day after holidays to switch scripts back.

Best Practices

📅 Plan Ahead

Set holiday dates well in advance so you don’t forget to activate the correct script when the time comes.

⏰ Set Reminders

Create calendar reminders for:

The day before the holiday: Activate holiday script
The first day back: Switch back to business hours script

🧪 Test Your Holiday Script

Before the holiday, call your Gail number to verify:

The holiday script is active
The messaging is appropriate
Any transfers work as expected

📝 Document Your Scripts

Keep notes about which Agent to use for different holidays (e.g., “Use ‘Holiday Closed Agent’ for Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s”)

🔄 Review Annually

At the start of each year, review your holiday schedule and update dates accordingly.

Next Steps

Learn how to set up your first Gail in First Gail
Set up Actions for holiday-specific call handling
Configure Directory contacts for holiday on-call staff