How to Set Up Custom Work Hours and Out-of-Office Auto Responses Per-Associate – Clientbook

Overview

Clientbook allows you to set work hours for individual associates, separate from your store's hours of operation. When a client sends a message to an associate who is currently outside their scheduled work hours, Clientbook can automatically send a customized out-of-office response on behalf of that associate. This helps manage client expectations and ensures professional communication even when your team members are unavailable.

This feature works independently from your store hours. For example, your store may be open Monday through Saturday from 10am to 6pm, but an individual associate might only work Tuesday through Friday from 9am to 5pm. With associate work hours enabled, clients who message that associate outside of their personal schedule will receive their out-of-office auto response, even if the store is technically open.

Note: This feature is optional and disabled by default. You can enable it on a per-associate basis as needed.

Store Hours vs. Associate Hours: What's the Difference?

It's helpful to understand how these two features work together:

Feature	Purpose	Scope
Store Hours	Sets when your store location is open for business. Triggers the store's after-hours auto response when clients message outside these hours.	Applies to all clients messaging the store.
Associate Work Hours	Sets when an individual associate is working. Triggers the associate's personal out-of-office response when their assigned clients message outside these hours.	Applies only to clients assigned to that specific associate.

If both store hours and associate hours are configured, and a client messages outside of both, the store's after-hours response will take priority.

For instructions on setting up store hours, see How to Set Your Store Hours and Optional After-Hours Auto Response.

Setting Up Associate Work Hours

Note: This can only be done in the Dashboard (web version of Clientbook) by users with Admin and/or Manager access.

Step 1: Navigate to the Associate Settings

Go to Setup in the left menu
Click Associates
Find the associate you want to configure and click Edit Associate

Step 2: Locate the Work Hours Section

Scroll down until you find the Work Hours section on the associate's profile page.

Step 3: Set Regular Work Hours

Check the box next to each day the associate works
For each working day, set the Start Time (when they begin work) and End Time (when they finish work)
Leave days unchecked if the associate does not work that day

Example: If an associate works Tuesday through Saturday from 10am to 6pm, you would check the boxes for Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, then enter 10:00 AM as the start time and 6:00 PM as the end time for each of those days.

Step 4: Add Hours for Specific Dates (Optional)

If an associate has different hours on specific dates (such as taking a day off, leaving early, or working overtime), you can add exceptions:

Find the Hours on Specific Dates option within the Work Hours section
Click Add a Date
Select the date
Enter the custom start and end times, OR check "Off" if the associate will be out entirely
Click Save

This is helpful for situations like:

Vacation days
Appointments or personal leave
Holiday shifts with different hours
Training days

Step 5: Create an Out-of-Office Auto Response (Optional)

Locate the Out-of-Office Message field within the Work Hours section
Toggle the feature on
Enter your custom message in the text box

Best Practice Tip: Include information about when the associate will be available again so clients know when to expect a response.

Example Message:

Thanks for reaching out! I'm currently away from my desk, but I'll get back to you as soon as I return. If you need immediate assistance, please contact our store directly.

Step 6: Save Your Changes

Scroll to the top of the page
Click Save

How the Out-of-Office Response Works

When a client sends a message to an associate outside of their configured work hours:

The out-of-office response is automatically sent to the client
The client's original message still appears in both the associate's and store's inboxes
When the associate returns and reviews their inbox, they can respond to the message normally

Important Notes:

The out-of-office response is only sent once per conversation until the associate manually replies
This feature respects the associate's time zone (inherited from the store settings)
If the associate does not have work hours configured, no out-of-office message will be sent based on associate availability

Use Cases

Part-Time Associates

If you have associates who only work certain days or shifts, setting their individual hours prevents clients from expecting immediate responses during their days off.

Vacation Coverage

Before an associate leaves for vacation, update their hours to show they're "Off" for those dates, and customize their out-of-office message to let clients know when they'll return.

Flexible Schedules

For associates who work different hours on different days (such as early shifts on some days and late shifts on others), you can configure unique hours for each day of the week.

Multi-Location Associates

If an associate works at multiple store locations, their work hours can be configured separately for each store they're associated with.

FAQ

Q: What happens if my store is closed but an associate has work hours set?
A: The store's after-hours response takes priority. If your store is closed, the store-level auto response will be sent regardless of individual associate settings.

Q: Can associates set their own work hours?
A: No. Only Admins and Managers can configure associate work hours from the Dashboard.

Q: Will the out-of-office message keep sending every time a client texts?
A: No. The out-of-office response is sent only once per conversation until the associate sends a manual reply. This prevents clients from receiving repeated auto-responses.

Q: How is this different from the store's after-hours response?
A: Store hours apply to your location overall and affect all inbound messages when the store is closed. Associate hours are specific to each team member and allow for personalized responses based on their individual schedules.

Q: Do I need to set associate hours for all my team members?
A: No. This feature is optional. Only enable it for associates who have schedules that differ from your store hours or who would benefit from a personal out-of-office message.

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