The Shift Management feature allows you to set specific working hours for each user in your CallHippo account. This ensures that calls are routed efficiently, users are only available during their designated work hours, and call activities are logged in the correct time zone. It helps improve productivity, reduce missed calls, and streamline call handling across teams.
What is the “Shift Management” feature in user settings?
Shift Management allows you to define working hours for individual users based on their time zones. Once configured, this setting controls when a user is available to make or receive calls via the dialer. You can choose from three shift types:
Always Available: The user is active 24/7 and can make or receive calls at any time.
Custom Shift: You can set specific working hours for each day of the week. The user will only be able to make or receive calls during these hours.
Always Unavailable: The user won’t be able to make or receive any calls.
Important Note: These shift settings also affect how the call log timestamps appear for each user. All logs will reflect the shift’s set time zone instead of the device’s local time.
Timezone Settings for Shift Management
The timezone set for a user determines when their shift timings apply. You can view or change this timezone from the top-right corner of the Shift Management screen.
When you choose Custom Shift, all shift timings you set for each day will follow this selected timezone, not your device’s local time. This ensures the user’s availability stays consistent with the intended region’s time, regardless of where the user or admin is accessing the platform from.
Important: The timezone selected here also affects how the call time is displayed in the call logs for all calls made and received by the user. The timestamps shown will reflect this user-defined timezone, not the local time of the admin or caller.
This helps standardize reporting across teams working in different regions.
How to set the timezone for a user:
1. Log in to your CallHippo dashboard.
2. Navigate to the “Users and Performance” section on the left side of the screen and then click on the Users.
3. Click on the settings icon of the user you want to set the timezone for.
4. Click on the “Shift Management” option available on the left of the screen and select the timezone as per your requirement, as visible in the screenshot below.
5. Click on the save icon to save the selected timezone.
Refer to the steps below to change the “Shift Management” of any user:
1. Log in to your CallHippo dashboard.
2. Navigate to the “Users and Performance” section on the left side of the screen and then click on the Users.
3. Click on the settings icon of the user you want to set the timezone for.
4. Click on the “Shift Management” option available on the left of the screen.
5. You can select from the 3 options: Always Open, Custom, and Always Closed, as per your requirement and the description provided above in this article.
6. If you select “custom” for Shift Management, you’ll be able to set different shift times for each day of the week.
You can click on the ‘+’ icon to create and edit the timings.
Custom Shift: More information
You can define specific working hours for each user based on their shift schedule. The user will only be able to make or receive calls during the active shift hours.
You can configure start and end times for each day of the week. These shift timings will repeat weekly unless manually changed.
The user will be able to handle calls via the CallHippo dialer only during their active shift period—and only if their dialer is open and status is set to “Available.”
When you choose Custom Shift, all timings you configure will follow the timezone selected in the Shift Management settings, not the device’s or browser’s local time. This ensures accurate scheduling for teams working across different regions.
What happens when a user tries to make a call outside the Shift Management time set?
1. When a user is either outside the designated “custom hours” for Shift Management or has a shift setting configured as “always closed,” the dialer automatically sets the user’s status to “unavailable.”
2. If the user tries to manually change their status from the dialer, the system will prevent this action, displaying the following error message: "You are out of shift hours. Please contact your admin to adjust your availability."
3. Additionally, if the user attempts to initiate an outgoing call while their status remains unavailable, the system will block the call and show the message: "To make an outgoing call, please change your status to Available."
Why is setting the correct Number/User Time Zone important?
Setting the correct number or user time zone in CallHippo is important for:
Accurate Call scheduling – Ensures calls are made at the right time for different time zones.
Proper Call Routing – Routes incoming calls based on the agent's or number’s time zone.
Better Analytics & Reporting – Displays call logs and reports in the correct time format.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q: I updated the shift timings for a user, but the call logs still show the old time zone. Why?
A: Call logs use the time zone selected in the Shift Management settings. If you changed shift hours but didn’t update the time zone, the logs will still reflect the previous zone.
Q: Can I set different shifts for different days for one user?
A: Yes, using the "Custom Shift" option, you can define specific working hours for each day of the week.
Q: What does it mean when my agent sees a message saying, “You are out of shift hours”?
A: This means the user is trying to change their availability status outside their assigned shift hours. They’ll need to wait for their shift to begin or have an admin adjust their schedule.
Q: My user is marked as unavailable, but they are within their shift hours. What could be wrong?
A: Ensure their dialer is open and their status is set to “Available.” If both are correct, recheck their time zone and shift settings for any errors.
Q: Can users override their availability from the dialer if they need to work outside their shift?
A: No, users cannot manually change their status outside of their assigned shift directly from the dialer.
Q: Why am I getting a message saying “To make an outgoing call, please change your status to Available” even though I already did?
A: This can happen if you're outside your assigned shift hours. Even if you try to go available, the system won't allow it unless your shift time is adjusted to include your current hours.
Q: I keep getting an error that says “You are out of shift hours.” What does this mean and how can I fix it?
A: This message means your current time is outside the working hours set for you. To fix this, your shift time needs to be updated to match when you’re available to work.
Q: Difference between ‘Custom Hours’ and ‘Always Open’ for User
A: With Custom Hours, the user can make or receive calls only during the set working hours for each day; outside these hours, their status is automatically set to “Unavailable” and cannot be changed manually. With Always Open, the user is available 24/7 with no restrictions and can make or receive calls at any time.
If you need more help with configuring user shift settings, feel free to reach out at [email protected].