Setting up your Holiday Live Chat Schedule

As the holiday season approaches, managing your customer service availability becomes crucial. Setting up your live chat holiday schedule ensures your customers know when to expect responses and helps your team enjoy their well-deserved breaks. 

Here’s how you can easily set up a holiday schedule for your live chat with Social Intents.

Step 1: Log In to Your Social Intents Dashboard

Begin by logging in to your Social Intents account. From your dashboard, navigate to the Apps section then select your Live Chat app. Here, you’ll be able to configure chat availability and make adjustments to your schedule.   Here you'll be able to adjust any of the live chat settings including the office hours and your live chat holiday schedule.

Step 2: Navigate to Online Schedule

Once in the Chat Settings section, select the Online Schedule tab. This area allows you to set your regular hours of operation as well as define exceptions for holidays and special occasions.

Step 3: Add Your Holiday Dates

Click on Add Holiday to begin customizing your schedule. Enter the specific holiday date(s) that you will be closed or operating under modified hours. For each date, you can choose your Holiday Name and the dates that you want to mark as a holiday and have your live chat app show as offline.  You can also hide the chat widget if you prefer not to show the chat widget at all.

Step 4: Customize Your Away Message

While setting up your holiday schedule, it’s a great idea to personalize your away message. Navigate to the Offline Message tab under Chat Settings and craft a friendly message. This message will be displayed to customers when your chat is not available. For example:

“Happy Holidays! Our live chat is currently offline, but we’ll be back to assist you on [Date]. Feel free to leave us a message, and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible!”

Step 5: Test Your Schedule

After setting up your holiday schedule, it’s important to test it. Simply change the date on your device to verify that the chat widget shows the appropriate availability message. This way, you can ensure your customers are getting the right information.

Step 6: Communicate the Holiday Hours

Lastly, make sure your customers know about your holiday hours in advance. Use your website banner, an email newsletter, or social media to notify them about when your live chat support will be available. Keeping communication clear will help manage expectations and improve customer satisfaction.

Tips for Effective Holiday Chat Management

• Automate Responses: Use canned responses for frequently asked questions during the holidays.
• Redirect to Knowledge Base: Provide links to helpful articles in your offline message to guide customers to quick solutions.
• Follow Up Promptly: Make sure to follow up as soon as possible once you're back online, especially if customers left messages during offline hours.

Setting up your live chat holiday schedule is easy and ensures your customers are informed even when your team is celebrating. Enjoy the holidays knowing that your customer service is still providing value, even while you’re offline!