How do I close our phones?

Close your IVR to prevent calls from reaching an Inbox when your team is not working due to a holiday, a mid-day emergency team meeting, or events where you need to close your phones.

Before you close the phones

• The instructions to close the phone apply to 90% of IVRs configured in Gladly. Still, certain configurations may not apply, especially for IVRs not built by Gladly's Professional Services team.

• Test closing your phones before a holiday during non-peak times to ensure it works. Contact Gladly Support if you encounter issues.

Don't change the 'Default Next Node' option

There is no need to change the Default Next Node option if you only intend to turn off the phone. Doing so could undo a section of your IVR.

How to close the phones

1. Click  on the top left corner of the screen.

2. Click Settings.

3. Under the Channels category, click Voice.

4. Find the number you want to close. Under the Initial IVR column, click the IVR linked to the number.

5. On the Search bar in the top-right corner of the screen, type "Temporary Split," and the icon next to it looks like . Usually, only one of these nodes is on any IVR, which might also be named "Ad Hoc Close."

   • Note – If you're missing the Temporary Split node, click the node before a Schedule node and add the Temporary Split node.

6. Under the Temporary Split section of the Temporary Split node settings, select the following information:

   • [A] Timezone – Choose which timezone the node should follow when turning off the phone.

   • [B] IVR time closure – Select the duration you want to "close" the phone for (e.g., 30 minutes will close this section of the node for 30 minutes and automatically reopen after 30 minutes).

     • Tip – The phone can be closed for as little as 30 minutes to a few hours or indefinitely. Selecting "Indefinitely" requires you to turn on the phones manually.

   • [C] Next Node – When the Temporary Split node is "on," this is the node where the call is sent, typically a Menu node that contains your "closed" message.

     • Tip – You can update the recording to update the message you want Customers to hear while your phone is closed.

7. Click OK when you're done to save your changes. At this point, the Publish button will turn green, signaling that it detected a change that may need to be saved.

8. Click Publish to confirm your changes.  

9. Upon clicking Publish, you'll be asked to enter a short description of your changes. Enter a note about "closing" the phone,  then click OK. 

10. Find the Temporary Split node you updated. By looking at the node status, you'll know if the node is active (i.e., actively "closed"). It will show On.  

    • If you select a preset time (e.g., 60 minutes), the phones will automatically turn back "on" after 60 minutes.

    • If you choose "Indefinitely," you must manually turn the phone "on" by deleting the time you created.

Update recording message

The recording Customers hear should depend on the reason the phone is closed, whether you're closed for 30 minutes or more than a few hours.

1. Find the Next Node calls are sent if the phone is closed and the Temporary Split node is "On," typically a Menu node.  

2. Click the Menu node and find the Message section. It may have Recording or Text to Speech selected in this section.  

   • Recording – Click to hear the message. If it's not the appropriate message for the closure, click Update Recording to upload a new message.

   • Text to Speech – The message read to Customers is in the Text box. Update the text if needed to reflect the reason for the closer.

3. Click Publish to confirm your changes.  

You may need to update the message again if you need to turn off the phones again.

Turn the phones back on

You can turn your phone back "on" anytime before the node's configured "close time" expires.

1. From the Temporary Split node, click under the Temporary Split section.

   
   

2. This will update the Temporary Split node to showOff, which means it's inactive.

3. Click Publish to confirm your changes.

4. Enter a short description of your changes, then click OK.