Creating Operating Hours and Shifts in Salesforce Made Simple
Managing your business hours shouldn’t be rocket science. If you’ve ever scratched your head trying to set up operating hours and shifts in Salesforce, you’re not alone. Whether you’re running a small customer support team or a growing call center, getting your scheduling right is key to keeping things smooth. Luckily, Salesforce gives you the tools — you just need to know how to use them.
In this post, we’ll break down how to set up operating hours and shifts in Salesforce so you can manage your team’s time more efficiently and improve customer service. Let’s dive in!
Why Are Operating Hours Important in Salesforce?
Let’s think of operating hours like setting the “open” and “closed” signs for your business in Salesforce. If you offer customer support, for instance, Salesforce needs to know when your team is actually available. That way, cases or service requests will be routed correctly based on your available times.
Without the right setup, things can fall through the cracks: missed customer calls, unanswered cases, or incorrect wait times. That’s why creating accurate operating hours and shifts is a game-changer.
What You Need Before You Start
Before you roll up your sleeves, here are a few things to have in place:
- An admin account in Salesforce: You need admin privileges to set this up.
- Defined business hours: Know when your team starts and ends the day.
- Shift assignments: Decide who covers what times — for example, morning vs. evening shifts.
Got that ready? Great, let’s get started!
Step-by-Step: Setting Up Business (Operating) Hours
Step 1: Navigate to Business Hours
First, log into Salesforce and follow these steps:
- Click the gear icon in the top right and go to Setup.
- In the Quick Find box, type Business Hours and click it.
Salesforce comes with a default “24/7” schedule — but chances are, that’s not what you want. Let’s create hours that match your team’s actual workweek.
Step 2: Create Your Business Hours
Click the New Business Hours button. Now, just fill in the blanks:
- Name your business hours (like “Customer Support – Weekdays”).
- Select your time zone.
- Choose your operation days (Monday–Friday?) and set your start/end times.
After that, hit Save. You’ve officially set when your team is available.
Step-by-Step: Setting Up Shifts in Salesforce
Once your business hours are in place, it’s time to assign shifts. Think of shifts as mini schedules within your overall operating hours. This is especially helpful if your team works in rotation or split shifts (morning, midday, and night).
To manage shifts, you’ll need to use the Shift Management feature, which comes with Salesforce’s Workforce Engagement tools. If you don’t see it, check with your Salesforce admin about enabling it.
Step 1: Access Service Resource
This is where individual users are assigned shifts. Do this by:
- Going to App Launcher and finding Service Resources.
- Select a resource (that’s usually an agent or staff member).
Step 2: Assign Shifts
For each resource, you can assign daily or weekly shifts. Just fill in:
- Shift start and end times
- Days of the week they’ll work
- Which business hours they follow
This allows Salesforce to handle things like workload balancing, case assignment, and availability tracking more cleanly.
Practical Example: Sarah’s Support Team
Let’s say Sarah manages a support team that works in two shifts:
- Morning shift: 8 AM – 1 PM
- Evening shift: 1 PM – 6 PM
Sarah sets her overall business hours from 8 AM to 6 PM. She then creates two shift groups, assigns the right reps to each one, and Salesforce does the rest. Incoming cases get routed to whoever is currently working — no mix-ups, no confusion, just smooth sailing.
Benefits of Setting Operating Hours and Shifts
Still wondering why this matters? Here’s what you gain when you set it up right:
- Better customer experience: Customers are only promised help during your active hours.
- Smarter case routing: Cases go to on-duty agents — no delays.
- Accurate reporting: Know exactly when your team is working and how they’re performing.
- Efficient scheduling: Never overbook or under-staff again.
Tips for Managing Shifts in Salesforce
- Plan ahead: Always define your shifts before assigning agents.
- Use labels clearly: Name your hours and shifts in a way that’s easy to identify later.
- Regularly review: Staff come and go, so revisit your shifts often.
Think of it like creating a solid work calendar — but smarter. Salesforce not only keeps track but uses this data to power all sorts of features, from AI predictions to productivity reports.
Gotchas to Watch Out For
Here are a few things that can trip you up:
- Time zones: Always check that your business hours are in the correct time zone.
- Overlap errors: Don’t assign someone to overlapping shifts unless it’s intentional.
- Missing assignments: No shift means no routing! Make sure all active users have shifts assigned.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I have different business hours for different departments?
Absolutely! Just create separate business hour records and assign them as needed.
What if my team works weekends?
No problem. Salesforce lets you check which days you’re open — including Saturdays and Sundays.
Is this feature included in all Salesforce editions?
Basic business hours are available in most editions. However, shift management may require Workforce Engagement or a Service Cloud license.
Final Thoughts
Setting up your operating hours and shifts in Salesforce might seem technical at first, but it’s really just about organizing your team’s availability. With a few clicks, you can make sure your service runs like a well-oiled machine, cases get routed properly, and your team never feels overwhelmed (or underbooked).
So go ahead, open up that Setup tab in Salesforce and start defining your real working hours — your team and your customers will thank you!
Got any questions about setting up your shifts? Drop them in the comments below. Let’s get everyone scheduling like a pro!
