Away message when the business is closed for a holiday

Turn this on for planned closures: Diwali week, a family function, an annual stock-taking day. It is different from a nightly after-hours reply because the gap is days, not hours, so customers need the reopening date and a route for genuine emergencies. Switch it off the morning you reopen.

Best time to send. Automatically, from the first closed day until the morning you reopen, once per customer.

Hi [customer name], thanks for your message. Our office is closed from [closed from date] for the festival break, and we are back on [reopening date].

Your message is saved and we will reply in the order chats came in once we reopen. For anything urgent about an existing order or service visit, please call [urgent contact number] between 10 am and 1 pm.

Wishing you a good break too!

• Give an emergency number only if someone will really answer it during the hours you state.
• On the day you reopen, reply to the saved chats before you post anything new on status or social media.
• Change the second line to the real reason when it helps, for example "closed for our annual stock count"; people are more patient when they know why.