Breathing Space
Using a banner to demonstrate opening hours
Display hours of service
Be clear about when you are available to respond to users directly. During out of office hours, provide clear guidance on when a correspondence will be acknowledged and responded to. Include a reassuring auto-response in case they still message outside of those online hours.
Further description
Clearly show hours of service
Showing hours of service can be really simple. Ensure to show the days you are open, the times of day you are open and opening hours across different channels.
Break down days and times
Clearly break down the days and times into an easy to read format.
If you are not available
Ensure there are alternative ways for people to contact you but ensure clear turnaround times. If using an online web chat, you might enable people to type and leave a message.
Use simple phrases
You can indicate hours of service using simple phrases. ‘Call us any time, day or night’ is an accessible way to express that your service is open 24 hours a day.
Examples
Share your patterns
We’re constantly on the look out for new patterns. If you have a service/product which you think could be used as a new pattern, we’d love to hear about it.
