# After-hours support coverage plan

Fill this in with the people who handle the requests. Keep it in an editable document and update it when staffing, contact routes, policies or connected tools change.

Business / website:
Plan owner:
Last checked:
Time zone:
Staffed hours (including weekends and holidays):
Next planned review or review trigger:

## The visitor's route

Website contact page or form:
Where a submitted request arrives:
Who checks that channel:
When it is checked:
Actual response window the team can deliver:
Is any channel monitored outside staffed hours? If yes, state the route and coverage:
What happens if submission fails:

## Answer boundaries

| Question / request | Source or access needed | What the chatbot can do | What requires a person | Owner / next action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hours / location | | | | |
| Published policy or general FAQ | | | | |
| A specific customer's order or account | | | | |
| Cancellation, refund or booking change | | | | |
| A time-sensitive request | | | | |
| Another common question | | | | |

For each source, name its owner and when it was last checked. Record the conditions beside the fact.

If the chatbot has connected tools, list each permitted action and how a successful action is confirmed. Keep “I explained the process”, “I sent a request” and “I completed the change” separate.

## The after-hours reply

Draft the reply in the visitor's language:

- What can be answered now?
- What information or action is unavailable here?
- What route should the visitor use next?
- When is the team available?
- What request details are actually needed?
- Does the reply accurately describe whether anything has been submitted or changed?

Finished reply:

## The next shift

Request owner:
Where the original question and contact details are available:
Who checks the underlying record or makes the decision:
Next action:
How the visitor is told the result:
How completion is recorded:
Any recurring question that should improve the help content:

## Check the route

- Follow the contact route from a phone-sized screen.
- Confirm a test request reaches the expected channel.
- Confirm the named owner knows what arrives there.
- Check staffed hours and the time zone in the actual reply.
- Check that any promise of a callback, booking change or completed action has a working process behind it.

Blank template from After-Hours Support, by Alex Rostovtsev. Fictional examples on the guide are illustrations, not evidence of product performance.