During Thread’s weekly AI Service Unleashed call with current partners, we heard the phrase: It’s just “hours” in IT.
Because, let’s face it, after-hours support doesn’t look the same for anyone. One team might have a 24/7 crew with rotating on-call staff. Another outsources and only gets a few calls per week. And others? They’re still relying on answering services that take a message and hope for the best.
After-hours support is costly, inconsistent, and full of friction for MSPs and clients alike. What if it didn’t have to be?
How MSPs Handle It Today
When we held a recent AI Service Unleashed call, we opened the floor to our partner community and heard a wide range of approaches.
One team uses a separate phone line that connects to an answering service, which then relays information to their on-call tech. Another runs 24/7 but has lighter staffing on nights and weekends. Some rotate one on-call person each week. Others outsource completely, then escalate tickets to a rotating pool of internal staff when necessary.
And then there’s the mindset shift we loved most: “It’s just hours in IT.” Because when the alerts never stop, who really gets to clock out?
Thread’s New Approach
We’re rethinking after-hours support starting with automation, smarter AI, and time-aware workflows. Our team recently shipped a brand-new runtime variable called the Working Hours Flag. This gives your Magic Agents the context they need to know when something is being submitted outside your regular hours.
This isn’t just a settings toggle. It reads from both parent-level and client-specific Messenger hours of operation, so even your more complex client setups are covered. And that unlocks a much more responsive, reliable experience.
Triage AI That Knows What Time It Is
If a request comes in after hours, our triage agent knows it. It asks the right questions—what’s the urgency, what’s the best number to call, when is a good time for a tech to follow up—and sets expectations clearly.
If it’s a P1, the ticket is instantly routed to your on-call Slack or Teams channel. No delay. No ambiguity. No "we’ll get back to you" with no real plan. Your technician wakes up with everything they need. And if the issue can wait until morning, the client knows that too—because the AI has already told them.
Voice AI Is Coming Next
Phone is still one of the top ways clients reach out after hours, but it’s also one of the most expensive and difficult to manage. That’s why we’re building AI-powered voice support that can take those after-hours calls, reference existing tickets, create new ones, and escalate only when necessary.
We demoed this in action, and it’s already logging transcripts, capturing recordings, and integrating seamlessly into your Inbox. Soon, you’ll be able to customize greetings based on business hours and even choose the tone of voice your AI agent uses.
Less Burnout. Better Experiences.
MSPs are constantly walking a tightrope between availability and burnout. Answering services often don’t have PSA access. Outsourced teams can’t always resolve issues. And rotating internal staff adds stress without always delivering consistency.
Thread’s new features help change that. The Working Hours Flag makes your flows and agents more aware. Triage AI takes real action. And voice is the next evolution of truly round-the-clock service.
If you want to get started with Working Hours or test our voice experience, just reach out to your CSM. We’re happy to flip the switch.
Because after hours? It’s not a problem anymore.
It’s just hours. And Thread is ready. Book a demo with us today and you too can be ready.
