After-hours answering
After-hours call answering for New Zealand businesses
Hello answers your phone, website chat and email after hours, at weekends and on public holidays, and says it's an AI assistant. It tells callers when you're open, books jobs for your next working day, takes messages, and puts real emergencies through to whoever you choose, with a text first.
How Hello handles after-hours calls
Routine calls.
Hello answers the question or books a time on your next working day, and emails you a summary. Nobody waits until morning for an answer they could have had at 9pm.
Urgent calls.
You decide what counts as urgent and who gets it. Hello texts that person the caller's name, number and reason, then puts the call through. If they don't answer, it takes a message.
Safety first.
For anything dangerous, Hello reads your safety instructions first, such as calling 111, before anything else.
Your hours, every day.
Set different hours for each day, plus holiday hours. Hello always knows whether you're open.
Holiday surcharges.
If you charge a public holiday surcharge, Hello mentions it when someone books for that day.
A clear morning.
Every after-hours conversation is waiting in your inbox and in the app when you start work.
Public holidays coming up
These are the days your phone rings and nobody's there. Set your holiday hours in Hello once and it handles the rest.
| Holiday | Date |
|---|---|
| 2026 | |
| Labour Day | Monday 26 October 2026 |
| Canterbury Anniversary (Show Day) (regional) | Friday 13 November 2026 |
| Christmas Day | Friday 25 December 2026 |
| Boxing Day | Saturday 26 December 2026 (observed Monday 28 December) |
| 2027 | |
| New Year's Day | Friday 1 January 2027 |
| Day after New Year's Day | Saturday 2 January 2027 (observed Monday 4 January) |
| Wellington Anniversary (regional) | Monday 25 January 2027 |
| Auckland Anniversary (regional) | Monday 1 February 2027 |
| Waitangi Day | Saturday 6 February 2027 (observed Monday 8 February) |
| Good Friday | 26 March 2027 |
| Easter Monday | 29 March 2027 |
| Anzac Day | Sunday 25 April 2027 (observed Monday 26 April) |
| King's Birthday | Monday 7 June 2027 |
| Matariki | Friday 25 June 2027 |
| Labour Day | Monday 25 October 2027 |
| Canterbury Anniversary (Show Day) (regional) | Friday 12 November 2027 |
| Christmas Day | Saturday 25 December 2027 (observed Monday 27 December) |
| Boxing Day | Sunday 26 December 2027 (observed Tuesday 28 December) |
2026 dates from Employment NZ. Employment NZ hasn't published 2027 dates yet; these follow the usual rules and will be updated if they change. Observed dates apply to people who don't normally work weekends.
Setting up after-hours forwarding
Most businesses forward calls to Hello only when they don't answer, or forward everything outside opening hours. Codes differ by mobile network, so check your provider's instructions.
- One NZ (Pay Monthly): forward unanswered calls with *61*, then the Hello number in +64 format, then #. Turn all forwarding off with ##002#. One NZ says call divert isn't available on Prepay.
- Spark: Spark's codes add *11 before the final #, for example *61*, the Hello number, *11#.
- 2degrees: 2degrees points customers to their phone's settings. It also says that with forwarding on missed calls, you pay for the incoming call and the onward call.
- Landlines and office systems: set forwarding in your provider's portal or ask them.
Forwarded calls can cost you a call charge on some plans, so check what yours includes. Hello shows your codes in the app when you sign up.
- Source: One NZ, call divert
- Source: Spark, mobile call features
- Source: 2degrees, voicemail for mobile
Questions
Can Hello put emergency calls through at night?
Yes. Choose who gets urgent calls and what counts as urgent. Hello texts them the details, then puts the call through. If they don't pick up, it takes a message.
Can I have different hours on different days?
Yes. Set hours for each day of the week and separate hours for public holidays.
Is Hello an emergency service?
No. For anything dangerous Hello gives your safety instructions, such as calling 111, but it isn't a substitute for emergency services.
Will it only answer after hours?
That's up to you. Forward calls only after hours, only when you don't answer, or all the time.
What does it cost to answer after hours?
The same as any time. Hello Solo is NZ$149 + GST a month and Hello Team is NZ$299 + GST, with no extra charge for nights, weekends or public holidays.
Written by Phil Dossett, co-founder of Leadica, the Auckland company that makes Hello. Facts checked 20 October 2026.
Sources
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