Aloware's automatic timezone detection identifies a contact's timezone based on their phone number. This helps agents avoid calling outside of business hours, particularly during late-night or early-morning times. If CRM data is unavailable, this fallback method ensures timezone accuracy using the phone number’s area code.
When a contact is created, Aloware first attempts to retrieve city, state, country, and time zone data from an integrated CRM. If this data isn't available, it infers the information from the phone number. If the data doesn’t appear immediately, refresh the page. Once detected, Aloware displays the contact’s local time to help you plan calls accordingly.
How to format phone numbers
To ensure accurate detection, phone numbers must follow the E.164 international format. This format standardizes numbers so Aloware can route calls and messages correctly.
E.164 Format | Country Code | Country | Contact’s Number |
+14155552671 | 1 | US | 4157558671 |
+442071838750 | 44 | GB | 2075838650 |
+551155256325 | 55 | BR | 1175250325 |
+18195555555 | 1 | CA | 8195553585 |
When a number doesn not match the E.164 format
If a contact's phone number doesn't have a country code, Aloware will try to guess the country code and timezone using an algorithm. To improve accuracy, ensure that CRM integrations are correctly configured and that location fields are properly mapped. If location data is unavailable, send it as null to enable Aloware’s inference capabilities.
Countries are listed in order of precedence:
USA + territories
Canada + territories
Great Britain (UK)
Australia
This means that when a phone number does not match any number within the USA and its territories, it will look for phone numbers in Canada, and the list goes on.
While using the proper phone number format is essential, integrating CRM systems and ensuring accurate field mapping play a more crucial role in managing and communicating with contacts effectively.