Wait step with time - shorter?

[JD_Nelson]

My wait step is 2 days - but my initial email got delayed a few hours and now it's really 47 hours...  I would prefer to have my second email go out at 10am on the second day from when scheduled.

If my original email is sent at 11am and I select "Duration = 2 days" and "Must end on = 10am" will that work, or will it send on the 3rd day since 10am is after the 2 day?

[Anonymous]

As per my experience it will be sent on the 3rd at 10 am because it is waiting for 2 days to complete. When the wait step reaches at 10 am on Day 2, it see's that 2 day time frame has yet not completed, and at 11am on Day 2 it sees that 10 am has already passed, so it will send it on Day 3 at 10am.

This effect actually spirals if you multiple email and wait steps. So, to avoid this issue, we have started using Fixed date in the wait step instead of days and then it works perfectly fine. So, you could say the wait must end on November 19th at 10 am, then it will work.

Hope this helps. 

[JD_Nelson]

Damn. That's what I was afraid of.  I was hoping to use this for multiple campaigns moving forward, so fixed date sends aren't as flexible as I need, and neither is just saying 47 hours since I would then have to delay all my initial emails to match the first.

I suppose I could do 'wait 36 hours' with 10am, that would likely cover the gap in all instances...?

[Anonymous]

That's actually a very good thought. I would have to try that too.

[Dory_Viscoglio]

Hey JD, your most recent suggestion of 36 hours will work... BUT... for any leads that are currently in the wait step, you cannot change the length of that wait step. If you set it for 2 days originally, then once 2 days is up they will go to the next numbered flow step. Ex:

Flow Steps (original):
1. Send Email 
2. Wait 2 Days
3. Send Follow Up Email

Flow Steps (modified example)
1. Send Email
2. Change Data value
3. Wait 36 hours, must end at 10am
4. Send Email

Your leads that were originally in the #2 wait 2 days wait step will go to the now current #3 which is Wait 36 hours. I use this example because if you have people in a wait step and you rearrange things, you can make a huge impact on their flow without necessarily realizing it. Just something to be aware of. 

[Anonymous]

That's great to know Dory.

If I move around a wait step, it will immediately move anyone in the flow to the next step in the flow? Which may be a send email step, thereby sending the email before the wait step is over. Am I correct?

Thanks!
Greg

[Dory_Viscoglio]

Hey Greg, it will wait until the current wait step is over, but then it will go to the next numbered step, which could be different from what you were expecting if you changed around the steps. 

[Anonymous]

Thanks Dory! 🙂