Plenty of callers hang up at the beep. A good voicemail greeting won’t fix that completely, but it gives you a better chance of a message you can act on. These scripts are short, tell the caller exactly what to leave, and say when you’ll call back.
What every good greeting does
- Confirms they’ve got the right business. Start with your business name.
- Says when you’ll call back, and makes it a promise you can keep.
- Asks for what you actually need: name, number, and what it’s about. Asking for “a message” gets you “it’s me, call me back”.
- Gives a faster option if there is one: a website, a booking link or a text number.
- Stays under 20 seconds. Callers are paying attention for the first few seconds, not the last.
Everyday scripts
The all-rounder
“You’ve reached [business]. Sorry we missed you. Leave your name, number and what you need, and we’ll call you back today.”
On the tools or with a customer
“Hi, it’s [name] from [business]. I’m on a job right now. Leave your name, your number and what you need done, and I’ll call you back as soon as I’m off the tools.”
Busy team
“Thanks for calling [business]. The team’s helping other customers right now. Leave your name, number and the reason for your call, and someone will ring you back within the hour.”
Send them online
“You’ve reached [business]. For prices and bookings, the fastest way is our website, [website]. Or leave your name and number and we’ll call you back.”
After hours
Standard after-hours
“Thanks for calling [business]. We’re closed right now. We’re open [days and hours]. Leave your name, number and what you need, and we’ll call you first thing.”
With an urgent option
“You’ve reached [business] after hours. If it’s urgent, like [example of a real emergency for your trade], call [urgent number]. Otherwise leave your name, number and what you need, and we’ll call you back tomorrow morning.”
Weekends
“Thanks for calling [business]. We’re off for the weekend and back on [day]. Leave your name, number and what you need, and we’ll get back to you then.”
Away and holidays
Public holiday
“Thanks for calling [business]. We’re closed for [holiday] and back on [date]. Leave your name, number and what you need, and we’ll call you when we’re back.”
Closed for a break
“Hi, you’ve reached [business]. We’re closed from [date] to [date]. Leave a message and we’ll call you back when we reopen, or email [email address] and we’ll reply when we’re back.”
Scripts by type of business
Trades and home services
“You’ve reached [business]. Leave your name, number, your suburb and what needs fixing, and we’ll call you back with a time.”
Salons, beauty and wellness
“Hi, you’ve reached [business]. We’re with clients right now. You can book online at [website], or leave your name and number and the treatment you’re after, and we’ll call you back.”
Professional services
“Thanks for calling [business]. Please leave your name, phone number and a brief note about how we can help, and we’ll return your call within one business day.”
Mistakes to avoid
- “Your call is important to us.” Callers have heard it a thousand times. Say what you’ll do instead.
- A long list of options. If you need menus, you need a phone system, not a voicemail greeting.
- Promising a call back you won’t make. “Within the hour” is great if it’s true. “Today” is safer.
- A full mailbox. Clear your voicemail every day. A full mailbox loses the caller completely.
- Background noise. Record it somewhere quiet, smile while you talk, and listen back before you save it.
Or skip the beep
A voicemail greeting asks the caller to do the work. An answering service or receptionist asks the questions for them, and you get the name, number and reason without having to listen to anything. If most of your messages are “call me back”, that’s worth thinking about.