Voicemail, Guides · 6 min read
Professional voicemail greeting scripts for your business
By the CallRoute team ·
Your voicemail greeting plays at the exact moment a caller is already a little disappointed: they wanted a person and did not get one. A clear, short greeting turns that moment into a useful message. A long or vague one turns it into a hang up. This guide covers what makes a greeting work and gives you scripts you can adapt for every situation.
What makes a good greeting
Every good business greeting does four things, in this order:
- Confirms who they reached. The business name, or the person and the business. Callers want to know they dialed the right number.
- Says why nobody answered. On another call, out of the office, closed for the day. One short phrase is enough.
- Asks for the right details. Name, number and the reason for the call. That last part lets you call back ready to help instead of starting with questions.
- Sets an expectation. When the caller will hear back, such as today, within the hour, or the next business day. Only promise what you can keep.
What to leave out: long thank yous, marketing lines, your full address, and anything that will be out of date next month. If you want to share your website, keep it to one short mention at the end.
How long a greeting should be
Keep it to about 15 to 20 seconds. Read your script out loud with a timer before you record it. Written sentences often feel twice as long when spoken. If you go over, cut words, not clarity. "Please leave your name, number and reason for calling" says everything a longer paragraph would.
Main line scripts
The main line greeting plays when callers reach your business number during open hours but nobody can pick up. Swap in your own details. The business names below are samples.
| Style | Sample script |
|---|---|
| Simple | Thanks for calling Maple Street Accounting. We are helping other clients right now. Please leave your name, number and the reason for your call, and we will call you back today. |
| Service business | You have reached Bright Path Electric. We are out on jobs at the moment. Leave your name, number, address and a short description of the work, and we will call you back within a few hours. |
| Appointment based | Thank you for calling Riverside Physical Therapy. We are with patients right now. To book or change an appointment, leave your name, number and the day that works for you, and we will confirm by phone or text. |
After hours scripts
An after hours greeting must say that you are closed and when you open again. Include the time zone if you serve callers in other parts of the US or Canada.
| Style | Sample script |
|---|---|
| Standard | Thanks for calling Maple Street Accounting. Our office is closed. We are open Monday to Friday, 9 to 5 Eastern. Leave your name, number and the reason for your call, and we will call you back the next business day. |
| Urgent work possible | You have reached Bright Path Electric after hours. If this is urgent, say so in your message and include your address, and we will review it first. Otherwise, we will call you back when we open at 7. |
Only offer urgent handling if someone actually checks messages after hours. If nobody does, leave that line out. For more on the closed path, see business hours and holiday routing.
Holiday scripts
A holiday greeting names the closure and the exact day you reopen. Remember to switch it off afterwards, or better, set it up as a closed day so it stops on its own.
| Situation | Sample script |
|---|---|
| Single holiday | Thanks for calling Riverside Physical Therapy. We are closed today for the holiday and reopen tomorrow at 8. Leave your name, number and a short message, and we will call you back. |
| Longer closure | You have reached Maple Street Accounting. Our office is closed for the holidays and reopens Monday, January 5. Leave a message with your name, number and the reason for your call, and we will return it when we are back. |
Individual teammate scripts
When each teammate has their own business number, each one needs a greeting. A personal greeting in the teammate's own voice tells callers they reached the right person, not a general queue.
| Situation | Sample script |
|---|---|
| Everyday | Hi, you have reached Jordan at Bright Path Electric. I am on another call or out on a job. Leave your name, number and what you need, and I will call you back today. |
| Out of office | Hi, this is Priya at Maple Street Accounting. I am out of the office until Thursday. Leave a message and I will reply when I am back, or call our main line if it cannot wait. |
| Sales or account role | You have reached Alex, account manager at Riverside Physical Therapy. Leave your name, number and the best time to reach you, and I will get back to you within one business day. |
Busy season scripts
During your busiest weeks, response times stretch. Say so honestly. Callers handle a longer wait well when you tell them about it, and poorly when you promise today and call back in three days.
| Situation | Sample script |
|---|---|
| Tax season | Thanks for calling Maple Street Accounting. It is our busiest time of year, and we are returning calls within two business days. Leave your name, number and the reason for your call. Texting this number works too. |
| Seasonal demand | You have reached Bright Path Electric. We are booking further out than usual this month. Leave your name, number, address and the job, and we will call you with the next available time. |
Recorded vs typed greetings
You can record a greeting in your own voice or type the script and have it read aloud. Each has a place.
Recorded greetings
A recorded voice feels personal, which matters most for individual teammates. Record in a quiet room, hold the phone or microphone at a steady distance, and do a few takes. Listen back on a phone speaker, since that is how callers will hear it.
Typed greetings
A typed greeting is spoken for you, so it sounds the same every time and can be changed in seconds. That makes it a good fit for main lines, after hours messages and holidays, where the words change often and nobody wants to re-record. Write it the way you would say it, with short sentences, and spell out anything that might be read oddly, such as abbreviations.
What happens after the beep
A greeting is only half of voicemail. The other half is how fast you act on the messages. Visual voicemail with transcripts lets you read a message at a glance and decide which call to return first. If many of your callers hang up rather than leave a message, an AI receptionist that answers and asks for their details may serve them better than any greeting.
Greetings in CallRoute
In CallRoute, every teammate has their own business number with their own greeting, and your main line has its own greetings for open hours, after hours and, on Pro and Scale, closed days. Greetings can be recorded or typed, and typed greetings are spoken in an AI voice. Messages arrive as visual voicemail with transcripts in one inbox, and the AI receptionist can answer when nobody does. See call routing, compare plans on the pricing page, or join early access.