Professional Voicemail Greeting Examples for Business

A professional business voicemail greeting does three things in under 20 seconds: it tells callers they reached the right place, says when they will hear back, and asks for their name, number and reason for calling. Below are examples you can copy for your main line, for each person on your team, and for days when you are out.

Voicemail is often the first time a new customer hears your business. A clear, friendly greeting makes them leave a message instead of calling the next name on the list.

What Should a Business Voicemail Greeting Say?

Keep it to four parts, in this order:

• Who they reached. Your business name, and your own name on a personal line.
• Why nobody answered. "We are with other customers" or "the office is closed" is enough.
• What to leave. Name, number and a short reason for the call.
• When you will call back. The same business day, or the next morning. Only promise what you can keep.

Skip the long thank-you, the slogan and the reminder that their call is important. Callers want to know what happens next.

Main-Line Greeting Examples

During business hours, when everyone is busy:

"Thanks for calling Riverside Plumbing. We are helping other customers right now. Please leave your name, number and a few words about what you need, and we will call you back within the hour."

After hours:

"Thanks for calling Riverside Plumbing. Our office is closed. We are open Monday through Friday, 8 to 5. Leave your name and number and we will call you back first thing tomorrow morning."

For an office that books appointments:

"You have reached Peachtree Family Dental. Please leave your name and the best number to reach you, and our front desk will call you back today. If this is a medical emergency, hang up and dial 911."

If your main number answers with a phone menu first, the greeting there works a little differently. Our phone menu script examples cover that part.

Personal Greeting Examples for Staff

Each person on your team has their own voicemail box. A default greeting that only reads out a number sounds like nobody set it up. Ask everyone to record their own.

"Hi, you have reached Maria Lopez in accounts. I am away from my desk or on another call. Leave your name, number and a short message, and I will get back to you today."

"This is James at Smith Electric. I am probably on a job site. Leave a message with your address and what is going on, and I will call you back as soon as I am off the ladder."

Notice that both say when to expect a call back. That one line does more than anything else to keep callers patient.

Out-of-Office and Lunch Greetings

Out for a few days:

"You have reached Maria Lopez. I am out of the office until Monday, June 8. For help before then, call our main number and press 0. Otherwise, leave a message and I will call you when I am back."

Lunch hour for a small office:

"Thanks for calling. Our team is at lunch until 1 p.m. Leave your name and number and we will call you back this afternoon."

Holidays: you can set holiday hours on each phone number ahead of time, with a name, the first and last day, and where calls go, such as voicemail with a holiday greeting. On those days the holiday greeting plays, and your normal schedule comes back by itself afterward. Our holiday voicemail greeting tips have wording for those days.

Always give the exact return date. "I will be back next week" makes people guess.

How Long Should a Voicemail Greeting Be?

Aim for 15 to 20 seconds. Read your script out loud with a timer before you record. If it runs long, cut words, not information. Most greetings get shorter and better after one edit.

How Do You Record a Greeting That Sounds Good?

• Record in a quiet room, away from fans, traffic and the front counter.
• Hold the phone a hand's width from your mouth.
• Smile while you talk. It really does come through.
• Speak a little slower than normal, especially names, dates and phone numbers.
• Listen back once before you save it.

With Telonium, greetings are an audio file (MP3) you record on your phone or computer and upload. The voice memo app on your phone works fine. After you upload it, call your own number and listen like a customer would.

Voicemail to email sends each message to your inbox with the recording attached, so a good greeting turns into a message you can act on from anywhere. You can see voicemail and the rest of what is included on our phone system features page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I Give My Cell Number in My Voicemail Greeting?

Usually not. Point urgent callers to the main number or a "press 0" option instead. Your personal number stays private, and calls stay with the business.

How Often Should I Update My Greeting?

Whenever your hours, staff or services change, and at least twice a year. Listen to it on the first of the month if you are not sure.

Can Each Employee Have a Different Greeting?

Yes. Every person has their own voicemail box and can record their own greeting, separate from the main line.