Business Voicemail Greeting Examples: 35 Professional Scripts

Every business phone goes unanswered sometimes: you are with a customer, up a ladder or closed for the night. What the caller hears next decides whether they leave a message or ring the next business on their list.

This page is for owners, office managers and anyone with a work line: the five parts of a good greeting, a speaking-time guide, 35 scripts by situation and profession, the steps for iPhone, Android and Google Voice, and the alternatives for when too many callers hang up.

What should a professional voicemail greeting say?

A business voicemail greeting is the recording a caller hears when nobody answers your work phone. A good one confirms the caller reached the right place, says you can't answer, asks for the details you need to call back, promises when you will, and offers another route for anything urgent, all in under half a minute.

Two extras earn their place: your opening hours on an after-hours greeting, and a website or email address for callers who would rather not leave a message. Anything else, such as a slogan, only delays the tone.

Which voicemail greeting should you use?

Find your situation, then jump to the script. Each script sits in a plain text box with [square brackets] where your details go; replace every bracket before you record.

What are the rules for a good voicemail greeting?

A good voicemail greeting is short, starts with your name, asks for one set of details, makes a promise you can keep and is re-recorded whenever anything in it changes.

How long should a voicemail greeting be?

Keep a full greeting to 15 to 25 seconds, and never past 30: every extra sentence is another chance for the caller to hang up before the tone. Some services cap the recording anyway; Google Fi's app allows up to 40 seconds.

Speak more slowly than you talk. In 2,438 recorded English telephone conversations from the Switchboard corpus, University of Pennsylvania linguists measured an average of 196 words a minute, counting both speakers' words over each call's length (Yuan, Liberman and Cieri, Interspeech 2006). A caller can't ask a greeting to repeat a number, so record at about 150 words a minute: 2.5 words a second.

To time a script, divide its words by 2.5 to get seconds. Count each digit of a phone number as a word, because you will read it slowly. The table rounds down.

A worked example: the Harbor Plumbing greeting at the top has 26 written words. Read aloud, 555-0142 is seven digits, so the greeting is 32 spoken words: 32 ÷ 2.5 = 12.8 seconds, about 15 with pauses.

What should you say first?

Say the business name in the first sentence, ideally in the first three words: callers check they dialled correctly before they decide to stay. Then give the reason nobody answered in a few plain words, such as "we're on jobs". Put your own name before the company only on a personal line.

What should a voicemail greeting never say?

• Promises you can't keep, such as "we'll call you right back" on a busy day.
• Filler such as "your call is important to us", which only delays the tone.
• Stale details: last month's holiday, a colleague who has left, a dead number.
• Sensitive requests: never ask callers to leave card numbers, passwords or medical details.
• Options that don't exist, such as "press 0 for reception" when 0 reaches nobody.

How do you record a voicemail greeting that sounds professional?

1. Write the script and time it against a timer.
2. Use a quiet room: no fans, no music, no bare echoing walls.
3. Hold the phone as you would for a call, and keep it there.
4. Smile as you speak. It keeps your tone warm instead of flat.
5. Slow down for numbers and names, and repeat an urgent number.
6. Re-record until it's clean. A cough or a barking dog will play for months.
7. Call your own number from another phone and listen as a caller would.

General business voicemail greeting examples

These five suit a main business number. The first is neutral, the fourth formal, the fifth casual, and sentences swap between them.

1. Standard business line

Hello, you've reached [Business name]. We can't take your call right now. Please leave your name, your number and a short message, and we'll call you back [within two business hours]. If it's urgent, call [urgent number]. Thank you for calling.

The safe default. Promise the callback time you meet on your busiest day, and give an urgent number only if someone answers it.

2. Owner-run small business

Hi, this is [Your name] at [Business name]. I'm with a customer right now, so I can't pick up. Leave your name, your number and what you need, and I'll call you back [today before 6 p.m.]. For anything urgent, text me at [mobile number].

When the owner is the business, your name makes a slower callback feel personal. Offer texting only on a number that receives texts.

3. Main line with website and email

Thank you for calling [Business name]. No one can take your call at the moment. Leave your name, number and a short message, and we'll return your call within [one business day]. You'll also find our hours, prices and answers to common questions at [website], or you can email us at [email address].

Use it when your website already answers common questions. If the site runs an AI support agent such as PepoChat, this greeting sends callers to answers at any hour.

4. Formal corporate line

Good day. You have reached [Company name], [department or office]. We are unable to take your call at present. Please leave your name, company, telephone number and the reason for your call, and a member of our team will return your call within [one business day]. For urgent matters, please call our main reception on [number]. Thank you.

For professional firms. At about 60 words it sits at the limit; drop the department line if it runs long.

5. Warm and friendly line

Hi, thanks for calling [Business name]. We're busy [helping customers in the shop] and can't get to the phone. Leave your name and number and we'll call you back [this afternoon]. Or just drop in: we're open [hours]. Talk soon.

For cafés and studios whose customers know them by name. Put the warmth in your voice, not in jokes, which wear thin.

Professional voicemail greetings for your work phone or extension

On a personal work line, give your name and role first, because callers may have been handed your number by someone else.

6. Direct extension, away from your desk

Hello, you've reached [Your name], [job title] at [Company name]. I'm away from my desk or on another call. Please leave your name, number and a brief message, and I'll return your call [by the end of the day]. If you need help sooner, press 0 for reception or call [colleague's name] on [extension].

The everyday office greeting. Check that pressing 0 really reaches reception on your system; if not, delete that option.

7. Work mobile

Hi, you've reached [Your name] from [Company name]. I can't answer right now. Leave your name, number and the reason for your call, and I'll get back to you [within a few hours]. If it's easier, email me at [email address].

For a mobile you use for work. The company name tells business callers they have the right person.

8. Out of the office today

Hello, this is [Your name] at [Company name]. I'm out of the office today, [day and date], and back on [day]. Leave your name and number and I'll call you back when I return. If your call can't wait, please contact [colleague's name] on [number].

For a single day out. The date shows the greeting is current; switch back the next morning.

9. Line taken over from a colleague

Hello, you've reached [Your name], [job title] at [Company name]. If you were trying to reach [previous person], I'm now looking after their customers. Leave your name, number and what it's about, and I'll call you back [today]. For anything urgent, call [main number].

Callers who expect a former colleague hear a stranger. Naming the change once keeps them on the line.

After-hours and weekend voicemail greetings

After-hours greetings add two facts: when you open again, and whether anyone takes urgent calls before then. Match your website chat's away message to them; the offline chat message examples apply the same rules to chat.

10. After hours on a weekday

Thank you for calling [Business name]. Our office is closed. We're open [Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.]. Leave your name, number and a short message, and we'll call you back after [9 a.m.] tomorrow. You can also [book or find answers] at [website].

The standard evening greeting. Say the hours once and the callback time once.

11. Weekend

Hi, you've reached [Business name]. We're closed for the weekend and back on Monday at [time]. Leave your name, number and a short message, and we'll return your call on Monday [morning]. For [orders or bookings], visit [website] at any time.

Promise "Monday morning" only if you clear messages first thing; otherwise say "on Monday".

12. After hours with an on-call line

You've reached [Business name]. Our office is closed. For [urgent problems, such as no heat or a burst pipe], call our on-call line at [on-call number]. That's [on-call number]. For anything else, leave your name, number and a short message, and we'll call you back after [time] on the next business day.

Say the on-call number twice, even though it pushes the greeting toward 30 seconds. The home services guide covers what counts as urgent.

Holiday and seasonal closure voicemail greetings

Name the holiday, because callers from elsewhere may not know it, and give the day you reopen, not just the day you close.

13. Public holiday

Thank you for calling [Business name]. We're closed today for [holiday] and open again on [day] at [time]. Leave your name, number and a short message, and we'll call you back on [day]. Happy [holiday].

Record it the afternoon before and switch back the morning after.

14. Year-end closure

You've reached [Business name]. Our office is closed from [date] and reopens on [day, date] at [time]. Leave your name, number and a short message, and we'll return your call within [two business days] of reopening, in the order we received them. For urgent [service issues], call [number]. Happy holidays.

"In the order we received them" shows the queue is fair, and the extra day gives you room to clear it.

15. Closed for the season

Thanks for calling [Business name]. We're closed for the season and reopen on [date]. Leave your name and number if you'd like a call when bookings open, or visit [website] for [next season's dates and prices]. We check messages [once a week] while we're closed.

For seasonal businesses. Saying how often you check messages keeps the promise honest for months.

Vacation and extended absence voicemail greetings

When you are away for days or weeks, the most useful thing a greeting can do is name who helps in the meantime.

16. Vacation with a colleague covering

Hello, this is [Your name] at [Company name]. I'm away until [day, date] with limited access to messages. If you need help before then, please call [colleague's name] on [number] or email [email address]. Otherwise, leave your name and number and I'll call you back after I return.

The colleague comes first, so callers who need help now hear it first. Ask before you name them.

17. Extended leave

Hello, you've reached the voicemail of [Your name] at [Company name]. I'm on leave until [month or date] and won't be checking messages. Please call [colleague's name] on [number], who is looking after my clients while I'm away. Messages left here will not be heard until I return.

The one script that discourages a message, deliberately: a message nobody hears for months is worse than none. No reason for the leave is needed.

18. Travelling with limited access

Hi, this is [Your name] from [Company name]. I'm travelling [for a conference] until [day] and checking messages [once a day]. Leave your name, number and a short message, and I'll call you back within [24 hours]. If it's urgent, email me at [email address] or call [colleague's name] on [number].

For trips where you still work. A slower promise you keep beats your usual one missed.

Voicemail greetings for sales, support and billing lines

Each department greeting asks for the one detail that team needs to call back: what the caller wants to buy, what went wrong, or which invoice.

19. Sales line

Thanks for calling [Company name] sales. Everyone on the team is with other customers right now. Leave your name, your number and what you're looking for, and a member of the sales team will call you back within [two business hours]. To see prices or book a demo now, visit [website].

A new buyer can easily try a competitor instead, so keep the callback promise short and keep it.

20. Customer support line

You've reached [Company name] customer support. All of our team are helping other customers. Please leave your name, your number, your [order or account] number and a short description of the problem, and we'll call you back within [four business hours]. Many answers are also at [help page address].

The order or account number saves a second call. Point to the help page only if it answers common problems.

21. Billing and accounts line

You've reached the [Company name] billing team. We can't take your call right now. Leave your name, your number and your [invoice or account] number, but please don't leave card or bank details in this message. We'll call you back within [one business day]. To pay or view an invoice now, go to [payment page].

"Don't leave card details" protects the caller and you: a voicemail box is no place for payment data.

Voicemail greeting examples by profession

Professions add their own rules: emergency wording in health care, confidentiality in law, speed in real estate and trades. Adjust to your local rules; this page is not legal advice.

22. Medical office

You've reached [Practice name]. If this is a medical emergency, hang up and call [local emergency number, such as 911]. We can't answer right now. Leave your name and phone number, and we'll call you back [by noon tomorrow]. For urgent questions after hours, call [on-call number].

Replace the bracket with the emergency number used where your practice is, such as 911 in the US. Ask only for what you need to call back; symptoms belong in the call. US practices can read what a clinic chatbot may collect for the HIPAA side.

23. Dental office

Thank you for calling [Practice name]. We're [with patients or closed] right now. Leave your name, your phone number and the best time to reach you, and we'll call you back [today]. For a dental emergency outside our hours, call [after-hours number]. If it's a medical emergency, hang up and call [local emergency number].

It separates a dental emergency, which your on-call dentist handles, from a medical one, which goes to emergency services.

24. Law firm

You've reached [Firm name]. We can't take your call right now. Please leave your name, number and the type of matter, without confidential details, and we'll return your call within [one business day]. If you face a court deadline in the next [48 hours], say so in your message. Leaving a message does not make you a client of the firm.

Asking for the type of matter, without details, keeps confidential information out of the mailbox. Check the client sentence against your bar's rules.

25. Real estate agent

Hi, you've reached [Agent name] with [Brokerage name]. I'm showing a property right now. Leave your name, number and the address or listing you're calling about, and I'll call you back [within the hour]. Listings and open-house times are at [website].

A buyer can call another agent about the same listing, so speed matters. The address tells you which listing to open before you call back.

26. Contractor or home services

You've reached [Business name]. We're on jobs right now. Leave your name, number and address, and we'll call back within [two hours]. [Burst pipe]? Call [emergency number].

The template behind the example at the top. The address lets you check your service area first; swap the burst pipe for your trade's emergency, such as no heat.

27. Salon or spa

Hi, thanks for calling [Salon name]. We're with clients and can't get to the phone. To book, change or cancel an appointment, you can [book online at website] at any time, or leave your name, number and the service you'd like, and we'll call you back [between appointments today]. See you soon.

Many salon calls are bookings, so the online route comes before the message option.

28. Restaurant

Thanks for calling [Restaurant name]. We're [in the middle of service or closed right now]. We're open [days and hours]. To book a table, visit [booking page]. For private events or anything else, leave your name, number and a short message, and we'll call you back [before 5 p.m.].

Calls during service go unanswered, so the hours and booking page come first: they answer most questions.

29. Freelancer or consultant

Hi, you've reached [Your name], [what you do]. I'm working with a client right now. Leave your name, number and a line about your project, and I'll call you back [within one business day]. You can also book a call at [booking link].

"What you do" in a few words, such as "brand designer", confirms the caller found the right person.

Voicemail greetings for temporary situations

Temporary greetings explain why today is different. Record them as soon as the situation starts.

30. High call volume

Thank you for calling [Business name]. We're receiving more calls than usual [because of reason], so we can't answer every call right now. Leave your name, number and [order number], and we'll call you back within [time]. Updates on [reason] are at [website or status page]. We're sorry for the wait.

For launches, outages and peak season. Give a callback time that allows for the queue.

31. Moved or new number

Thanks for calling [Business name]. We've moved to [new address], and our new number is [new number]. That's [new number] again. Messages left on this line are checked until [date]. After that, please call the new number or visit [website].

Read the new number slowly and keep this greeting on the old line for as long as you can.

32. Closed for bad weather

Thank you for calling [Business name]. Because of [the snowstorm], we're closed today, [day and date]. We expect to reopen on [day] at [time], and updates are at [website]. Leave your name and number and we'll call you back when we reopen. Please stay safe.

The date matters most: a weather greeting heard a day late says you are closed when you are open.

Short voicemail greeting examples

Short greetings suit lines where callers already know you. They drop the reason and the urgent route, so skip them where either matters.

33. Short greeting (about 10 seconds)

You've reached [Business name]. We can't answer right now. Leave your name and number, and we'll call you back [today].

About 20 words: who, what to leave and when.

34. Very short greeting (about 5 seconds)

[Your name], [Business name]. Leave a message and I'll call you back.

About 12 words, for a line where every caller knows who you are. Too bare for a main number.

How do you record a bilingual voicemail greeting?

Say your business name, add one line in the second language telling those callers their version follows, then give the full message in each language. Keep each half under 15 seconds.

35. Bilingual English and Spanish greeting

Hello, you've reached [Business name]. Mensaje en español a continuación. We can't take your call right now. Leave your name, number and a short message, and we'll call you back [today]. Hola, ha llamado a [Business name]. En este momento no podemos atender su llamada. Deje su nombre, su número de teléfono y un breve mensaje, y le devolveremos la llamada [hoy].

Put your callers' most common language first, and have a fluent speaker record or check the second half.

How do you change your voicemail greeting on iPhone, Android and a business phone system?

On an iPhone you change the greeting in the Phone app; on Android, in your carrier's voicemail or Google Voice; on a business phone system, on a handset or in the admin portal. Device steps checked on Apple's and Google's support pages on 12 November 2026.

How to change your voicemail greeting on iPhone

From Apple's page Change your voicemail greeting and settings on iPhone:

1. Open the Phone app.
2. In the unified layout, tap Calls, tap Edit, then tap Edit Voicemail Greeting. In the classic layout, tap Voicemail, then Greeting.
3. Tap Custom, then tap Record, and read your script.

Apple notes that custom greetings are not supported by all carriers or in all countries and regions. Its Set up Voicemail on iPhone page notes that with Silence Unknown Callers on, unknown numbers go straight to Live Voicemail without ringing. For a business run from an iPhone that matters, because every new customer is an unknown number.

How to change your voicemail greeting on Android

Google's Phone app doesn't record greetings itself; your carrier's voicemail does. Google's page How to check your voicemail gives two ways in:

1. To call your voicemail, open the Phone app, tap Dialpad, then touch and hold 1.
2. To set up your voice mailbox, tap More options at the top right, then Settings, Voicemail, Advanced Settings and Setup.

From there your carrier's spoken menu takes over, which Google's page does not describe: listen for the greeting option. Phones from other makers ship their own Phone apps, so check the maker's or your carrier's help pages.

How to change your voicemail greeting in Google Voice

From Google's page Set up or change a voicemail greeting:

1. Open the Google Voice app, tap Menu, then Settings.
2. Under Voicemail, tap Voicemail greeting, then Record a greeting.
3. Tap Record, then Stop. Play it back, tap Redo to try again, or tap Save and name it.
4. To switch later, tap More next to a saved greeting, then Set as active.

Google Voice keeps up to 10 greetings, each up to 3 minutes when recorded in the app, so you can record your normal, after-hours and holiday versions once.

How to change the greeting on a business phone system

Business phone systems, whether hosted or an office PBX (private branch exchange, the switch behind an office's extensions), differ by provider, so treat this as the order of work and check your provider's help pages for the menus:

1. Write and time each script: main line, after hours, holidays, each extension.
2. Find where greetings live. Systems usually take a recording from a desk phone's voicemail menu, an uploaded audio file or typed text read by a computer voice.
3. Check the schedule that switches open and closed greetings, and its time zone.
4. Call the main number from outside in both states and listen through to the tone.

Voicemail greeting vs auto-attendant vs on-hold message: what is the difference?

A voicemail greeting plays when nobody answers and invites a message; an auto-attendant greeting answers every call and routes it; an on-hold message plays while a caller waits for a person. Each needs its own script.

An auto-attendant is a recorded menu that answers calls and sends callers to the right person ("press 1 for sales"). An IVR (interactive voice response) is a phone system that responds to keypad presses or speech and can look things up, such as an account balance.

Do callers leave voicemails?

Many callers hang up without leaving a message when they reach voicemail, especially new customers who can call another business instead. How many is hard to pin down: on 12 November 2026 we searched for a study measuring it with a stated method and year and found none, only vendor-blog percentages that do not show their method, so this page gives no number.

Your own call log is better evidence: for a month, compare missed calls with messages left. If most missed callers leave a message, a better greeting and prompt callbacks are enough. If most don't, the problem is the unanswered call, which no greeting fixes. The same is true online: the guide to 24/7 support without a night shift covers website visitors who arrive while you are closed.

What are the most common voicemail greeting mistakes?

The worst voicemail mistakes are a greeting that does not name the business, a promise nobody keeps and a temporary message left in place long after it ended.

A full mailbox fails silently: you hear nothing, and the caller hears that the box is full.

What is the alternative to voicemail for a business?

The alternative to voicemail is having every call answered: by you or a colleague, by a human answering service, or by an AI phone agent that answers questions, takes a message and books appointments. Which fits depends on how many calls you miss and what one is worth.

An AI receptionist, or AI phone answering service, is software that answers your business number in your name, replies from the information you give it and passes callers to a person when needed. The AI receptionist guide explains the kinds of product sold under that name.

A missed call about a $40 haircut and one about a $4,000 kitchen are different decisions. Routine calls, such as hours, prices, bookings and messages, suit an AI phone agent; calls that need judgment justify a person. Tell callers when they are talking to an AI; the guide to AI voice agents for customer service covers disclosure and recording rules. PepoChat, our product, is one AI phone agent of this kind, described honestly in the next section.

Where PepoChat fits

PepoChat is an AI support agent for websites that, on its paid plans, also answers phone calls, so calls that would reach voicemail reach the same agent as your website chat. On Starter at $39 a month, Growth or Scale, you connect your own Twilio number or SIP trunk, and the agent answers inbound calls with the same knowledge base, actions and appointment booking as the chat. If a caller asks for a person, an optional transfer number passes them to a human; without one, the agent takes a message. Every call's transcript lands in the team inbox, tagged Phone.

One started minute counts as 6 AI replies, so Starter's 1,000 replies cover about 166 minutes, and minutes past the allowance cost about $0.23 each. Your carrier bills the line itself.

The limits matter on a phone line: PepoChat answers inbound calls only, with no outbound calls, no call recordings (it keeps transcripts) and no SMS. The Free plan has no voice or phone; it covers website chat with 100 AI replies a month. If you need callbacks placed for you, or a person on every call, an answering service fits better.

You can create a PepoChat workspace without a credit card, set up the website chat first, and move to Starter when you want the agent on your phone line.

What to do next

• Record three greetings in one sitting: main line, after hours and holidays.
• Compare phone agents before you replace voicemail: best voice AI agents for customer support.
• Read how to connect a Twilio number or SIP trunk in the phone number docs, and check each plan's reply allowance on the pricing page.
• Start a free PepoChat workspace and train the agent on your website before you connect a phone number.
• Related explainers: Out of office message examples, What is omnichannel? and What is a help desk?.