Business voicemail greeting examples (35 scripts)

Most callers who hit your voicemail never leave a message. The good news is that the ones who stay are listening closely, and the right business voicemail greeting examples can turn that 20-second window into a callback instead of a hang-up.

Below are 35 scripts you can copy and edit, grouped by situation: standard, after hours, holidays, out of office, departments, solo owners, by industry, and short versions. Swap in your details where you see brackets and record it today.

TL;DR:

• A business voicemail greeting needs five things: your business name, why you missed the call, what to leave, when you'll call back, and an urgent option if you have one.
• Keep it to 15 to 20 seconds, which is about 35 to 50 spoken words.
• The 35 business voicemail greeting examples below cover after hours, holidays, vacations, departments, solo owners and six industries.
• Change your greeting whenever your hours change. A stale holiday message is worse than a plain one.
• Voicemail is the backup plan. Most callers hang up, so the bigger win is answering more calls in the first place.

What should a business voicemail greeting include?

A business voicemail greeting should include your business name, a short reason you can't answer, exactly what the caller should leave (name, number, reason), when you'll call back, and an urgent option if you offer one. Everything else is optional, and most of it makes the greeting worse.

Here's the order that works, and why:

1. Business name first. The caller's first worry is "did I dial the right number?" Answer it in the first three words.
2. A reason, in one clause. "We're with customers" or "We're closed for the day." Not a paragraph.
3. The ask. Name, number, and what they need. That last part is the one people forget, and it's the one that lets you call back prepared.
4. The promise. A real time: "within the hour," "by 10 a.m. tomorrow." "As soon as possible" means nothing to a caller.
5. The escape hatch. If you handle emergencies, say how to reach a person. If you don't, leave it out.

A greeting that skips the promise sounds like a black hole. Would you leave a message for a business that doesn't say when it'll call back? Most people won't.

Business voicemail greeting examples for every situation

Most business voicemail greeting scripts below run 15 to 20 seconds read at a normal pace, and the short ones at the end take under 10. Replace anything in brackets. Read it out loud once before you record it, because a sentence that looks fine on screen can trip you up out loud.

Standard business greetings

A professional voicemail greeting for business hours is your everyday default, for when you just couldn't get to the phone.

1. The all-purpose greeting

Thanks for calling [Business]. We're helping other customers right now. Please leave your name, number and a quick note about what you need, and we'll call you back within the hour.

2. The appointment-focused greeting

You've reached [Business]. We can't pick up right now, but we don't want you waiting. Leave your name, number and the day that works for you, and we'll call back today to get you booked.

3. The text-friendly greeting

Hi, you've reached [Business]. Sorry we missed you. Leave a message after the tone, or text this same number and we'll usually reply faster.

4. The warm, local greeting

Hi, this is [Name] at [Business]. Thanks for calling, and sorry I missed you. Tell me who you are and how I can help, and I'll get back to you before the end of the day.

5. The new-customer greeting

Thanks for calling [Business]. If you're a new customer, leave your name, number and the service you're interested in, and we'll call back today with times and a price range.

After-hours greetings

An after hours voicemail greeting has one extra job: tell people when you're open again. This is where a business voicemail greeting with hours earns its keep.

6. The standard after-hours greeting

You've reached [Business]. We're closed right now. Our hours are [Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.]. Leave your name, number and what you need, and we'll call you first thing when we open.

7. After hours, with an emergency line

Thanks for calling [Business]. Our office is closed. If this is an emergency, like [no heat or a burst pipe], call our on-call line at [number]. For everything else, leave a message and we'll call back by 9 a.m.

8. After hours, press a key for urgent help

You've reached [Business] after hours. If this is urgent, press 1 to reach our on-call team. Otherwise, leave your name, number and a short message after the tone, and we'll call you tomorrow morning.

9. After hours, booking-focused

Thanks for calling [Business]. We're closed for the night, but you can book online any time at [website]. Or leave your name and number and we'll call you back when we open at [time].

10. Weekend greeting

You've reached [Business]. We're closed for the weekend and back on Monday at [time]. Leave your name, number and what you need, and you'll be one of our first calls.

Holiday and closure greetings

Holiday greetings go stale fast. Set a reminder to swap them back the day you reopen, and update your hours on your listings too, since Google lets you set special hours for holidays on your Business Profile.

11. General holiday closure

Thanks for calling [Business]. We're closed for [holiday] and back on [date]. Leave your name, number and a message, and we'll call you back when we return. Happy holidays.

12. Holiday, reduced hours

You've reached [Business]. During [holiday week], we're open [10 a.m. to 2 p.m.]. Leave a message and we'll call back during those hours, or on [date] when regular hours return.

13. Holiday, with emergency coverage

Happy [holiday] from [Business]. Our office is closed until [date]. For emergencies, call [number] and our on-call team will help. For anything else, leave a message and we'll return your call when we're back.

14. Temporary closure

You've reached [Business]. We're closed until [date] for [renovations / a staff training day]. Leave your name and number, and we'll call you as soon as we reopen. Thanks for your patience.

Out-of-office and vacation greetings

These are for one person's line, not the whole business. The key is pointing callers to someone who can help now.

15. Vacation, with a backup contact

Hi, you've reached [Name] at [Business]. I'm out of the office until [date]. For anything urgent, call [Colleague] at [number]. Otherwise, leave a message and I'll call you when I'm back.

16. Out at a conference or training

This is [Name] at [Business]. I'm at [an event] this week with limited access to my phone. Leave a message and I'll call you back by [day], or reach our office at [number] for anything that can't wait.

17. Out for the day

You've reached [Name]. I'm out today and back tomorrow morning. Leave your name, number and what you need, and I'll call you before noon.

Department and team greetings

If your number has a phone menu, each team can have its own greeting. Callers already picked a department, so don't make them explain it again.

18. Sales

You've reached the sales team at [Business]. Everyone's on a call right now. Leave your name, number and what you're looking for, and someone will call you back within [two hours].

19. Support

Thanks for calling [Business] support. Leave your name, number and a short description of the issue, plus your account or order number if you have it. We'll call you back today.

20. Billing

You've reached billing at [Business]. Leave your name, the account or invoice number, and the best number to reach you, and we'll call back within one business day.

21. Scheduling or front desk

You've reached the front desk at [Business]. We're with a patient or client right now. Leave your name, number and the time you'd like, and we'll call back to confirm.

Greetings for solo owners and cell phones

A business voicemail greeting for a cell phone has to sound like a business, even when it's on your personal phone. Lead with the business name, not "Hey, it's me."

22. The owner-operator

Hi, this is [Name] from [Business]. I'm probably on a job right now. Leave your name, number and what you need, and I'll call you back between jobs, usually within the hour.

23. The one-person office

You've reached [Name] at [Business]. I'm with a client and can't answer. Leave a message with your name and number, and I'll return your call by the end of the day.

24. The text-me-instead version

Hi, it's [Name] at [Business]. I'm away from the phone. Texting this number is the fastest way to reach me, or leave a message here and I'll call you back today.

25. Two lines, one phone

Thanks for calling [Business]. You've reached my business line, and I'm unavailable right now. Leave your name, number and reason for calling, and I'll call you back during business hours.

Business voicemail greeting examples by industry

Industry greetings answer the question callers are actually asking. A plumbing caller wants to know if you handle emergencies. A law-firm caller wants to know their message is private.

26. Home services (plumbing, HVAC, electrical)

You've reached [Business]. We're out on jobs right now. If you have a water, gas or electrical emergency, press 1. Otherwise leave your name, address and what's going on, and we'll call you back with a time.

27. Dental or medical clinic

Thanks for calling [Clinic]. We're with patients right now. To book or change an appointment, leave your name and a callback number. If this is a medical emergency, hang up and call 911.

28. Law firm

You've reached [Firm]. We can't take your call right now. Please leave your name, number and a brief reason for calling, and we'll return your call within one business day. Your message is confidential.

29. Property management

You've reached [Company]. For maintenance emergencies like flooding or no heat, press 1 for our on-call line. For everything else, leave your name, unit number and the issue, and we'll call you back today.

30. Salon or spa

Hi, thanks for calling [Salon]. We're with clients right now. Leave your name, number and the service and day you want, or book online at [website]. We'll call back to confirm.

31. Auto repair shop

Thanks for calling [Shop]. We're under a car right now. Leave your name, number and the make, model and problem, and we'll call back with a time to bring it in.

Short greetings

Short greetings are fine when your callers already know you. Regulars don't need the full speech.

32. The 8-second version

You've reached [Business]. Leave your name and number, and we'll call you back today.

33. Short, with hours

[Business]. We're open [8 to 6, Monday to Friday]. Leave a message and we'll call you back.

34. Short, with text

You've reached [Business]. Leave a message, or text this number for a faster reply.

35. Short, after hours

[Business] is closed. Leave your name and number, and we'll call you first thing tomorrow.

How long should a business voicemail greeting be?

Fifteen to 20 seconds. At a normal speaking pace, that's about 35 to 50 words, which is the length of most scripts above. Past 30 seconds, you're testing the patience of someone who already didn't get what they called for.

Here's a quick way to trim a long greeting. Read it out loud with a timer. Then cut anything the caller doesn't need in order to leave a useful message. Your website address? They can search for it. A list of five departments? That's what a phone menu is for. "Your call is very important to us"? They've heard it before, and they didn't believe it then either.

A few recording tips:

• Record in a quiet room, not your truck or the shop floor. Background noise reads as "nobody's minding the store."
• Smile while you talk. It sounds silly, but callers can hear it.
• Slow down on numbers. Read any phone number in groups, and say it twice if it's the main point of the greeting.
• Use your real voice. A natural owner voice beats a stiff, over-rehearsed one for most small businesses.

Mistakes that make callers hang up

The worst greeting isn't the boring one. It's the one that tells callers something false. A greeting that says "back on January 2" in March tells every caller nobody checks this number, and they won't be the one to test it.

The other mistakes are smaller but add up:

• No business name. "Leave a message" from an unknown voice makes callers wonder if they misdialed.
• No callback time. "We'll get back to you" without a time sounds like "maybe."
• Too much hold music or a long intro. Callers hang up before the beep.
• Jokes. A funny greeting can work for a bar or a tattoo shop. For a dentist or a law firm, it's a risk you don't need. We're honestly not sure how much humor costs you, and that uncertainty is the point: there's no upside big enough to test it on paying customers.
• A full mailbox. The best script in the world can't help if the caller hears "this mailbox is full."

Marcus, who runs a six-person plumbing company, learned this one the hard way. His greeting still said "we're closed for Thanksgiving" in the second week of December. A homeowner with a leaking water heater heard it, assumed the shop was shut for the season, and called the next plumber on Google. That was a $1,800 job gone, from a greeting he'd forgotten existed.

How to set a custom greeting on your business number

If your business line runs on a cloud phone system, you can usually set a different greeting for each number, and change it in seconds instead of re-recording on a desk phone. In dialnote, an AI business phone system for small teams, voicemail comes with every plan, and each number gets its own greeting:

1. Go to Settings, then Phone Numbers, and select your number.
2. Scroll to the Voicemail section and make sure Enable voicemail is on.
3. Type your script into Voicemail greeting. It's read out by text-to-speech, so you don't have to record anything.
4. Set Maximum recording length (2 minutes is the default), then save.

That number-level greeting plays whenever a call rings out. On Team and up, you can go further. For an after-hours greeting that only plays at night, add a Voicemail step to your call flow behind business-hours routing, which also lets you point to a recorded audio file instead of text-to-speech. You can also turn on voicemail transcription and read messages as text instead of listening to them. The voicemail setup docs walk through each one.

Why the best voicemail greeting is the one callers never hear

Here's the uncomfortable truth about every script above. Most callers won't stay to hear it. According to YouGov data, only about 6% of people say they still leave a voicemail when a business doesn't answer, and Marchex found that 67% of callers who reach voicemail hang up without leaving a message. Our missed call statistics roundup has the rest of the numbers.

So a great greeting is worth writing. It's still the backup plan. The real fix is missing fewer calls in the first place: a teammate or ring group that picks up, a missed call text back for the ones you can't, or an AI receptionist that answers, takes the details and books the job while you're under a sink. If you're weighing those options, our breakdown of answering service vs voicemail compares what each one costs and catches.

Write the greeting anyway. Then make it the thing that plays only when everything else is busy.