Greeting script or voicemail message: two different moments
A voicemail greeting speaks to someone whose call you couldn't take. A greeting script is for when you do answer: it's the phrases, in the right order, that turn a call into an appointment, an answer or a message you can act on. Our voicemail greeting examples cover the first case; this guide covers the second.
A script isn't something you recite: it's a framework that everyone follows in their own words, so as not to forget anything when the salon is full or the site is noisy.
The five-step framework
| Step | What you need to get | Typical phrase | The trap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Greet | The caller knows they have the right number and who they are talking to | “Garage Petit, hello, Léa speaking.” | A “hello?” with no business name |
| 2. Listen | The request, in the caller's own words | “How can I help you?” | Interrupting to speed things up |
| 3. Qualify | The reason, the urgency, existing customer or not | “Is this for a first visit or a follow-up?” | Offering a date before knowing the reason |
| 4. Act | An answer, an appointment, a message or a transfer | “I can offer you Tuesday morning or Thursday afternoon.” | Promising something you don't control |
| 5. Wrap up | The caller knows what will happen next | “Let me just go over that… You'll receive a confirmation SMS.” | Hanging up without summarising |
1. Greet
The business name, a greeting, and who is speaking. A first name is enough to make the exchange more human. If an AI voice agent answers, the first sentence announces the AI: our guide to announcing the AI gives wording by trade.
2. Listen
An open question, then silence. Callers often tell you everything you need in one sentence, as long as you don't interrupt them. Note the key words.
3. Qualify
Two or three questions, not an interrogation: who is calling (existing or new customer), what for (the reason, which determines the length of the appointment and the person), and how urgent it is. Our guide to qualifying calls goes into this step in more depth.
4. Act
There are only four possible outcomes, and each has its own phrase:
- Answer, with the information you have written down: opening hours, address, set prices.
- Book an appointment, offering two slots, not ten.
- Take a message in full: name, number, reason, when they can be called back.
- Transfer, with a heads-up: “I'll put you through to Marc, he knows your file.”
5. Wrap up
Repeat the date, time, reason and number, say what happens next (a confirmation SMS, a callback before a specific time), and thank the caller. This is where mistakes show up, while there is still time to fix them.
Example scripts to adapt
Replace the names and rules with your own. Each example follows the five steps.
Healthcare: medical or allied health practice
- Greet: “Dr Martin's practice, hello.”
- Listen: “How can I help you?”
- Qualify: “Are you already a patient at the practice? Is it for a consultation, a follow-up or a repeat prescription?” If the caller describes chest pain, difficulty breathing or feeling faint: “Hang up and call the emergency services straight away.”
- Act: “I can offer you late morning tomorrow or Thursday afternoon.” Then the name and number, repeated digit by digit.
- Wrap up: “Let me go over that: Thursday afternoon with Dr Martin, for a follow-up. You'll receive a confirmation SMS, then a reminder the day before.”
Three rules are non-negotiable: the reason is kept to a minimum, no medical advice is given, and nothing is confirmed to a third party.
Trades: plumbing
- Greet: “Plomberie Durand, hello, Julien speaking.”
- Listen: “Go ahead, I'm listening.”
- Qualify: “Is water leaking right now?” If so: “Turn off the main stopcock, often near the water meter.” Then the address, access, house or flat. For a quote: the type of work and some photos.
- Act: an active leak takes priority or goes to the on-call plumber; a quote becomes a visit in the calendar.
- Wrap up: “So that's a leak under the sink, rue des Lilas. I'll come round early this afternoon and send you an SMS before I set off.”
Our plumbers page shows this script delivered by an agent, emergency included.
Retail and services: hair salon
- Greet: “Salon Camille, hello, Inès speaking.”
- Listen: “How can I help you?”
- Qualify: “Is it for a cut, a colour or both? Do you have a usual stylist?” The service determines the length of the slot.
- Act: “With Camille, I can offer you Saturday morning or late afternoon on Tuesday.”
- Wrap up: “That's booked: colour and cut with Camille, Saturday morning. You'll receive a confirmation SMS; if you can't make it, please let us know the day before.”
See also the hairdressers page.
Professional services: law firm
- Greet: “Lefèvre law firm, hello.”
- Listen: “How can I help you?”
- Qualify: “Are you already a client of the firm? What area of law is it about? Is there a date you have to meet, a hearing or a deadline to respond?” For a new case, the name of the other party, so that the firm can check there is no conflict of interest.
- Act: a first appointment in the slots set aside for that, or a precise message for the lawyer handling the case.
- Wrap up: “Let me go over that: a first appointment on Monday morning, about a dispute with your employer. You'll receive a confirmation by SMS.”
On the phone, no legal advice, and never any confirmation to a third party that someone is a client. See the lawyers page.
Phrases to replace
| Avoid | Say instead |
|---|---|
| “Hold on.” followed by silence | “I'm just checking the diary, it'll take a few seconds.” |
| “That's not my department.” | “Marc is handling that: I'll pass your request on to him.” |
| “I don't know.” | “I'll note down your question, and the right person will call you back.” |
| “Call back later.” | “Let me take your number, and we'll call you back this afternoon.” |
| “Eh? Say that again?” | “Sorry, the line is bad: could you repeat your number?” |
The same script, delivered by an AI voice agent
An AI voice agent follows exactly this framework, with two differences. Its first sentence announces that it is an AI: at Sayelo, every call starts with this notice, which cannot be switched off, followed by the greeting you write. And each step of the script becomes a written rule in its business profile: the qualifying questions, the slots, emergencies, what it must never do (quote a price you haven't set, give medical or legal advice, confirm anything to a third party).
What you gain is consistency. The script is followed on every call, including at busy times and in the evening; the appointment goes into your calendar, the confirmation SMS goes out, and you receive the summary with the transcript. When the agent can't answer, it applies your instruction, a message or a transfer, and the question is passed back to you: you write the answer once, and it knows it from the next call. The agent backs up the team and never replaces it: tricky calls remain yours.
Voicemail, on the other hand, follows no script: it takes a message, and you call back. Our comparison of an AI voice agent and voicemail details the difference, and the pricing page presents the plans, from €39/month excl. VAT with a 14-day free trial.
