What a voicemail greeting needs to do
When a caller reaches your voicemail, they make a decision in two seconds: leave a message, call back later or call someone else. The greeting is there to influence that decision. It has four things to say, in this order.
- Who you are. The name of the business, so that the caller knows they have dialled the right number.
- Why you are not answering. An honest, short reason: out on a job, in a consultation, with a client, closed.
- When you will call back. A specific commitment is better than “as soon as possible”: “before 6 pm”, “during the morning”, “on the next working day”.
- What they can do now. Leave a message with their name, number and the reason for the call, send an SMS, book online or, for an emergency, dial another number.
And three things to avoid: “your call is important to us”, which means nothing; a message longer than twenty seconds; and music or background noise that makes the voice hard to understand.
Ten examples, by trade
Adapt the names, hours and numbers. Record somewhere quiet, standing up, speaking clearly, and listen back from another phone.
Tradesperson out on a job
“Martin Plumbing, hello. I'm out on a job and can't answer. Leave your name, your number and the address of the problem, and I'll call you back before the end of the day. For a major leak, turn off the main water supply in the meantime.”
Medical practice
“Dr Durand's practice, hello. Reception is open Monday to Friday from 8 am to 12 noon and from 2 pm to 6 pm. To book or change an appointment, leave your name, your number and the reason after the tone, and we'll call you back within half a day. In a life-threatening emergency, call the emergency services.”
Law firm
“Cabinet Lefèvre, lawyers, hello. We are in meetings or in court. Leave your name, your number and the reason for your call; we'll call you back the same day during office hours. If you are already a client, please give the name of your case.”
Estate agency
“Agence du Parc, hello. We are all out on viewings. For a valuation, a viewing or a question about a property, leave your name, your number and the property reference if you have it: an adviser will call you back within the hour, until 7 pm.”
Restaurant
“Le Bistrot de la Place, hello. We are in the middle of service and can't answer. To book a table, leave your name, your number, the number of guests, and the date and time you would like: we'll confirm by SMS. We are open Tuesday to Saturday, lunchtime and evening.”
Hair salon
“Salon Camille, hello. We're in the middle of a cut. Leave us your name, your number and the slot you would like, and we'll call you back as soon as our hands are free, and before we close at 7 pm.”
Garage
“Garage Petit, hello. The workshop is open Monday to Friday from 8 am to 6 pm. For an appointment, a service or a quote, leave your name, your number and the model of your vehicle, and we'll call you back during the day. If you break down on the road, call your breakdown assistance: the number is on your insurance documents.”
Veterinary practice
“Clinique vétérinaire des Tilleuls, hello. We are with a patient. For an appointment, leave your name, your number and your pet's name, and we'll call you back within half a day. For an emergency outside our opening hours, the on-call clinic can be reached on the number shown on our website.”
Hotel
“Hôtel de la Gare, hello. Our reception is busy at the moment. For a booking, leave your dates, the number of guests and your number, and we'll call you back shortly. You can also book on our website, at any time.”
Service business, general greeting
“Dupont Conseil, hello. Our offices are open Monday to Friday from 9 am to 6 pm. Leave your name, your number and the reason for your call, and we'll call you back within half a day. Thank you, and have a good day.”
Variants that often come in handy
- Closures or holidays. Give the reopening date and, if someone is covering, their number. Avoid “we are closed until further notice”.
- When the line is swamped. On days when the line is constantly busy, a greeting that says “we return all missed calls before 6 pm” keeps callers on board, provided you keep the promise.
- Out of hours. A separate greeting for evenings and weekends, with the reopening time and the emergency alternative. Most operators and all cloud phone systems allow two greetings depending on the time.
- After a missed call, an SMS. If your operator or your phone system allows it, an automatic SMS saying “We missed your call, we'll call you back before 6 pm, or reply to this message” turns a lost call into a written conversation.
What voicemail will never do
Voicemail, however good, depends on the caller's goodwill. It doesn't stop someone hanging up as soon as they hear the business name. It doesn't book the appointment. It doesn't assess how urgent the call is. It doesn't confirm anything by SMS. And at the end of the day, it leaves you with a list of numbers to call back, some of whom have already found someone else. The guide to the cost of a missed call helps you put a figure on that share with your own data.
Two steps take you further. Conditional call forwarding, which sends the unanswered call to a business partner or an answering service instead of voicemail. And the AI voice agent, which answers every time, announces itself as such, asks the questions you have planned, books the appointment in your calendar and sends you the summary. You then keep a voicemail greeting for just one situation: the line you have not forwarded. The complete guide to AI receptionists describes what the agent does with the call, trade by trade.
