The four elements of a useful greeting
Every effective greeting answers four questions, in this order: Have I reached the right place? Why is nobody answering? What can I do? When will I hear back? A message that skips one of these steps leaves the caller unsure, and an unsure caller may well call someone else.
Voicemail often kicks in without you having set it up: at the French operator Free Mobile, for example, forwarding to voicemail is on by default. If you have never recorded a personalised greeting, your customers hear a generic message that doesn’t mention your business name.
Examples for when you’re away or the line is busy
1. Briefly away: “Hello, [First name Last name], [business]. I can’t take your call right now. Leave your name, your number and a few words about what you’re calling about, and I’ll call you back today.”
2. All lines busy: “Hello and thank you for calling [business]. All our lines are busy. Rather than waiting, leave your number and the reason for your call after the tone, and an adviser will call you back before [time]. You can also email us at [email address].”
3. Outside opening hours: “[Business], hello. Our team is available Monday to Friday from [time] to [time]. If your request can wait until tomorrow, leave us a message with your contact details; we deal with the previous day’s messages from [time].”
Examples for holidays and closures
4. Holidays: “Hello, you’ve reached [business]. We’re on holiday from [date] to [date] inclusive. Messages left during this period will be listened to as soon as we’re back on [date]. For an order in progress, you can track it on [website].”
5. Exceptional closure: “[Business], hello. We’re closed today as an exception [optional reason: stocktaking, training]. We reopen tomorrow at [time]. Leave your number and you’ll be called back as a priority.”
6. Public holiday or long weekend: “Hello, this is [business]. Because of [public holiday], our offices are closed until [date]. Your message will be dealt with when we reopen, in the order received.”
Examples by trade: practice, tradesperson, shop
7. Medical or allied health practice (in France): “Dr [Name]’s practice, hello. The reception desk is closed. To book or change an appointment, [state the channel]. In a life-threatening emergency, hang up and dial 15. Otherwise, leave your name and number and we’ll call you back.” In France, 15 is the number for the SAMU, the emergency medical service; 112 also directs callers to the right emergency service.
8. Tradesperson on site: “Hello, [first name], [plumbing/electrical… business]. I’m on a job and can’t pick up. Leave your name, your town and the nature of the problem, and I’ll call you back between jobs, by this evening at the latest.”
9. Shop: “Hello, [shop], [address]. We’re open from [day] to [day], [time] to [time]. To check whether an item is in stock, leave its name and your number and we’ll call you back to confirm.” 10. Consultancy or independent professional: “[Firm], hello. Our consultants are in meetings. Tell us what your call is about and when you’re available, and the person handling your file will get back to you within [timeframe].”
The rules for a good greeting
Aim for twenty seconds at most: callers first listen to check they’ve reached the right place, then wait for the tone. Record in a quiet room, speak a little more slowly than in conversation and keep a smile in your voice. Avoid background music that drowns out the voice.
Only promise a callback time you can keep, and keep it. Update the greeting whenever your hours or holidays change, and check it matches the hours shown on your website and your business listing. Finally, don’t list everything: one alternative (website, email) is better than three.
The limit of voicemail, even with the best greeting
Voicemail only records. Some callers hang up without leaving a message, and nothing guarantees they will call back. The messages that are left wait for someone to listen to them, note them down and call back.
An alternative is to have an AI voice agent answer the calls you can’t take. Alyas says it is an AI and that the call is recorded, answers questions from your information, collects contact details, can book an appointment via Google Calendar or Cal.com and transfer to your number; you receive the transcript and a summary of every call. The free trial lasts 10 days.
Frequently asked questions
How long should a professional voicemail greeting be?
Aim for around fifteen seconds, twenty at most. The longer the greeting, the more likely the caller is to hang up before the tone. If you have a lot to say, keep the essentials in the recording and point to your website for the rest.
Should you mention your opening hours in the greeting?
Yes for out-of-hours and closure greetings, because the caller wants to know when to call back. For a one-off absence during the day, it’s better to state the callback time than to repeat your opening hours.
Should you change your greeting during holidays?
Yes. A holiday greeting gives the closure dates, the return date and what will happen to messages. Remember to switch back to your usual greeting when you return.