Choose the situation before the wording
- Temporarily unavailable: ask for a name, phone number and reason for calling. Only offer a callback time your team can meet.
- Outside opening hours: explain when you reopen and whether callers can leave a message.
- Holiday or extended absence: give the return date and one alternative contact, if available. Restore your regular greeting when you return.
Also known as your business answering machine
Looking for a script for your business answering machine? That is exactly what is below: ten ready-to-use scripts you can use right away.
The four essential ingredients
Every good business voicemail answers four questions, in this order:
- Who are you? Start with your company name, so the caller knows they have reached the right place.
- Why is no one answering? Keep it short and matter-of-fact: "we are on another call" or "you are calling outside business hours".
- What should the caller do? One clear instruction: leave a message, send an email, or visit the website.
- What do you promise? Say when you will call back, and keep that promise. "We will return your call the same business day" beats "as soon as possible".
Read the script aloud and keep it as short as your message allows. Around twenty seconds is a useful guide, not a strict rule. Check that callers know what to do and what to expect next.
What to leave out
- Empty clichés such as "your call is important to us". Callers can tell whether that is true from your actions, not your words.
- Reading out full opening hours for every day of the week. Point to your website instead; nobody remembers seven time slots.
- Multiple instructions at once ("leave a message, or email, or text, or fill in the form"). Pick one, two at most.
- A hastily self-recorded greeting with background noise. That first point of contact deserves studio quality.
Ten business voicemail scripts you can copy
Replace the parts in [brackets] with your own details. Each script stays well under twenty seconds.
“Welcome to [company name]. We are unable to take your call right now. Please leave your name and phone number and we will call you back the same business day.”
“Welcome to [company name]. All of our staff are currently on the phone. Leave your name and number and we will call you back shortly, usually within the hour.”
“Welcome to [company name]. You are calling outside our business hours. We are available on weekdays from [time] to [time]. Feel free to leave a message and we will get back to you on the next business day.”
If most of your calls come in specifically outside office hours, our guide "After-hours voicemail greeting" has a more detailed walkthrough, including a healthcare emergency variant and how to schedule the greeting automatically by time of day.
“Welcome to [company name]. We are closed for the holidays until [date]. For urgent matters, please email [email address]. We will be back for you from [date].”
“Welcome to [company name]. We are closed today for [public holiday]. We will be available again tomorrow from [time]. Feel free to leave a message.”
“Welcome to [practice name]. We are currently with patients and cannot take your call. Leave your name and number and our assistant will call you back today. For emergencies outside opening hours, please call [emergency number].”
“Welcome to [company name]. Our hands are on a car right now. Leave your name, number and registration plate, and we will call you back as soon as our hands are clean.”
“Welcome to [company name] customer service. All of our agents are currently busy. You will find many answers right away at [website]. Prefer to speak to us? Leave your name and number and we will call you back.”
“You have reached [name] at [company name]. I am currently with a client. Leave a message with your name and number and I will call you back today.”
Found a script that fits? You can have your business voicemail recorded and preview your own wording first.
“Welkom bij [company name]. Spreek uw naam en nummer in, dan bellen wij u terug. Welcome to [company name]. Please leave your name and number and we will call you back.”
Making it sound professional
The script is half the work; the delivery is the other half. A calm pace, a friendly tone and a noise-free recording make the difference between "an answering machine" and a business card. You can have any script above recorded by a professional voice with us: you hear a free preview with your own text, and after payment you receive the file in exactly the right format for your phone system.