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Voicemail greeting guide

Write a voicemail greeting that gets you useful messages

Confirm the business, say when you’ll respond, and ask only for what you need. Keep it short so callers reach the beep quickly.

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By Recorder Published Updated
What a good business voicemail greeting includes
Name the business, give a realistic response time, and ask for a name, callback number, reason for calling, and any detail your workflow needs. Don’t promise what you can’t keep, and point urgent or emergency needs elsewhere.

Start with this template

Replace the bracketed text to match how you call back.

“Thank you for calling [Business]. We cannot answer right now. Please leave your name, callback number, a short description of how we can help, and your preferred callback time. We aim to respond within [realistic response window]. If your request needs immediate assistance, please use [genuinely staffed alternative]. Thank you.”
Drop the last sentence if you have no staffed alternative. Never present voicemail as emergency cover.

Ask for one detail that fits your business

One focused prompt makes the callback far more useful.

Service and trade enquiries

Job type, general location, and callback window.

Property calls

The property address, and whether they’re a prospect, resident, owner, or vendor.

Ecommerce calls

Reply email, order number, and the issue. Never card details.

Avoid common greeting mistakes

Keep it short enough that callers don’t hang up halfway.

Don’t over-explain

Skip company history, service lists, and promotions.

Don’t overpromise

Only state response times you can reliably meet.

Don’t ask for sensitive data

Ask only for what you need to respond.

Frequently asked questions

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