Voicemail Greetings Do’s and Don’ts
But first, let's go over a few best practices for business voicemail greetings...DO:
- Make it clear near the start of the message whom the caller has reached.
- Explain why you are not available.
- Tell the caller what information to leave in their voicemail.
- Be expressive and use a friendly tone of voice.
- Keep your message up-to-date with current information.
- Give your caller options for getting what they need.
- Reflect your company’s personality and not just your own.
- Offer other contact information such as a cell phone or email address if you will check it (i.e. on vacation).
DON’T:
- Be too informal, even if you are creating a humorous message.
- Give a prolonged sales pitch in your voicemail greeting message.
- Waste a caller’s time with an excessively long greeting before they can leave their message. Long messages are obnoxious. Make your greeting a brief message instead.
Now that we have gone over the basic do’s and don’ts of the office voicemail greeting, let’s check out some examples!
15 Professional Voicemail Greeting Samples
1. Company Voicemail Greeting Samples
“Hello. Thank you for calling [Company Name]. All of our representatives are currently assisting other callers. Please remain on the line for the next available representative, or press [number] if you would like to leave your phone number for a call-back. Thank you.”“Hello. You have reached [Company Name.] Unfortunately, you have reached us outside of business hours. Our standard business hours are [hours and days]. Please try us again then, or stay on the line to leave us a message and we will get back to you as soon as possible.”“Hello, thank you for calling [Company]. We are either assisting other callers or you have contacted us outside our business hours. If you know your party’s extension, please dial it now. Otherwise, please leave a message after the beep and we will return your call as soon as possible.”
2. Individual Voicemail Greeting Samples
“Hi, you have reached [Name] at [Company Name]. I am either out of the office right now or assisting another customer. Please leave me a brief message with your name, phone number, and the subject of your call, and I will get back to you as soon as possible.”“Hi, you have reached [Name] at [Company Name]. I am currently [whatever you do for the company]. I’m sorry I missed your call. Please leave me your name, phone number, and a brief message, and I will get back to you within [timeframe].”
3. Humorous Voicemail Greeting Samples
“Hi, this is Tony Stark with the Avengers—just kidding. This is [Name] with [Company]. We may not be the Avengers, but our superhero employees can help you [list what you do]. If you leave me your name and phone number along with a brief message, I’ll get back to you by the end of the business day.”
4. Seasonal Voicemail Greeting Samples
“Happy Holidays from [Company Name]! Please note that we will be out of the office on holiday break from [date] to [date]. If you are hearing this message, we are either with another caller or you have called us outside our office hours. Please leave your name, phone number, and a brief message. We will return your call as soon as we are back.”“Holiday greetings from [Company]. We are out of the office today, [date]. We will return on [date]. Please leave your telephone number and a brief message, and we will return your call when we get back.”“Hello, you have reached [Company Name]. Please be advised that our seasonal hours from the period of [date range] are [list hours]. We are either with another caller or out of the office. Please leave your name, number, and a brief message and we will get back to you as soon as possible.”
5. Away/Vacation Voicemail Greeting Samples
“Hello, this is [Name] at [Company.] I will be out of the office for the week of [dates]. Please leave your name, number, and the reason for your call, and I will reply within 24 hours of my return. If you prefer, you can try me on my cell, [number]. Thanks!”“Hello, you have reached [Name] at [Company]. I am out on maternity leave until [date]. You can leave a message and I will call you back when I return, or you can call [Name] at [extension] for immediate assistance in the meantime. Thank you!”
6. Transitional Voicemail Greeting Samples
“Hello. You have reached [Company]. We are in the process of relocation, and are unable to take your call at this moment. Please leave a brief message with your name and number, and we will get back to you within [timeframe]. Our new office is located at [address], and our hours of operation will remain unchanged.”
7. Promotional Voicemail Greeting Samples
“Hello, you have reached [Company]. All of our agents are currently assisting other callers. Did you know that we are currently running our [Name of Promotion]? During [timeframe], you can [explain promotion briefly]. Please remain on the line for the next available representative, or press [number] to schedule a call-back.”
8. Industry-Specific Voicemail Greeting Samples
Depending on your industry, there may be some important details to include in your voicemail which are specific to that industry. Here are some examples.Healthcare: “Hello, you have reached the office of [Name]. If you have received this message, I am either with another patient or out of the office. If this is a medical emergency, please call 911. Otherwise, please leave your name, number, and a brief description of the reason for your call.”Tip: Check out more advice on healthcare customer service!Financial: “Hello, you have reached [Name] with [Company]. Right now, I am assisting another caller or out of the office. Please leave your name, number, and a brief message and I will return your call. Please be aware that we are unable to process buy or sell orders through voicemail.”
Move Beyond the Professional Voicemail Greeting: Hire a Virtual Receptionist
Did you know that some companies like JP Morgan are moving away from voicemail altogether?NPR explains, “Shawn Hakl is head of new products for Verizon's business division. Before the digital era, he says more than 80 percent of business lines had voice mail. Now, he estimates only a third of office phones have it.”For customers, even the most professional voicemail greeting is impersonal, and may even harm customer experience (millennials, in particular, avoid using voicemail altogether). For companies, voicemails are inefficient and expensive. For employees, they are a hassle, tying up productivity and dampening motivation.What is better than a good voicemail greeting? A live human being. While you cannot always be at the phone, a virtual receptionist is there 24/7, ready to make a great first impression!In fact, with a virtual receptionist, you can staff your phones day and night, as well as during weekends and holidays, ensuring that there is ALWAYS a real live person representing your business and solving problems for customers.We hope you will use the voice mail greetings samples in this article to help you craft the perfect voicemail greeting. But consider staffing your phones with virtual receptionists for an even better solution going forward!
