What should a business voicemail greeting say?

Five things, in this order: your business name, why you cannot answer, what the caller should leave (name, number and what they need), when you will call back, and another way to reach you, such as texting the same number or your website. Keep it to 15 to 25 seconds.

How long should a business voicemail greeting be?

Between 15 and 25 seconds, which is about 40 to 60 words spoken at a normal pace. Longer greetings make callers hang up before the tone. If you need to give opening hours and an emergency number, cut everything else.

What is a good professional voicemail greeting?

'Hello, you've reached [Business name]. We can't take your call right now. Please leave your name, number and a short message, and we'll call you back today. You can also text this number. Thank you.' It names the business, sets a call-back time and offers a second way in.

What should I say on my voicemail when the business is closed?

Say you are closed, give your opening hours, ask for a name and number, and say when you will call back. If you offer emergency cover, give the emergency number last so callers remember it. Change it back when you reopen.

What should I put on my voicemail over Christmas?

The dates you close and reopen, a request for name and number, and an emergency contact if you have one. For example: 'We're closed from 24 December and back on 2 January. Leave your name and number and we'll call you back when we return.'

How do I answer the phone professionally?

Use a greeting, the business name and your name, then an offer to help: 'Good morning, Hartley Plumbing, Dan speaking. How can I help?' Answer within three rings, smile as you speak, and write down the caller's name and number before anything else.

Do people still leave voicemails?

Fewer every year. In a 2016 UK study of small business calls, 69% of callers who reached voicemail hung up without leaving a message. Many younger callers prefer to text. Pair your voicemail with an automatic missed-call text, or let an AI receptionist answer instead.

Should I use my own voice or a computer voice for voicemail?

Your own voice, if you can record in a quiet room, because callers trust a real person. A good text-to-speech voice is better than a rushed recording in a van or a noisy shop. Either way, the words matter more than the voice.

Call Management

Business voicemail greetings: 40+ UK examples and scripts

Professional business voicemail greeting examples for every situation and trade, a free greeting generator, receptionist call scripts and missed-call texts.

Simon

3 October 2026 · 7 min read

The short answer

The formula: business name, why you can't answer, what to leave, when you'll call back, another way to reach you.
Length: 15 to 25 seconds. About 40 to 60 words.
The best line to add: "If it's easier, text this number." Many callers will text who would never leave a voicemail.
Change it for holidays and closures, and set a reminder to change it back.
Generator: fill in four details below and get a voicemail, an AI receptionist greeting and a missed-call text, written to match.

A voicemail greeting is the last thing a caller hears before they decide whether to leave a message or ring your competitor. Most business greetings are too long, say nothing useful, and never tell the caller when they will hear back. Fixing that takes five minutes.

This chapter of our AI receptionist guide has more than 40 greetings and scripts for UK businesses: voicemail greetings for every situation and trade, holiday messages, receptionist call scripts, phone menu scripts and the texts to send when you miss a call. Copy any of them, or use the generator to write your own.

Free voicemail greeting generator

Fill in your details. The generator writes a voicemail greeting, an opening line for an AI receptionist and a missed-call text, all saying the same thing. Nothing you type leaves your browser.

Business name

Your first name (optional)

Type of business

When callers hear it

Opening hours

You call back

Website (optional)

Emergency number (optional)

Callers can text this number

Voicemail greeting

Hello, you've reached [Business name]. We can't take your call right now. Please leave your name, number and the job you need doing, and we'll call you back today. If it's easier, text this number instead. Thank you.

About 15 seconds spoken

AI receptionist opening line

Hello, you're through to [Business name]. I'm the virtual assistant. Is this about a new job, an emergency, or a job we're already doing for you?

About 10 seconds spoken

Missed-call text

Hi, it's [Business name]. Sorry we missed your call. Reply here with the job you need doing and we'll get back to you today.

124 characters

The formula for a professional business voicemail greeting

Every good business voicemail greeting has the same five parts. Leave one out and callers either hang up or leave a message you cannot act on.

Part	Why it matters	Example
1. Your business name	The caller knows they dialled the right number	"Hello, you've reached Hartley Plumbing."
2. Why you can't answer	Sets expectations, and sounds busy rather than absent	"We're out on jobs right now."
3. What to leave	Gets you a message you can act on	"Leave your name, number and the job you need doing."
4. When you'll call back	The single biggest reason a caller leaves a message	"We'll call you back today."
5. Another way in	Catches callers who won't leave a message	"Or text this number."

Then stop. "Thank you" is enough. Do not add "your call is important to us", a list of services, or your full address.

Business voicemail greeting examples

Eight greetings for the situations most UK businesses meet. Each has a copy button, and the placeholders in square brackets show what to replace.

Standard business voicemail

The everyday greeting for a business line.

Hello, you've reached [Business name]. We can't take your call right now. Please leave your name, number and a short message, and we'll call you back within [time frame]. You can also text this number, or visit [website]. Thank you.

Sole trader on a job

You work alone and can't answer while you work.

Hi, it's [Your name] from [Business name]. I'm on a job and can't get to the phone. Leave your name, number and what you need, and I'll call you back today. If it's urgent, text this number and I'll see it sooner.

Out of hours, with opening times

Evenings and weekends.

Thank you for calling [Business name]. We're closed right now. Our hours are [Monday to Friday, 9am to 5:30pm]. Leave a message with your name and number and we'll call you back when we open. For emergencies, please call [emergency number].

Short break or busy period

The team is away for an hour or tied up.

Hi, thanks for calling [Business name]. The team is [at lunch / with customers] and back at [time]. Leave a message and we'll call you back this afternoon.

Ask callers to text instead

You reply faster by text than by call back.

Hi, you've reached [Business name]. The quickest way to reach us is a text to this number. Send your name and what you need and we'll reply within the hour during [working hours]. Or leave a voicemail after the tone.

Team or department mailbox

A shared mailbox for sales, accounts or support.

You've reached the [accounts] team at [Business name]. We're unable to answer right now. Please leave your name, number, [invoice or account number] and your question, and a member of the team will call you back within [one working day].

New number or moved office

You are retiring a number.

Hello, you've reached [Business name]. This number is no longer monitored. Please call us on [new number] or visit [website]. Thank you.

Voicemail greeting examples by industry

The same formula, written for the calls each trade gets. Each one ends with the detail that trade's callers most need: an emergency number, a booking link, or the reference you need to call back prepared.

Plumber or heating engineer

Gives the gas emergency number last, so callers remember it.

Hi, you've reached [Business name]. We're on jobs and can't answer. Leave your name, number, postcode and what's wrong, and we'll call you back today. If you smell gas, hang up and call 0800 111 999.

Electrician

Sends power cuts to the national 105 line.

Hello, it's [Business name]. We're on site right now. Leave your name, number and the work you need, and we'll call you back before [time]. For a power cut, call 105 first.

Dental practice

Points out-of-hours patients to NHS 111.

Thank you for calling [Practice name]. The practice is closed or our team is with patients. Leave your name, date of birth and number, and we'll call you back. For urgent dental care out of hours, call NHS 111.

Hair or beauty salon

Sends bookers to online booking.

Hi, you've reached [Salon name]. We're with clients right now. Leave your name, number and the treatment you'd like, and we'll call you back today. You can also book online at [website].

Solicitors

Formal, with a one-working-day promise.

Thank you for calling [Firm name]. Our team is unable to take your call. Please leave your name, number and a brief description of your matter, and we'll return your call within one working day.

Accountant or bookkeeper

Asks for the company name so the right file is ready.

Hello, you've reached [Business name]. We're unable to answer. Please leave your name, number and your company name, and we'll call you back by the end of the next working day.

Letting or estate agent

Separates tenant emergencies from everything else.

Thanks for calling [Agency name]. We're on viewings right now. If you're a tenant with an emergency repair, call our out-of-hours line on [number]. Otherwise leave your name, number and the property address, and we'll call you back today.

Garage or MOT centre

Asks for the registration so you can look the car up first.

Hello, you've reached [Garage name]. We're in the workshop and can't get to the phone. Leave your name, number and your car's registration, and we'll call you back this afternoon. You can also text this number.

Cleaning company

Collects what you need to quote.

Hi, it's [Business name]. We're out cleaning right now. Leave your name, number, postcode and how often you'd like a clean, and we'll call you back with a quote today.

Restaurant or café

Sends table bookings online during service.

Thanks for calling [Restaurant name]. We're busy serving right now. To book a table, visit [website]. For anything else, leave your name and number and we'll call you back after service.

Holiday and closure voicemail greetings

Change your greeting before you close, and set a reminder to change it back. A Christmas greeting in February tells callers nobody is minding the business.

Christmas and New Year

Record it before you close. Set a reminder to change it back.

Hello, you've reached [Business name]. We're closed for Christmas from [date] and back on [date]. Leave your name and number and we'll call you back when we return. For emergencies, call [number]. Have a lovely Christmas.

Bank holiday

Any bank holiday closure.

Thanks for calling [Business name]. We're closed for the bank holiday and back at [time] on [day]. Leave your name, number and a short message and we'll call you back then.

Summer shutdown

A planned closure of a week or more.

Hello, you've reached [Business name]. The team is on our summer break until [date]. Leave your name and number and we'll be in touch when we're back. Urgent queries can go to [email].

After-hours and out-of-office messages

These work as a voicemail greeting, or as the after-hours lines for an AI receptionist or a person covering the phones.

Out of hours with next-day call back

An AI or a person takes details and the team calls back.

We're closed now, but I can take your details and the team will call you back from [time] tomorrow. Can I start with your name?

Out of hours with an emergency route

You offer an emergency service at night or weekends.

We're closed for normal work until [time]. If this is an emergency, such as [examples], I'll pass it to the engineer on call now. Otherwise I'll book you in for a call back first thing. Is this an emergency?

Weekend booking requests

Customers want to book while you are closed.

We're closed for the weekend, but I can take your booking request now. The team confirms every request by text on [Monday morning]. Which day and time would suit you?

How to record a voicemail greeting that sounds professional

Write it down first. Reading from a script removes the ums. Read it aloud and time it: under 25 seconds.
Record somewhere quiet. Not in the van with the engine running, and not in the shop at lunchtime.
Hold the phone as you would on a call. Too close and it distorts. Too far and it echoes.
Smile. It sounds daft, but callers hear it.
Slow down. Aim for about 150 words a minute. Say your phone number and website slowly, twice if you give them.
Ring your own number and listen to it as a customer would.
Re-record it every year, and whenever your hours or services change.

On an iPhone, open Phone, then Voicemail, then Greeting. On Android, open the Phone app's voicemail settings or dial your network's voicemail number. On a business phone system, you usually type the greeting for a synthetic voice to read or upload a recording. In Line, the voicemail step in a call workflow takes either: a typed greeting, read out by a natural voice, or one you record in your browser.

What not to say on a business voicemail

"Your call is important to us." Callers know it isn't, or you would have answered.
"We are experiencing high call volumes." On a small business line, it is rarely true and always irritating.
"Leave a brief message" without asking for a number. You get "It's Dave, call me back."
Your whole service list. That is what your website is for.
A personal mobile number you do not want to give out for ever.
A call-back time you can't keep. "Within the hour" from a sole trader on a roof is a promise you will break.

Voicemail is a backstop, not a plan

Even a perfect greeting loses callers. In the most-quoted UK study of small business calls, 69% of callers who reached voicemail hung up without leaving a message (Moneypenny Small Business Call Report, 2016, a vendor study). Younger callers are the least likely to leave one: in a 2024 survey, 61% of 18 to 34-year-olds said they prefer messages to calls (Uswitch / Opinium).

Two things recover most of those callers.

A missed-call text. Sent automatically from your business number seconds after a missed call, it invites the caller to reply. Many who would never leave a voicemail will answer a text. Line sends one for you with missed-call text back.

Missed-call text back

Sent automatically when a call goes unanswered.

Hi, it's [Business name]. Sorry we missed your call. Reply here with what you need and we'll get straight back to you. [Your name]

After an AI-answered call

Confirms what the AI took down.

Thanks for calling [Business name]. We have your message about [reason]. [Name] will call you back [today / by time]. Reply to this text to add anything.

Booking request received

The caller asked for a slot you confirm by hand.

Hi [Name], thanks for your booking request for [day, time]. We'll confirm by text within [time frame]. [Business name]

Out-of-hours text

Sent to callers who ring when you are closed.

Hi, it's [Business name]. We're closed now and back at [time]. Reply with your name and what you need and we'll pick it up first thing.

An AI receptionist. Instead of a beep, the caller gets an answer: their question dealt with, or their details taken for a call back. Read how an AI receptionist works, or try one on your own business from the main guide.

How to answer the phone professionally

When you do pick up, the first five seconds set the tone. Use a greeting, the business name and your name, then an offer to help. Answer within three rings. Write down the caller's name and number before anything else, so a dropped call is not a lost customer.

Answering the phone professionally

Anyone who answers the business line.

Good [morning/afternoon], [Business name], [your name] speaking. How can I help?

Taking a message

The person the caller wants is not available.

"[Name] is [with a customer] at the moment. Can I take a message and ask them to call you back?" "Can I take your name? … And the best number to reach you on? … Let me read that back: [number]." "And what's it about, so [Name] can be ready when they call?" "Thank you. [Name] will call you back [today / by time]."

Transferring a call

Putting a caller through to a colleague.

"I'll put you through to [Name] now. If they don't pick up, I'll come back to you. Is that all right?" To the colleague: "I have [caller name] from [company] about [reason]. Are you free to take it?"

An upset caller

A complaint or a frustrated customer.

"I'm sorry this has happened. Let me take the details so it's sorted properly." "So I have it right: [repeat the problem in one sentence]." "I'll pass this to [Name], who can fix it. They'll call you by [time]. Is this the best number?"

Five habits of a good phone manner:

Say the caller's name back to them once you have it.
Repeat numbers and addresses back, a digit or a word at a time.
Never say "I don't know". Say "Let me find out and call you back by [time]."
Ask before putting anyone on hold, and come back within 30 seconds.
End with what happens next: "Dan will call you before 5 today."

Scripts for AI receptionists and phone menus

The same rules apply when a machine answers: name the business, say what is happening, ask one clear question.

Standard AI greeting

Any business. Says it is an assistant, then asks one open question.

Hello, you're through to [Business name]. I'm [Assistant name], the virtual assistant. How can I help today?

Trades: owner on a job

Plumbers, electricians, builders. Sets up a quote or a callback.

Hi, thanks for calling [Business name]. [Owner name] is on a job right now, so I'm the assistant answering for the team. Is this about a new job, an emergency, or a job we're already doing for you?

Clinic or salon: bookings first

Dentists, physios, salons, clinics. Most calls are about appointments.

Hello, you've reached [Business name]. I'm the virtual receptionist and I can help with appointments, prices and opening times. What would you like to do?

Professional services

Solicitors, accountants, agencies. Calm and formal.

Good [morning/afternoon], [Business name]. I'm the firm's virtual assistant. Are you an existing client, or are you calling about something new?

After hours

Calls outside opening hours. Sets the callback time at the start.

Hello, you've reached [Business name]. We're closed right now and open again at [time] on [day]. I'm the virtual assistant. I can take your details so the team calls you back first thing, or answer a quick question. What do you need?

Busy lines (overflow)

The team is on other calls. The AI answers instead of a queue.

Thanks for calling [Business name]. Everyone is on another call, so I'm the assistant picking up to save you waiting. Tell me what you need and I'll either sort it now or make sure the right person calls you back.

For phone menus, see the scripts in auto attendant vs AI receptionist. For the full instructions an AI receptionist needs, see how to set up an AI receptionist.