Professional voicemail greeting examples (20+ scripts to copy)
Here are 20+ professional voicemail greeting scripts you can copy and adapt for your business. They cover general greetings, by-name personal greetings, short and simple options, and busy or on-another-call messages. Each one is written to sound clear, warm and British. Swap the square-bracket placeholders for your own details and record.
What makes a good voicemail greeting?
A good professional voicemail greeting does four small jobs in 15 to 25 seconds. It tells the caller who they have reached, makes clear you cannot take the call right now, tells them what to leave, and sets an expectation for when you will reply. Get those four things right and the caller knows exactly what to do, which means more useful messages and fewer hang-ups.
Keep the wording natural and avoid long apologies or background music. Say your name or company name early so the caller knows they have dialled correctly, then guide them to leave a name, number and short message. A clear, friendly tone matters more than fancy words. Below are ready-to-use scripts grouped by situation, so you can pick the one that fits the line you are setting up.
General professional voicemail greetings
These work on a main business line, a shared number or any extension where you want a polished, neutral message. Use the company name and keep it brief.
"Thank you for calling [Company name]. Sorry we cannot take your call at the moment. Please leave your name, number and a short message, and a member of the team will call you back as soon as possible."
"You have reached [Company name]. We are unable to answer right now, but your call is important to us. Please leave your details and a brief message, and we will get back to you the same working day."
"Hello, and thank you for calling [Company name]. All our lines are busy at present. If you leave your name and number after the tone, we will return your call as soon as we are free."
"Thanks for calling [Company name]. We are sorry we have missed you. Please leave a message with your name and the best number to reach you on, and we will be in touch shortly."
"Hello, you have reached [Company name]. We cannot get to the phone just now. Please leave your name, number and the reason for your call, and the right person will get back to you within one working day."
Personal by-name voicemail greetings
For a personal extension, direct dial or mobile, a by-name greeting reassures the caller they have reached the right person. Add your role if it helps the caller understand who you are.
"Hi, you have reached [your name] at [Company name]. I am sorry I cannot take your call right now. Please leave your name, number and a short message, and I will call you back as soon as I can."
"Hello, this is [your name], [your role] at [Company name]. I am away from my desk at the moment. Leave me your name and number and I will get back to you the same working day."
"You have reached the voicemail of [your name] at [Company name]. I am either on another call or away from my phone. Please leave a message and I will return your call shortly."
"Hi, this is [your name]. Thanks for calling. I cannot get to the phone just now, but if you leave your name, number and a brief message, I will get straight back to you."
"Hello, you have reached [your name] in [department] at [Company name]. Sorry I have missed you. Please leave your details and I will be in touch as soon as I am free."
Short and simple voicemail greetings
When you want the briefest possible message, these get the caller to the beep quickly while still sounding professional. Ideal for busy lines and personal mobiles.
"Hi, you have reached [your name]. Please leave your name and number and I will call you back."
"Thanks for calling [Company name]. Please leave a message and we will get back to you soon."
"You have reached [your name] at [Company name]. Leave a message after the tone and I will return your call."
"Hello, this is [Company name]. Sorry we have missed you. Please leave your details and we will ring you back."
"Hi, [your name] here. I cannot take your call right now. Leave a quick message and I will be in touch."
Busy or on-another-call greetings
These tell the caller you are genuinely tied up rather than ignoring them, which makes them more likely to leave a message and wait for a callback. Use them on a line where you are often mid-call.
"Hi, you have reached [your name] at [Company name]. I am on another call at the moment. Please leave your name, number and a short message, and I will call you straight back when I am free."
"Thank you for calling [Company name]. We are helping other customers right now and cannot get to your call. Leave your details after the tone and we will return your call as soon as a line is free."
"Hello, this is [your name]. I am either on the phone or away from my desk. The quickest way to reach me is to leave a message with your name and number, and I will get back to you today."
"You have reached [your name] at [Company name]. I am tied up on another call. Please leave a message and I will return it within [number] hours."
"Thanks for calling [Company name]. All of our advisers are currently busy. Please leave your name, number and a brief message, and the next available person will call you back."
Greetings that point callers to another option
If you want to offer a faster route than waiting for a callback, add an alternative such as email, a website or a colleague. Keep it to one option so you do not overload the caller.
"Hi, you have reached [your name] at [Company name]. Sorry I have missed you. Please leave a message, or if it is urgent you can email me at [email address] and I will reply as soon as I can."
"Thank you for calling [Company name]. We cannot take your call at the moment. Please leave a message, or to book online visit [website] at any time. We will get back to you the same working day."
"Hello, this is [your name]. I am unavailable right now. Please leave your details, or if you need an answer sooner, my colleague [colleague name] can help on [number]."
Tips for recording a great voicemail greeting
- Keep it to 15 to 25 seconds. Say what matters and stop. Long greetings lose callers before the beep.
- Say who they have reached early. Your name or company name in the first sentence stops anyone worrying they have dialled the wrong number.
- Tell them exactly what to leave. Asking for a name, number and short message gets you everything you need to call back.
- Set an expectation. A line like we will call you back the same working day makes you sound reliable and encourages people to leave a message.
- Record somewhere quiet. Background noise makes you harder to hear. Stand up, smile and speak a little slower than feels natural.
- Update it when things change. Swap to a closed or out-of-office greeting for holidays so callers are never misled.
- Listen back before you save. Play it on a different device to check it sounds clear and the volume is right.
Frequently asked questions
What should a professional voicemail greeting say?
A professional voicemail greeting should say who the caller has reached, acknowledge that you cannot take the call right now, ask them to leave their name, number and a short message, and tell them when you will get back to them. Keep it to about 15 to 25 seconds and speak clearly so the caller knows exactly what to do.
How long should a voicemail greeting be?
A voicemail greeting should be about 15 to 25 seconds. That is long enough to give your name, explain that you are unavailable and tell the caller what to leave, but short enough that they do not lose patience before the beep. Cut anything that does not help the caller leave a useful message.
Should I use my name or the company name in a voicemail greeting?
Use your own name on a personal extension or mobile, and the company name on a main or shared line. A by-name greeting reassures the caller they have reached the right person, while a company greeting works better for a general number that several people share or for an after-hours line.
Do I have to say when I will call back?
You do not have to, but it sets expectations and makes you sound reliable. A simple line like we will call you back the same working day or we aim to respond within one working day reassures the caller that their message will be picked up, which makes them more likely to leave one.
Should I record my own voicemail greeting or use text to speech?
A clear human recording usually sounds warmer and more personal, which suits a by-name or small business greeting. Text to speech is fine for a main company or after-hours greeting and is quick to update. Many cloud phone systems let you do either, so choose whichever is clearer and easier to keep current.
Put these scripts to work
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