The first contact for new customers with your business is often voicemail. It may even be the first impression a new customer gets of your business – and as usual, you want to make sure that you make a good first impression!

A professional and clear voicemail greeting ensures that callers feel valued and important, even if their call cannot be answered immediately. It also provides callers with the necessary information they need to leave a message or take alternative action. A well-crafted voicemail greeting should include:

• The name of the business
• A greeting
• Specific instructions on how to proceed

By presenting a professional image, a strong voicemail greeting can help build credibility and trust with customers, and make it more likely that they will leave a message or call back in the future. Therefore, taking the time to create a well-crafted voicemail greeting can be a crucial aspect of running a successful small business.

Let’s review some voicemail greeting examples you can use for your business right now.

Voicemail Greeting Examples For Small Businesses

1. Closed For The Holiday – “[Insert Business Name] will be closed in observance of the [Insert Holiday] holiday. Please call us back between normal business hours. You can always shop online at our website [Insert Business Website]. Enjoy the holiday with your family and friends.”
2. After Hours Voicemail Message For Car Dealership – “Thank you for calling [Insert Business Name]. You’ve reached us after our normal business hours. We are open from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm Monday through Friday, and 11:00 am to 9:00 pm on Saturdays and Sundays. For the new and used vehicles sales department voicemail press 1; for the service department message, or to cancel a repair or maintenance booking for tomorrow press 2; for the parts and accessories department voicemail press 3; for our finance and business office voicemail press 4; to repeat this menu press 8.”
3. Out Of Office Message For Medical Practice – “You have reached the medical records desk at [Insert Business Name]. We are not available to pick up your call at this time. If you are trying to obtain a copy of your recent lab test for blood work, you can access and print them directly through your patient portal. If you need results or copies of other tests, please leave your name, phone number, email address, and a description of the test results you need and we will email them to you promptly.”
4. After Hours Voicemail Message For Medical Practice – “Thank you for calling [Business Name]. Our offices are now closed. We are open from 8:00 am to 5:30 pm Monday through Friday, and 9:00 am to 12:00 pm on Saturdays. If this is a medical emergency please hang up and call 911, or visit your nearest hospital. If you need to speak to the doctor on call, and it is before 11.00 pm, please press 1. Otherwise, please call us back during normal business hours. Thank you for calling.”
5. Realtor Voicemail Message – “You have reached the voicemail of [Realtor Name] of [Business Name]. [Realtor Name] is not available to take your call at the moment. However, [she/he] is committed to helping you with your real estate sale or purchase. Please leave your name, phone number, and the reason for your call, and [Realtor Name] will call you back in a timely manner.”

Final Thoughts

From the above examples, it is clear to see that you need to keep your small business voicemail greeting as clear and concise as possible. Using a pleasant tone, make sure that you get to the point as soon as possible. Be sure to ask for the name and phone number or any other information you need from the caller.

Why not let Voice Link’s team of virtual receptionists handle your after-hours calls? Contact us to learn more about our professional voice answering & live receptionist services or Find Your Plan today.