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Voicemail greeting generator

Pick your industry and tone, fill in two details, get three ready-to-record voicemail greetings — short, standard, and detailed. No sign-up, no email, no audio file to download — copy the text and record it on your phone in 30 seconds.

Your details

Three greeting options

Short· ~20 words

Hi, you've reached our business. We can't take your call right now — please leave your name and the best number to reach you, and we'll get right back to you within one business day.

Standard· ~45 words

Thanks for calling our business. We're sorry we missed your call. Please leave your name and the best number to reach you and the reason for your call, and we'll get right back to you within one business day.

Detailed· ~70 words

Hello, you've reached our business. We couldn't pick up just now. For everything else, please leave your name, the best number to reach you, and a brief message, and we'll call you back within one business day. Thanks for calling.

Edit any output before recording it. On iPhone, set under Phone → Voicemail → Greeting → Custom. On Android, the path varies by carrier — most use the Voicemail app or dial *86 on Verizon.

What is a voicemail greeting?

A voicemail greeting is the short recorded message a caller hears when you don't pick up the phone. For a small business, it's the cheapest piece of customer experience you own — and the easiest one to get wrong. A bad greeting (silence, a robotic default, or a meandering script) costs you callbacks. A good greeting tells the caller they reached the right place, asks for the specific info you need, and sets a clear callback timeframe.

Most modern carriers also let you record different greetings for different conditions — your main greeting, an after-hours greeting, and a busy greeting. If you forward your line to an answering service or AI receptionist when you're unavailable, the greeting your callers actually hear is the receptionist's greeting, not your voicemail's. (RingOwl handles that for you — see the bottom of this page.)

What to include in a voicemail greeting

  1. Your business name in the first sentence.Callers should know they reached the right place inside the first three seconds. "Hi, you've reached Acme Plumbing" — not "Hello, please leave a message."
  2. A short, sincere apology for missing the call.One short phrase ("sorry we missed you," "we're currently unavailable") is enough. Don't over-explain.
  3. The specific info you need from them. Name and callback number are the minimum. Industry-specific fields make the callback faster: date of birth for medical, property address for real estate, vehicle make/model for auto, unit number for property management.
  4. An emergency line — when relevant.Medical, veterinary, plumbing, HVAC, and property management greetings need an explicit emergency callout (911, on-call number, or "press 9"). It's the single biggest factor in avoiding catastrophic callback failures.
  5. A clear callback timeframe."Within one business day", "by end of day", "next morning" — pick whichever you can actually deliver. Setting expectations is the difference between a happy customer and a one-star review.
  6. Office hours — if relevant.Skip them if you're always-on or your hours change. Include them if most missed calls come outside your hours so callers can self-set their expectations.

Voicemail greeting examples by industry

Seven worked examples — Standard length (~45 words / 15 seconds) — that you can copy verbatim and swap in your business name, or use as a starting point.

  • General small business

    Hi, you've reached Acme Co. We're sorry we missed your call. Our hours are Monday to Friday, 9 to 5. Please leave your name, the best number to reach you, and the reason for your call, and we'll get right back to you within one business day.

  • Medical or dental practice

    Thanks for calling Cedar Family Dental. We're sorry we missed your call. If this is a medical emergency, please hang up and dial 911. Otherwise, please leave your name, date of birth, callback number, and the reason for your call, and we'll get back to you the next business day.

  • Law firm or attorney

    You've reached the office of Hartwell & Reyes. We're unable to take your call at the moment. Please leave your name, phone number, the type of legal matter, and the best time to reach you, and an attorney will return your call within one business day.

  • Real estate

    Hi, you've reached Jordan Lee at Hill Country Realty. We're sorry to miss your call. Please leave your name, callback number, the property address you're interested in, and whether you're looking to buy, sell, or lease — and I'll call you back within the day.

  • Salon or spa

    Thanks for calling Bloom Salon. We can't take your call right now — please leave your name, the service you're interested in, your preferred stylist or appointment time, and a callback number, and we'll call you back within one business day.

  • Plumbing, HVAC, or contractor

    Hi, you've reached Northside Plumbing. We're sorry we missed your call. If this is an emergency — flooding, no heat, no AC, or a gas smell — press 9 to reach our on-call line. Otherwise, please leave your name, address, and a brief description of the issue, and we'll call you back within one business day.

  • Veterinary clinic

    Thanks for calling Maple Animal Hospital. We're sorry to miss you. If this is a pet emergency, please hang up and contact your nearest emergency vet. Otherwise, please leave your name, your pet's name, the reason for your call, and a callback number, and we'll get right back to you.

How to record a custom voicemail greeting

iPhone

  1. Open the Phone app.
  2. Tap the Voicemail tab (bottom-right).
  3. Tap Greeting (top-left).
  4. Pick Custom → Record → Stop → Play to confirm → Save.

Android (Samsung, Pixel, most)

  1. Open the Phone app.
  2. Tap the ⋮ menu → Settings → Voicemail.
  3. Tap Voicemail greeting (path varies by carrier).
  4. Pick Record → record → Save.

Verizon Wireless

  1. Dial *86 from your Verizon line.
  2. Enter your voicemail password.
  3. Press 4 for personal options, then 3 to change your greeting.
  4. Record → press # to save.

AT&T / T-Mobile / GSM landlines

  1. Dial *86 (AT&T) or 123 (T-Mobile) from your line.
  2. Enter your voicemail PIN.
  3. Follow the menu prompts to record a new greeting (usually under Personal Options or Mailbox Settings).
  4. Test by calling your line from another phone.

Voicemail greeting FAQ

  • What makes a good voicemail greeting?+

    Four things. (1) Your business name in the first sentence — callers should know immediately they reached the right place. (2) A short, sincere apology for missing the call. (3) The specific info you need (name, number, reason for calling, and any industry-specific fields like date of birth for medical or property address for real estate). (4) A clear callback timeframe so callers know what to expect. Skip jokes, long backstories, and elaborate menu trees — they cost you callbacks.

  • How long should a voicemail greeting be?+

    Under 30 seconds for most small businesses. The Short option above (~20 words / ~6 seconds) covers the bare minimum — business name + ask. The Standard option (~45 words / ~15 seconds) adds an apology, hours, and a callback promise — the sweet spot for most SMBs. The Detailed option (~70 words / ~25 seconds) is for industries with emergency routing, structured intake, or multiple fields to capture (medical, legal, home services).

  • Should I mention business hours in my voicemail greeting?+

    If you have clear hours and most calls come outside them, yes — it sets expectations for the callback. Skip hours if you're always-on or hours change often. For after-hours-only greetings (which most carriers can route to via conditional forwarding), hours are essential — callers need to know when to expect a callback.

  • Should the greeting say "if this is an emergency"?+

    For medical, veterinary, plumbing, HVAC, and property management — yes, always. It's the difference between a customer waiting overnight and reaching you in time. Generate a Detailed greeting in the tool above and the right emergency line is included automatically based on your industry.

  • How do I record a custom voicemail greeting on my phone?+

    iPhone: Phone app → Voicemail tab → Greeting (top-left) → Custom → Record. Android (Samsung / Pixel / most): Phone app → ⋮ → Settings → Voicemail → Voicemail greeting → Record. Verizon Wireless: dial *86, log in, press 4 for personal options, then 3 to record. Once recorded, test by calling your line from another phone and not picking up.

  • Can I replace voicemail entirely with an AI receptionist?+

    Yes — that's the RingOwl pitch. Forward your line to RingOwl with conditional forwarding (*71 on Verizon, **61* on AT&T or T-Mobile), and instead of voicemail, an AI receptionist picks up every missed call: greets the caller, books appointments live in your calendar, captures structured lead details, and texts you a summary. Most small businesses skip voicemail entirely once it's set up.

  • Will the same greeting work on a business landline?+

    Yes — the wording works for landlines, VoIP lines, and cell phones. The recording method differs (most landline / VoIP carriers have a dial-in mailbox at a number like *86 or *98), but the greeting copy itself is identical.

Skip voicemail entirely

Let an AI receptionist pick up instead.

RingOwl is the AI answering service for appointment-heavy SMBs. Forward your line and an AI greets every caller, books appointments live, captures structured lead details, and texts you a summary — no missed calls, no voicemail tag.

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