Voicemail scripts by industry — copy-paste templates for every SMB

Three lengths, ten industries

Why industry-specific fields matter

The scripts

When to skip the script and use an AI receptionist

Voicemail greeting examples

Copy any of these verbatim — swap your business name and the placeholder phone numbers in, and you have a recordable script in under a minute.

• Medical / dental — short

  Cedar Family Dental. Leave your name, date of birth, callback number, and reason for your call. We'll call you back the next business day.

• Medical / dental — standard

  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.

• Medical / dental — detailed

  Thanks for calling Cedar Family Dental. We're closed and our office reopens at 8 AM tomorrow. If this is a medical emergency, please hang up and dial 911. For after-hours dental pain, our on-call dentist can be reached at `[on-call number]`. For everything else — appointments, billing, prescriptions — please leave your name, date of birth, the best callback number, and a brief description of what you're calling about, and we'll return your call the next business morning.

• Legal / law firm — short

  You've reached Hartwell & Reyes. Leave your name, phone number, and the type of legal matter. An attorney will return your call.

• Legal / law firm — standard

  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.

• Legal / law firm — detailed

  You've reached the office of Hartwell & Reyes, attorneys at law. We're closed and our office reopens tomorrow at 9 AM. For new client inquiries, please leave your name, phone number, the type of legal matter — family, criminal, civil, business — a brief description of your situation, and the best time to reach you. An attorney will return your call within one business day. Please note that leaving a message does not establish an attorney-client relationship.

• Real estate — short

  Jordan Lee, Hill Country Realty. Leave your name, callback, and which property. I'll call back today.

• Real estate — standard

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

• Real estate — detailed

  Hi, this is Jordan Lee at Hill Country Realty. I'm with a client and can't take your call. For showing requests, please leave the property address and your preferred showing window. For listing or buyer-representation inquiries, leave your name, the area you're looking at or selling in, and whether you're pre-approved if buying. I'll call you back within the day — or text me at this number for a faster response.

• Salon / spa — short

  Bloom Salon. Leave your name, the service you want, your preferred stylist, and a callback. We'll call you between appointments.

• Salon / spa — standard

  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.

• Salon / spa — detailed

  Thanks for calling Bloom Salon. We're with clients and our chairs are full right now. To book, please leave your name, the service you'd like — cut, color, balayage, blowout, or treatment — your preferred stylist if you have one, two or three time windows that work, and a callback number. We'll call you back between appointments to confirm. You can also book online at our website.

• Plumbing / HVAC — short

  Northside Plumbing. Leave your name, address, and what's going on. We'll call back today.

• Plumbing / HVAC — standard

  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.

• Plumbing / HVAC — detailed

  Thanks for calling Northside Plumbing. Our office is closed. For emergencies — active leaks, flooding, no heat in winter, no AC in summer, or a gas smell — press 9 now to reach our on-call technician. For everything else — repairs, install quotes, maintenance — please leave your name, service address, the type of system or fixture involved, and a brief description of the issue. We'll call back at 8 AM tomorrow to schedule.

• Veterinary — short

  Maple Animal Hospital. For pet emergencies hang up and contact your emergency vet. Otherwise leave your name, pet's name, and callback.

• Veterinary — standard

  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.

• Veterinary — detailed

  Thanks for calling Maple Animal Hospital. Our office is closed. If this is a life-threatening emergency for your pet — trouble breathing, severe bleeding, suspected poisoning, seizures — please hang up and go to your nearest 24-hour emergency vet. For all other concerns, please leave your name, your pet's name and species, the reason for your call, and a callback number, and we'll return your call the next business morning.

• Property management — short

  Riverside Property Management. Emergencies press 9. Otherwise leave name, unit, property, and reason. We'll call back next business day.

• Property management — standard

  You've reached Riverside Property Management. If this is a maintenance emergency — water, fire, gas, or no heat — press 9 to reach our on-call line. For all other matters, please leave your name, unit number, property address, and the reason for your call, and we'll get back to you the next business day.

• Property management — detailed

  You've reached Riverside Property Management. Our office is closed. For maintenance emergencies — active water leak, no heat in winter, no AC in summer over 95 degrees, fire, gas leak, or a security issue — press 9 to reach our on-call line. For lease inquiries, rent questions, non-urgent maintenance, and everything else, please leave your name, the unit number and property address, and the reason for your call. We'll return your call the next business day.

• Automotive / mechanic — short

  Westside Auto. Leave your name, vehicle make and model, the issue, and a callback. We'll call back today.

• Automotive / mechanic — standard

  Thanks for calling Westside Auto. We're under a vehicle and can't take your call. Please leave your name, callback number, the make and model of your vehicle, and a brief description of the issue, and we'll call you back within one business day to schedule a time.

• Automotive / mechanic — detailed

  Thanks for calling Westside Auto. We're working in the shop and can't take your call right now. If you've been towed and need same-day service, please leave that in your message and we'll prioritize the callback. Otherwise, leave your name, the year, make, and model of your vehicle, the issue you're having or service you'd like scheduled, and a callback number. We'll get back to you within one business day to book a slot.

• Professional services / B2B — short

  Acme Consulting. Leave your name, company, the reason for your call, and a callback. We'll respond within one business day.

• Professional services / B2B — standard

  You've reached Acme Consulting. Sorry we missed your call. Please leave your name, your company, the reason for your call, and a callback number, and we'll get back to you within one business day. For faster response, you can also email us at the address on our website.

• Professional services / B2B — detailed

  You've reached Acme Consulting. We're in client meetings and can't take your call. For new business inquiries, please leave your name, company, what you're trying to solve, your timeline, and a callback number. For existing clients, please leave your name and reference your project, and your account manager will reply within one business day. For media or partnership inquiries, please email us at the address on our website.

• Generic small business — short

  Acme Co. Leave your name, callback, and reason for your call. We return calls within one business day.

• Generic small business — standard

  Hi, you've reached Acme Co. Sorry we missed your call. Please leave your name, the best number to reach you, and the reason for your call, and we'll get back to you within one business day.

• Generic small business — detailed

  Thanks for calling Acme Co. We're sorry we missed your call. Our hours are Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM Central. Please leave your name, the best callback number, the reason for your call, and the best time of day to reach you, and we'll return your call within one business day. For faster response, you can also email us or message us via our website.

Generate your own greeting

Pick your industry and tone, fill in two details, get three ready-to-record greetings — short, standard, and detailed.

FAQ

What's the best voicemail script for a small business?

The one that matches your industry. A dental practice asks for date of birth. A real estate agent asks for the property address. A plumber asks for the service address and the issue. The "best" generic script doesn't exist — the right one collects the field that saves you a callback round-trip. Pick your industry from the list above.

How many fields should a voicemail greeting ask for?

Three is the ceiling. Past three, callers stop listening. For most SMBs the three are: name, callback number, and one industry-specific field (reason, address, property, vehicle, pet name, unit number). Anything else can be collected on the callback.

Should every business have an emergency routing line?

Only if your category has actual emergencies callers can't wait 24 hours for: medical, veterinary, plumbing, HVAC, property management, locksmith, electrical, gas. Adding "press 9 for emergencies" without an actual on-call line behind it is worse than not offering one. Set up a backup line first (a personal cell, a paging service), then add the routing.

What's a good script for a one-person business?

Use your first name and the business name together — "Hi, you've reached Jordan Lee at Hill Country Realty" — and use "I" instead of "we" through the rest. Customers chose a small business specifically because they want the person, not the brand. The script is otherwise the same as any SMB greeting.

How often should I update my voicemail greeting?

Once a year for the baseline greeting (the audio quality drifts behind your phone hardware over time). Update temporarily whenever you change hours, take vacation, or run a multi-day closure. The faster reason: any change you make to your business hours, callback window, or emergency routing should be reflected on the same day.

Can I use the same voicemail across my business landline and my cell?

Generally yes — the script wording is the same. The recording method differs (the codes for *86 access only work on the line that owns the mailbox), so you'll record once per line. If you forward your business landline to your cell during the day, callers will hear whichever line's mailbox they end up at, so keep the wording consistent on both.

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