A good business voicemail greeting does three jobs in about fifteen seconds: it tells callers they have reached the right business, it tells them what to leave, and it tells them when they will hear back. Everything else is optional. This guide gives you a simple formula, examples you can copy for different situations, and the steps to record a greeting on the main UK networks.
What a good greeting includes
Keep it short. Callers have already waited through the ringing, and a long greeting before the tone tests their patience. Aim for four parts:
- Your business name, so they know they have the right number.
- Why you cannot answer, in a few words: "we are with a customer" or "we are closed".
- What to leave: their name, their number and what the call is about.
- When you will call back, and only promise what you can keep.
Optional extras, used sparingly:
- An alternative for urgent matters, such as a mobile number or an emergency line.
- A website address, if callers can book or find answers there.
- Your opening hours, if you are recording an out of hours greeting.
Things to leave out: long apologies, music, background noise, "your call is important to us", and any detail that will go out of date, such as a staff member who might leave.
Business voicemail greeting examples
Change the names and times to suit you. Read them aloud before recording: if a line sounds stiff when you say it, change the words.
General small business
"Hello, you have reached Harper and Co. We cannot take your call right now. Please leave your name, your number and a short message, and we will call you back today."
Tradesperson on a job
"Hi, it is Dan from Dan Lewis Plumbing. I am on a job at the moment and cannot get to the phone. Leave your name, number and what the problem is, and I will ring you back as soon as I am off the tools. If water is coming through a ceiling, say so and I will call you first."
Salon or barber
"Hello, you have reached Studio Nine. We are with clients right now. Leave your name, number and the treatment you would like, and we will call you back to book you in. You can also book online at studionine.co.uk."
Clinic or practice
"Thank you for calling Riverside Physio. Our team is with patients. Please leave your name, date of birth and a contact number, and we will call you back within one working day. If you need urgent medical help, please call NHS 111 or, in an emergency, 999."
Garage
"Hello, you have reached Ashgrove Motors. We are in the workshop. Leave your name, number and registration, and tell us if it is about an MOT, a service or a repair. We will call you back before the end of the day."
Estate or letting agent
"Thank you for calling Parkside Lettings. Our office is closed. If you are a tenant with an emergency, such as a gas smell, flooding or no heating, please call our emergency line on 07700 900123. For anything else, leave your name, number and the property address, and we will call you back when we open."
Solicitor or accountant
"You have reached Mercer Accountants. We cannot take your call at the moment. Please leave your name, your number and a brief idea of what you need help with. We will return your call within one working day."
Restaurant
"Hello, you have reached The Old Forge. We are in the middle of service. To book a table, leave your name, number, the date, time and how many of you there are, and we will call to confirm. Please do not assume a booking is confirmed until you hear from us."
Out of hours
"Thank you for calling Harper and Co. We are open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. Please leave your name, number and a message, and we will call you back on our next working day."
Holiday closure
"Thank you for calling Harper and Co. We are closed for Christmas from Thursday 24 December and back on Tuesday 29 December. Leave your name, number and a message, and we will call you back when we return. Merry Christmas."
If you use a holiday greeting, put a reminder in your diary to change it back. In 2026, Christmas Day falls on a Friday and the Boxing Day bank holiday moves to Monday 28 December, according to the GOV.UK bank holidays list for England and Wales, so check your dates before you record.
Recording tips
- Write it down first. Reading from a script stops you rambling and helps you keep to fifteen or twenty seconds.
- Find somewhere quiet. Not the van with the engine running, not the salon floor.
- Smile while you speak. It sounds odd, but it changes your tone.
- Speak slowly, especially numbers. Say a phone number in groups, the way you would write it.
- Listen back. Call your own number from another phone and hear what your customers hear.
- Keep one greeting per situation. Some networks let you record more than one, but a single clear greeting that you keep up to date is better than several you forget about.
How to record a greeting on UK networks
Most mobile networks let you record a greeting by ringing your voicemail and following the spoken menu. These are the steps each provider gives on its own help pages.
| Provider | How to record a greeting | Source |
|---|---|---|
| O2 mobile | Call 901, press *, choose option 3 and follow the prompts. You can re-record it as often as you like. Calls to 901 come out of your call allowance | O2 voicemail help |
| Vodafone business mobile | Call 121 from your Vodafone mobile to listen to messages and record personal greetings. Calling 121 uses minutes from your allowance | Vodafone Business voicemail help |
| EE home phone (digital) | Dial 1571, choose option 2 for greetings, then option 1 to record your own. Record after the tone and press # to save | EE home phone voicemail help |
On an iPhone with Visual Voicemail, the greeting is usually in the Phone app under Voicemail, but whether it appears depends on your network. If your network is not listed here, its help pages or customer service will have the steps.
Taking messages with care
A voicemail is personal information: the caller's name, number and often details about their health, money or home. The ICO says organisations should give people privacy information at the time they collect their data, including why it is used and how long it is kept. Your greeting does not need to read out a privacy notice, but your privacy notice should cover the messages you take, and you should delete old messages you no longer need.
Practical habits that help:
- Clear your voicemail regularly, so the mailbox never fills up and turns callers away.
- Write each message down where the rest of the job lives, such as your diary, job sheet or CRM.
- Do not ask callers to leave card details or passwords on voicemail.
When voicemail is not enough
Voicemail works if callers are happy to leave a message and you call back quickly. It struggles when:
- Callers hang up at the greeting and ring the next business on their list.
- Messages are vague ("it is me, call me back") and you spend time chasing details.
- Most of your missed calls come at the same busy times, or out of hours.
- Callers want an answer straight away, such as your prices or whether you can come this week.
If you only miss a handful of calls a week and your customers know you, a good greeting and a quick call back may be all you need. That is a perfectly sensible setup.
If you want every call answered, you can divert the calls you miss to someone who will pick up. An AI receptionist like Tilly answers in your business name, takes a proper message with the caller's name, number and reason, reads it back to them, and emails it to you straight away. It can also tell callers when you are closed for a holiday and the day you reopen, so you do not need to remember to change a greeting. Our guide to what an AI receptionist is explains how it works.
Tilly is not right for everyone: if your customers expect to speak to you personally every time, or you rarely miss calls, voicemail is cheaper and simpler. If you are curious, you can listen to sample calls, and plans start at £29 + VAT a month with a 14 day free trial.
Network steps checked against O2, Vodafone and EE help pages, the ICO's guidance and the GOV.UK bank holidays list on 21 October 2026.