28 Business Voicemail Greetings for Main Office and Personal Numbers: Formal, Informal, Modern, and Just Hilarious

Your voicemail is sometimes your first sales pitch — and it’s possibly the most overlooked marketing opportunity in any business. It can be a lead maker or breaker if it is too personal, not personal enough, or unprofessional in quality. It can also fall short if it lacks details or makes the caller feel like they are not important. 

Some common mistakes business owners make when making their voicemail include:

• Their voicemail is out-of-date and mentions time-sensitive or wrong information.
• The sound quality is bad and grainy.
• The information clients need to hear the most is mentioned too late in the message.
• The tone of the message does not match the company’s brand profile.
  

We touched on strategy in our How Voice Strategies Can Grow Your Business blog post. While that is a broader example of how voice strategies can help your business grow, we are dialing it in a bit by sharing examples of voicemail greetings that can heighten performance, make an impression, and even lighten the mood for personal messaging and the main office.

Formal voicemail greetings 

Business is business, and sometimes you need to keep up with appearances. Here are seven formal greetings that we thought provided a great first impression for any businessperson’s arsenal. Do not do what everyone else is doing — instead, stand out and engage your audience.

Main Office

1. You have reached [your name] at [business name]. I am either on the phone or away from my desk at the moment. Please leave your contact information, and I will get back to you promptly. 
   

2. You have reached [business name]. We understand how important your call is and want to provide you with all of the answers to your questions. Leave your name, number, and a brief message, and we will get back to you as soon as possible. 
   

3. Thank you for calling [business name]. All of our associates are busy, but we are looking forward to helping you, too! Please leave a detailed message and the best way to reach you, and we will call you back within the hour. Have a great day. 
   

4. Thanks for contacting the offices of [business name]. Our hours are 9 to 5, Monday through Thursday. We are closed on Fridays and on weekends. If you reached this recording during office hours, we are busy helping other customers, but you are also important. We will contact you by the close of business today. If you are calling outside of business hours, we will contact you the next business day. Please leave a detailed message with the best way to contact you, and we will call you back as soon as we can. 
   

Tip: If you have callers in different time zones, be sure to include your business hours and your time zone, so you communicate precisely and set expectations clearly.

Personal

1. Hi, you have reached [your name]’s voice message. I appreciate your call. Please leave your name, number, and a brief message, and I will get back to you right away.
   

2. This is the voicemail box for [your name]. I am not available right now, but your call is important to me. Please leave me a message about your concerns, including your direct contact information, and I will call you back as soon as I can.
   

3. Hello, this is [your name]. Unfortunately, I cannot answer your call right now. Please leave a message with your name and phone number, and I will return your call as soon as possible. Thank you.
   

Informal voicemail greetings

Some businesses are in the “business” of being less formal than a law firm, for example. And that’s okay. Informal greetings can be more approachable, as if someone is calling a friend. Informal greetings do not have to be rude. Keep it quick, engaging, and friendly. Here are some suggestions on what you can include in your greetings.

Main Office

1. This is [business name]. We are all probably in a meeting, eating lunch, or doing other work-related stuff. However, when we get your message, we will give you a call right back, so leave your name and number. Cheers!
   

2. You have reached [your name] at [business name]. I am definitely interested in what you have to say; I’m just busy right now. Leave a message, and I will get back to you ASAP. 
   

3. Hey, friend! You have reached [business name]. If you are calling during office hours, we are probably just busy with another customer, but we still want to help you out. So, leave your details, and we will get back to you in a few. Have a great day. 
   

4. Thank you for calling [business name]. We’re making our customers money right now, and we’d love to do the same for you. Leave a message with your name and phone number, and we’ll call you back as soon as we can.
   

Personal

1. This is [your name]’s voicemail. I am probably doing something awesome you want to hear about, so leave a message, and I’ll call you back to see how I can do something awesome with you, too! 
   

2. This is [your name] with [business name]. Please leave a message with your name and phone number, and I will call you back as soon as I am available. 
   

3. Thank you for calling [your name]. I can’t come to the phone right now, but I would love to speak with you. Please leave a message with your contact information, and I will get back to you shortly. Have a great day.
   

4. You are talking to the voicemail of [your name]. I cannot answer the phone right now, but please leave a message with your info, and I’ll call you back. Feel free to text me at this number, too. 
   

Modern voicemail greetings

The voice message game has changed, and with more social apps, you want to make sure your brand is heard loud and clear, standing out in the virtual crowd. Keep it short, sweet, and simple, like a text. It should, however, provide options to lead them to more content on your product.  

Main Office

1. Thank you for calling [business name]. We want to make sure we get back to you promptly. Our website has 24/7 live chat if it’s urgent. If not, please leave a message, and we’ll drop you a line as soon as we can, for sure by the end of the business day.
   

2. Hi, you’ve reached the main voicemail for [business name]. We pride ourselves on exceptional customer service, so please either leave a message with your contact information, or if it’s urgent, you can also call our 24/7 service line at [phone number]. Have a great day!
   

3. You have reached [business name]. We are busy at the moment, but we always make time to get back to our clients. Please leave a message along with your name and phone number, and we will return your call within 24 hours. 
   

4. Hello and thank you for contacting [business name]. We would love to hear what you have to say. Leave a message, and we’ll call you back within one business day, or text us at this number for instant help, 24/7.
   

Personal

1. This is [your name]. I’m not available to answer your call right now, but please leave a message. You can also send me a text at this number, and I’ll get back to you within a few hours at most. Have a great day!
   

2. Hi, thanks for your call, and sorry I couldn’t pick up! Please leave a message with the best way to reach you, or you can send me a text or shoot me an email at [email address], and we can set up a time to chat. Have a fantastic day. 
   

3. Hi, and sorry I missed you! I’m either on another call, in a meeting, or it’s after work hours. You may get a quicker response if you send me a text or shoot me an email at [email address]. Or, feel free to book a time with me on my calendar at [online calendar link].
   

We have jokes, and they’re for your voicemail

Throwing humor into a voicemail greeting can be a hit-or-miss scenario. Not everyone can relate, and if they are in a crisis, it might strike the wrong note. However, sometimes it’s okay to be a little tongue-in-cheek with your voicemail, especially if it’s on-brand. Use with caution, but feel free to LOL.

1. You reached [your name]. Make it short, make it sweet, or I may just hit delete. 
   

2. Hello! Is it me you’re looking for? Well, I am not here, so leave a message.
   

3. The best way to get started is to quit talking and start texting.
   

4. Of all the messages on all the phones in the world, you must leave one for me.
   

5. Hey there, if this is a sales call, leave a message before the beep. If this is anyone else, leave a message after the beep. 
   

Good voicemail messaging can help, but a great receptionist can convert leads far better

We understand that you’re not always able to get to the phone. More and more, we’re turning to text and voice messages, too — you know, the little microphone down there at the bottom of your message screen that records what you would typically text. While a good voicemail greeting and even a return voice message could potentially land the next customer or client, a receptionist service like Smith.ai can help you pull in even more leads and deliver even better service to existing clients. 

We summarize every call and book appointments directly on your calendar, and we keep you in the loop with emails and text alerts after every call we take for you. We even pipe new caller information into your CRM and update existing contacts. Using our technology and real professional receptionists based in North America, you will not have to test out these voicemails or worry about missing another call — we’re your answering support 24/7. Live staff that sounds just like “in-house” service? That’s lightyears better than even the best voicemail greeting.

Try Smith.ai 24/7 virtual receptionists and live website chat

If you’re not capturing every possible lead and delivering exceptional client service because you’re unable to pick up every call, consider using Smith.ai’s 24/7 virtual receptionist service. Our receptionists answer calls, texts, qualify and intake new leads, book appointments, collect payments, and so much more, so that your business is always able to capture, screen, and convert all of the leads that come your way. 

Get a free 30-minute consultation or get started risk-free with our 14-day money-back guarantee to experience firsthand how Smith.ai’s virtual receptionists can revolutionize the way you communicate with your customers.