The short answer
A good business phone greeting says in under fifteen seconds who is answering, what the caller can do and when they will hear back. It fits in three sentences: the business name, the most common reason people call, and the next step. If an AI answers, say so at the start, and if you record calls, say that too: several states, including California and Florida, require every party’s consent.
We make Extra, an AI agent platform, so this article is written by an interested party. Facts about other tools and about the law come from the sources listed at the bottom, as of the date shown.
What should a good business phone greeting say?
A good business phone greeting answers three questions for the caller: am I in the right place, what can I do now, and when will I hear back? Everything else (“your call is important to us,” the full list of services, the company history) makes the wait longer without helping anyone.
Aim for under fifteen seconds for a live greeting and under twenty for voicemail. A caller who hangs up during your message does not leave one; they call the next business on the list.
- Your business name, said clearly, in the first sentence.
- The most common reason people call, handled right away (hours, emergencies, booking).
- The next step: leave a message, press a key, get a text.
- A callback time you actually keep.
Which scripts work for the main line and voicemail?
1. Simple greeting (open hours)
Thanks for calling Bright Smile Dental, this is Jenna. Are you calling to book a cleaning or about something that hurts today?
2. Voicemail during business hours
You’ve reached Miller Plumbing. I’m on a job right now. Leave your name, your town and what’s going on, and I’ll call you back before 6 p.m. If water is leaking, shut off the main valve while you wait.
3. Professional office
Hello, you’ve reached Carter Accounting. We’re with clients at the moment. Leave your name and number and tell us if it’s about a tax deadline: we return calls the same day.
4. Booking line
Thanks for calling Northside Auto. To book service, leave your name, your car’s make and model and the day that works for you. We’ll text you to confirm the time.
Which messages do you need outside business hours?
5. Closed for the evening
You’ve reached Willow Yoga Studio. We’re closed now and open again tomorrow at 9 a.m. The class schedule is on our website. Leave a message and we’ll call you back when we open.
6. Weekend with emergencies
Miller Plumbing is closed until Monday at 8 a.m. For an emergency, press 1 to reach the on-call plumber. For anything else, leave a message.
7. Vacation
Bright Smile Dental is closed for the holidays from December 24 to January 1. We reopen Friday, January 2 at 8 a.m. For a dental emergency, call the number on our website.
8. Public holiday
Carter Accounting is closed today for Labor Day. We return every call Tuesday morning.
Which messages work for hold and transfers?
9. On hold
Thanks for holding. I’m connecting you to the person who handles estimates. If the wait goes over a minute, you’ll be able to leave a message.
10. All lines busy
All our lines are busy. Leave your name and number and we’ll call back in the order calls came in, usually within the hour.
“Usually within the hour” only helps if it is true. A stated and kept callback time beats a vague promise every time.
What should the greeting say when an AI answers?
When an AI assistant answers the phone, it should say so in its first sentence. With natural-sounding voices, callers cannot tell, and they will feel misled if they find out later. It is also where the law is heading: in February 2024, the FCC confirmed that AI-generated voices count as “artificial” voices under the TCPA, which already requires prior consent for outbound robocalls. For inbound calls, disclosure is the honest default, and Europe has made it mandatory since August 2026.
11. AI receptionist greeting
Hi, you’ve reached Miller Plumbing. I’m the company’s AI assistant. I can take your request, offer you a time slot, or put you through to Tom if it’s an emergency. How can I help?
That disclosure is a product rule at Extra (hello-extra.com), the AI agent platform for small businesses: Hugo, the receptionist agent, says he is an AI at the start of every call, using the greeting you approved. To compare an AI receptionist with an answering service or plain voicemail, see our guide to AI receptionists for small businesses.
Do you need to announce call recording?
If you record calls (for quality, training or AI transcription), announce it at the start. Federal law requires only one party’s consent, but several states require every party’s consent, including California, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Montana, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and Washington, per the Digital Media Law Project’s state guide (which notes it is no longer updated, so check your state). Since you rarely know where a caller is, the safe rule is to announce recording on every call.
12. Recording notice
This call may be recorded to help us improve our service. If you’d rather not be recorded, just say so.
Keep the notice before any conversation starts. A notice buried after the menu options does not count as informing the caller.
Which greeting mistakes should you avoid?
| Mistake | Effect | Instead |
|---|---|---|
| A 40-second message | Callers hang up | Three sentences, under 15 seconds |
| Outdated hours | Lost trust | A calendar reminder every time hours change |
| “Please call back later” | The customer calls someone else | Take a message with a callback time |
| Endless hold music | Hang-ups | Offer voicemail after a minute |
| An AI pretending to be human | Misleads callers | Say it in the first sentence |
Record your greeting somewhere quiet, on a phone rather than a laptop mic, and listen to it by calling your own number. It is the simplest test, and the one most often skipped.
Frequently asked questions
Should I record the greeting myself or use a synthetic voice?
Your own voice reassures customers who know you, especially for a neighborhood business. A synthetic voice is easier to update when hours change. Either way, what matters is a message that is short and accurate.
How often should I change my greeting?
Every time your hours change, before every vacation and before each holiday you close. Put a reminder in your calendar the day before: a vacation message left on in September costs you customers for weeks.
How many options should a phone menu have?
Two or three at most for a small business. Beyond that, callers forget the first option before they hear the last. Keep one key for emergencies if your trade has them.
Should the greeting mention my website?
Only if it answers the caller’s question faster, for example the class schedule or online booking. Say the address once, slowly, and keep it short enough to remember.
Should my greeting give out my cell number?
Only for real emergencies, and only if you are ready to pick up. Otherwise, a key that forwards to the on-call person, or a message with a guaranteed callback time, protects your evenings and still reassures the caller.
Key takeaways
- Three sentences: name, most common need, next step.
- A callback time you state, and keep.
- One message per situation: open, closed, vacation, busy.
- An AI that answers says so first.
- Announce recording on every call, since some states require all-party consent.
Read next: what an AI agent does for a small business and Extra pricing.
Also read: phone scripts for a dental office.
Sources
- Digital Media Law Project, “Recording Phone Calls and Conversations,” accessed 11/03/2026
- Cooley, “FCC Rules AI-Generated Robocalls Illegal Under the TCPA,” 02/15/2024
- EU Artificial Intelligence Act, Article 50, “Transparency Obligations for Providers and Deployers of Certain AI Systems,” accessed 11/03/2026
