Your voicemail greeting: what to say so they wait for you
Say who they reached, why you can't answer, when you'll call back and what to leave. We'd keep it to about 15 to 20 seconds, and only promise a callback time you can keep.
What makes a caller wait instead of calling someone else?
A greeting that sounds like a real person will call back soon. A default robot greeting, a full mailbox or a greeting with no callback time sounds like nobody's there.
- Who: your name and your business, so they know they got the right number.
- Why: "I'm with a client" or "I'm on a job" tells them you're working, not ignoring them.
- When: a callback time you really keep, like "between appointments today" or "by 5".
- What to leave: name and number, plus the one detail you need, like an address or the service they want.
Voicemail greeting scripts by business
Massage, bodywork or acupuncture
Therapy practice
Salon or esthetician
One person trade
After hours
Swap in your own name, business and the callback time you can keep. For a therapy practice, check your own crisis line wording with your licensing board's guidance.
How do I change my greeting?
- Google Voice: in the app, open Menu, Settings, Voicemail, Voicemail greeting, then Record a greeting. Google allows up to three minutes in the app.
- Pixel with Take a Message: Take a Message answers calls you miss with its own greeting, which you can replace with your own. Google says a custom greeting can run up to 60 seconds.
- Carrier voicemail: on many phones, hold the 1 key or call your own number, then follow the menu for greetings. Each carrier's menu is a little different.
After the greeting, the callback
The greeting is a promise. Pick fixed moments for callbacks, like between clients, at lunch and before you leave, and return every call at the next one. If you'd like a text to go out as well, read whether missed call text back is worth it.
Questions owners ask
What should a small business voicemail greeting say?
Who they reached, why you didn't answer, when you will call back and what to leave. Add one way to book or a word for urgent calls if that fits your work.
How long should a voicemail greeting be?
We'd aim for about 15 to 20 seconds, short enough to say in one breath or two.
How do I record a greeting in Google Voice?
In the Google Voice app, open Menu, then Settings, then Voicemail, then Voicemail greeting, and choose Record a greeting. Google allows up to three minutes in the app.
Sources
- Set up voicemail greetings Google Voice Help Checked
- Take a Message Google Phone app Help Checked
Updated 3 November 2026