Voicemail greetings that actually get messages

Why most callers hang up

The default greeting on a mobile says nothing about who you are. A caller hears a number read out by a machine, or 'the person you are calling is not available'. They cannot tell whether they rang the right firm, whether anyone listens to messages, or when they might hear back. So they hang up and try the next name.

A good greeting answers those three doubts in about ten seconds: this is the right business, the message will be heard, and here is when I will ring you. That is all it has to do.

What a good greeting includes

• Your business name, said clearly, in the first two seconds.
• Why you can't answer, in a few words. 'I'm on a job' is honest and reassuring; it tells them you are busy because you are good.
• What to leave. Name, number and what they need. People leave better messages when told what to say.
• When you will ring back. This is the part that matters most. 'Within the hour' or 'by the end of today' gives them a reason to wait.
• What to do if it's urgent, if you have another way to be reached.

Keep it under fifteen seconds. Every extra second loses a few more callers.

Examples you can use

A general one for most trades:

"Hello, this is Dave at Hill Electrical. I'm on a job and can't get to the phone. Leave your name, number and what you need, and I'll ring you back within the hour."

For emergency trades, where the caller may not wait:

"You've reached City Locksmiths. I'm with a customer just now. If you're locked out, leave your name, number and where you are, and I'll ring you straight back as soon as I'm free."

For quoted work, where callers are less rushed:

"Thanks for calling Brooks Building. We're on site during the day. Leave your name, number and a line about the work you have in mind, and we'll ring you back this evening."

Out of hours:

"This is Ace Plumbing. We're closed until eight tomorrow morning. Leave your name, number and what's happened, and we'll ring you first thing."

Small things that make a difference

• Record it somewhere quiet. A greeting recorded in a van with the engine running sounds like a firm that is in a hurry.
• Smile while you say it. It sounds daft and it works. You can hear it.
• Only promise what you will do. If you say within the hour and ring the next day, you have made things worse than saying nothing.
• Empty your mailbox. A full voicemail box is the worst thing a caller can meet. Clear it weekly.
• Change it when you're away. A holiday greeting that says when you're back keeps customers who would otherwise assume you have stopped trading.

Ring back faster than feels necessary

The greeting gets you the message. What you do next decides whether you get the job. Someone with an urgent problem who has left you a message has usually left one with two other firms as well. The first to ring back wins.

If you can, check messages between jobs, not at the end of the day. A missed call returned in five minutes is often still a job. The same call returned at six in the evening is usually a polite 'thanks, we got someone'.

Where voicemail runs out

A good greeting will improve things. It will not fix them, and it is fair to say why.

• Urgent callers still hang up. Someone locked out or with water coming through the ceiling wants a person. However good the greeting, many will not wait for the beep.
• Messages are often useless. 'Hi, it's John, ring me back' with no number, or a number said too fast to catch.
• You get no details. You have to ring back to find out what the job even is, and you can't decide which call to return first.
• You can't tell urgent from routine without listening to every message in order.

If you miss a call or two a week, a better greeting and prompt call backs are probably all you need. If you miss several a day, it is worth working out what they cost you and looking at something that answers. Our comparison with voicemail sets out the differences plainly.