Steal These 9 Voicemail Messages for Your Business Today
Voicemail messages are an integral part of any business’s phone system.
They give a consistent way for your company to positively interact and inform both current customers and potential ones – even when no one answers.
Plus, having a solid foundation of refined and intentional messages will make all your communications more streamlined, focused, and effective.
Here are 9 powerful voicemail messages you need to steal today
*okay, it’s not really stealing; we’re just giving them to you*
Message One: Standard Greeting
The first message we’ll look at is the standard, brief greeting:
“ (greetings), you’ve reached (name). I’m unable to come to the phone right now. Please leave a message, and I will get back to you.”
Example:
“Hello, you’ve reached Mr. Smith. I’m unable to come to the phone right now. Please leave a detailed message, and I will get back to you as soon as I can.”
This is a simple, standard message that is a great place to start. If the message is for a company instead of a person, just make sure the grammar is correct (in this case, change “I’m” to “we’re” and “I” to “we,” and you’re good to go).
If you’re just building your VoIP phone system from the ground up, this is a fine message to put in place right away, and then, as you define your system, you’ll be able to make them more specialized for your customers.
Just having any intentional messaging in place is a good step forward.
Message Two: Reason for Call Request
Next, we’re adding on a request for more information from the caller. This is important because you can have the proper department/person return the call, giving a better customer service experience with less wasted time.
“ (greetings), we’re glad you called (company_name). All of our (roles) are busy right now (action). Please let us know your name, number, and the reason for your call. (time_expectation) “
Example:
“Hi, we’re glad you called Acme Company. All of our agents are busy right now helping other clients. Please let us know your name, number, and the reason for your call. One of our agents will be in touch within 24 hours.”
As you can see in the example, there are a lot of places to add a little bit more personality to your messaging without missing the point.
Remember, for some of the people calling, this is their first touchpoint with your company – the first opportunity for you to leave an impression on them.
When your messaging reflects your brand identity, you’re instantly offering a connection to everyone that calls.
Another benefit of this message, especially if you’re starting your VoIP phone system from the bottom up, is that it gives you valuable information about what your potential and current customers care about the most.
You can use this information later on when you’re setting up redirects.
Message Three: Extension Specific
Message Three is an example of giving specific information that the people reaching this extension will most likely want.
“Hello, you’ve reached the (department) at (company_name). All of our (roles) are busy right now. If you’re interested in paying a bill, you can do so at (website). Otherwise, please leave a short message, and we’ll get back to you soon.
Example:
“Hello, you’ve reached the billing department at Acme Company. All of our team members are busy right now. If you’re interested in paying a bill, you can do so at AcmeCompany.com/billing. Otherwise, please leave a short message, and we’ll get back to you soon.”
The purpose of the message is clear. But you should only use this kind of message if two things are true:
1 – you have enough of a specific demographic (people just interested in billing) to make this message useful
2 – it leads to an endpoint that gives answers or allows an action to be taken (questions about billing or a clear way to pay)
With this message, you’ll be able to lead a customer who wants to pay their bill to a place where they can easily do so and actually make a payment without engaging directly with a real person.
Message Four: Text or SMS
Texting – or SMS – is an integral part of a company’s phone system.
Most customers nowadays would rather text (and be texted) than call (or be called). Plus, texting gives the employee additional ways to communicate with customers, opening new and valuable touchpoints to better service and more sales.
“Hey, you’ve reached (name) at (company_name). Sorry, I can’t come to the phone right now. Leave a message, and I’ll call you back, or better yet, send me a text to this number with your name, the best time to reach you, and the reason for your call.”
Example:
“Hey, you’ve reached Mr. Smith at Acme Company. Sorry, I can’t come to the phone right now. Leave a message, and I’ll call you back, or better yet, send me a text to this number with your name, the best time to reach you, and the reason for your call.”
Make sure your VoIP phone system has SMS included. This way, a customer can text the business’s phone number and have the text go directly to the employee’s phone. Without VoIP, employees would have to give out their personal numbers.
Message Five: Vacation
When an employee goes on vacation, it’s important that you set the expectations of anyone calling.
While costumes don’t love waiting, they’ll usually be happy if they know why and for exactly how long that wait will be.
“Hello, you’ve reached (name) at (company_name). I’m on vacation until (date*). If you leave me a message with your name, number, and reason for your call, I’ll get back to you when I return. For more urgent matters, email (company_email_support), and someone will reach out to you soon! Thanks!”
Example:
“Hello, you’ve reached Mr. Smith at Acme Company. I’m on vacation until September. If you leave me a message with your name, number, and reason for your call, I’ll get back to you when I return. For more urgent matters, email customersupport@acmecompany.com, and someone will reach out to you soon! Thanks!”
When a team member is going out of the office for a while, it’s important that their voicemail message reflects that and gives the caller at least one alternative course of action.
If the reason for the call can wait, it will. But if it cannot, the customer has a clear path to take, and your company won’t miss out on the opportunity.
* For the date, you must give enough information so the customer can make an informed decision – in this case, whether to wait or not. But, it’s generally a bad idea for anyone to give out their vacation plans to the public – announcing to anyone that calls that their house is currently empty.
This message can also be used, with a few changes, to cover Holidays. With longer breaks, it’s even more important to have an alternative way for customers to reach someone.
Message Six: Support Line
Eventually, your company is going to put someone on hold. How you go about this matters greatly!
“Thanks for calling (company_name)’s support line. All of our (roles) are busy at the moment. Please leave a detailed message with your name, number, and the reason for your call. Our (website/specific page) may also be able to help, which you can find at (location). Thanks for your patience!
Example:
“Thanks for calling Acme Company’s support line. All of our customer service representatives are busy at the moment. Please leave a detailed message with your name, number, and the reason for your call. Our FAQ may also be able to help, which you can find at Acmecompany.com/faq. Thanks for your patience!”
It’s not uncommon for your support or customer service department to be very busy at certain times.
A lot of these callers could find their answer elsewhere. With this message, you’re able to direct them to answer their own question faster and without the help of someone from your team.
Seven: After Hours – Short
Having a message specific for when you’re closed is a vital piece of your voicemail phone system.
“You’ve reached (company_name). We’re currently closed. Please leave us your name, number, and best time to be reached, and we’ll give you a call when we’re open. Thanks!
Example:
“You’ve reached Acme Company. We’re currently closed. Please leave us your name, number, and best time to be reached, and we’ll give you a call when we’re open. Thanks!”
Without the message explicitly saying you’re outside of operating hours, customers will expect a quick response, no matter the time of day (or night) that the call is happening.
Set expectations for the call happening the next day but make sure you follow through, too.
Eight: After Hours – Long
Sometimes, you want to inform your customers of your hours in the voicemail message. This is especially useful if, for whatever reason, your hours are currently different than the norm.
“Hi, you’ve reached (company_name), but we’re closed right now. Our hours of operation are Monday Through Friday, (hours) and (hours) on the weekend. You can contact our support at any time by (action) (location). Otherwise, please leave a message with your name, number, and reason for calling. Thanks!”
Example:
“Hi, you’ve reached Acme Company, but we’re closed right now. Our hours of operation are Monday Through Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM and 10 AM to 3 PM on the weekend. You can contact our support at any time by emailing customersupport@acmecompany.com. Otherwise, please leave a message with your name, number, and reason for calling. Thanks!”
Adding your hours and a solution is a great way to make your customers feel seen and cared for even when you’re not there.
Nine: Number Redirect
This message allows the caller to be specific as to the reason for their call. This is great for both them and you. They get to quickly get to the matter at hand, which they’ll appreciate, and you’ll spend less time offering up great customer service.
“Thank you for calling (company_name). If you know your party’s extension, you may dial it at any time. Otherwise, please select one of the following options: “
It depends on your company as far as which options to choose, but here are a few examples to get you started.
- To reach the directory, press (number)
- To pay a bill or for billing questions, press (number)
- To hear our hours, press (number)
- To speak to (department), press (number) – and repeat this for each of your departments
- To repeat menu options, press (number) – usually either 9 or 0
- For all other inquiries, press (number) – usually either 9 or 0
Your customers’ needs dictate which options you should have available. Remember, just serve them. Figure out what they need most and make it readily available.
As you get more comfortable with your messaging and voicemail system, you’ll start to make small but important changes.
These messages have a lot of room for personalization, giving the team a chance to be uniquely themselves.
While you want your messaging to be an extension of your company, you want to overdo it!
It doesn’t take much for a slightly impatient customer to become frustrated when a ‘fun’ message takes minutes and minutes for something that should have just taken seconds.
With a personalized voicemail message system in place, your company will be able to give value and customer service even when you’re closed!
