After hours, your voicemail greeting makes a promise. Make it one you'll keep.

After you lock up, your greeting is the only thing that answers. Whoever's calling decides, while it plays, whether to leave a message or ring the next company on the list.

The short answer

Say who they've reached, that you're closed and when you open, when you'll call back, what to do if it can't wait, and where else they can reach you.

Keep it under a minute: TELUS's home-phone voicemail guide caps a personal greeting at 60 seconds¹.
For a holiday, record a holiday greeting rather than an extended absence one.
On Bell Mobility's Message Centre, the extended absence one means callers can't leave a message at all².
Then call back when you said you would.

Five things it says, in this order

Who they've reached: your business name, said the way it's on your truck and your Google profile.
The detail
That way they know they dialled right.
That you're closed, and your hours. "We're open weekdays 7 to 5" tells them when a person picks up.
When you'll call back. "By 10 tomorrow morning" is a promise; "as soon as possible" isn't one.
What to do if it can't wait, if you offer it: an on-call number for a burst pipe or no heat.
The detail
If you don't take emergencies, say so, kindly.
Where else to reach you: a text number, your website to book, or an email.
The detail
Only name the ones somebody answers.

Read it aloud with a timer before you record.

The detail

TELUS's home-phone voicemail guide allows up to 60 seconds for a personal greeting¹; a message that uses half of that is easier to sit through.

An after-hours greeting you can record tonight

Fill the brackets, cut any line you don't offer, and read it the way you'd answer the phone.

After-hours voicemail greeting

"You've reached [business name]."
"We're closed right now. We're open [days], [opening time] to [closing time]."
"Leave your name, your number and what it's about, and we'll call you back by [10 tomorrow morning / the next business day]."
"If it's [an emergency: no heat, water coming in, a lockout], call [on-call number] and someone will pick up." Or: "We don't take emergency calls after hours."
"You can also [text us at (number) / book online at (website) / email (address)]."
"Thanks for calling [business name]."

Holiday greeting

"You've reached [business name]. We're closed from [date] to [date] for [the holiday]."
"We're back on [day, date] at [time], and we'll return every message by [day]."
"Leave your name, your number and what it's about."
"If it's [an emergency], call [on-call number]."
"[Booking online at (website) stays open.]"

Holidays: the setting that stops messages

A holiday greeting and an extended absence greeting aren't the same thing.

The detail

TELUS's home-phone voicemail guide lists main, busy, holiday and extended absence greetings, plus a schedule that can switch between up to 4 of them¹. On Bell Mobility's Message Centre, the extended absence greeting plays after the first ring and callers can't leave a message². That's right for a two-week shutdown with nobody checking. Over Christmas with jobs still booked, it sends every caller away.

Make Google say what the greeting says.

The detail

Google Business Profile's special hours cover a change or a closure of up to 6 days; for 7 days or more in a row, Google says to mark the business temporarily closed³. It also suggests confirming your hours for official holidays even when they don't change³.

Recording it, and checking it like a customer

Write it out first
Fill in the template and cut it down until it reads in well under a minute.
Record it on the line
On a Bell business line, enter your voicemail access code and password, then 4, 3, 1, 2, record, and #⁴.
The detail
That's from Bell's own guide, last updated in 2014⁴. On TELUS home-phone voicemail, press 3 from the main menu for greetings¹. On other systems, look for greetings under personal options in the voicemail menu.
Call yourself after close
From another phone, after hours.
The detail
Listen to the whole thing as a customer would, and leave a test message to see that it arrives.
If you forward the line, check where calls land
Forwarding and voicemail compete for the same missed call.
The detail
On a Rogers mobile, forwarding when busy or unanswered won't work while voicemail is on⁵. Our call forwarding page has each carrier's codes.
Keep the promise
Whatever time the greeting names, put the callbacks first on the next morning's list.

When a greeting isn't enough

Callers need a person tonight, and only some of them.
Give the greeting an on-call number, or a press-zero option if your carrier sells one.
The detail
TELUS's Zero Out add-on for home voicemail forwards callers who press zero to a number you choose¹.
Most evening callers want the same few answers: hours, a price range, a booking.
Offer a text number or online booking in the greeting.
The detail
A written question can be answered tonight, by you or by software that replies in your name.
Every missed call is a lost job.
A greeting won't fix that. Someone has to pick up: you, a crew lead on call, or an answering service.

Where we fit

Calls still ring you: Otto doesn't answer the phone.

The detail

What he answers after hours are the texts, website messages and emails, in your business's name, with a person on our team a step away. A greeting that says "or text us" gives an evening caller a way to get an answer tonight.

All answers