An out of office voicemail greeting has one job: stop callers waiting for a call that isn’t coming. If you’re away for a day, a week or the holidays and your normal greeting still promises a callback “today”, every caller who believes it ends up annoyed with you. A two-line change fixes that.
Here are out of office greetings for the most common situations. Each one tells callers three things: that you’re away, when you’re back, and who to contact if it can’t wait. Copy them, change the details, and set a reminder to switch back when you return.
Out of office for a day
“Hi, you’ve reached Dana Whitfield at Whitfield Bookkeeping. I’m out of the office today, Thursday, and back tomorrow morning. Leave a message and I’ll return it by noon on Friday.”
“Thanks for calling Fernwood Landscaping. I’m at a training course all day today and can’t check messages until this evening. Leave your name and number and I’ll call you back first thing tomorrow.”
Away for a few days or a week
“You’ve reached Marcus at Bay Street Studio. I’m away from Monday the 9th through Friday the 13th, back on Monday the 16th. If you’re calling about an existing project, email hello@baystreetstudio.example and Tess will help. Otherwise, leave a message and I’ll call you back the week I’m back.”
Give real dates rather than “next week”. People listen to voicemail days later, and “next week” means something different by then.
On vacation
“Thanks for calling Riley Pool Care. I’m on vacation until Sunday the 22nd, and I won’t be checking messages. For urgent pool problems, please call Coastal Pool Service at 555-0187, who are covering for me. I’ll return all other messages on Monday the 23rd.”
Only name a backup if you’ve arranged it with them. A referral to someone who doesn’t know they’re covering is worse than none.
Closed for the holidays
“You’ve reached Kessler Family Chiropractic. Our office is closed from December 24th through January 1st, and we reopen on Friday, January 2nd. Leave a message and we’ll call you back that week. If you’re in pain and need care before then, please contact your doctor or urgent care.”
Keep holiday greetings neutral and factual. Not every caller celebrates the same holidays, and the dates are what they actually need.
Parental leave or a longer absence
“You’ve reached Priya Nair at Northline Architects. I’m on leave until March. My projects are being handled by Daniel Ortiz, at 555-0123, who can help with anything you need. Thank you, and I look forward to catching up when I’m back.”
For long absences, don’t ask people to leave a message on your line at all. Point them to the person who’s actually picking up your work.
For a business that’s closed, not just one person
“Thanks for calling Summit Heating and Air. We’re closed today for a staff training day and will be back tomorrow at 7:30. If you have no heat, leave your address and say ‘no heat’ and our on-call tech will call you back today.” If your business takes urgent calls, the out of office greeting should still tell people how to reach whoever is on call.
Mistakes to avoid
- Forgetting to switch it back. Put a reminder in your calendar for the morning you return.
- Leaving voicemail full. Clear old messages before you go so the box doesn’t fill up while you’re away.
- Oversharing. “I’m in Cancún until the 20th” tells strangers your home is empty. “I’m away until the 20th” is enough.
- No alternative for urgent matters. If a caller can’t wait, give them somewhere to go.
What if you can’t afford to miss calls while you’re away?
For a solo business owner, a week away can mean a week of new customers calling someone else. A greeting tells them when you’re back; it doesn’t book them. An answering service or AI receptionist can keep taking bookings and messages while you’re gone. Ansdale, which is ours, answers in your business name 24/7 and books appointments into your calendar, from $49 a month. Our professional voicemail greeting guide covers your everyday greeting, and why callers don’t leave voicemail explains what you lose when nobody answers.
Questions people ask
What should an out of office voicemail say?
That you’re away, the date you’re back, and who to contact if it can’t wait. Give real dates rather than “next week”, since people may hear the message days later.
Should I say where I am in my out of office voicemail?
No. “I’m away until the 20th” is enough. Saying you’re on vacation abroad tells strangers you’re not home.
How do I set an out of office voicemail on my phone?
Record a new greeting in your phone’s or carrier’s voicemail settings, then switch back to your normal greeting when you return. Business phone systems often let you schedule greetings by date.
What should a holiday closure voicemail include?
The dates you’re closed, the day you reopen, and where to go for anything urgent. Keep it neutral and factual.
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