Voicemail Greeting Script · After-hours voicemail greeting
After-Hours Small Business Greeting
After-hours voicemail greeting script for small businesses, with your hours, a callback promise, and an optional urgent line for callers.
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Length
- 89 words · ~36 sec
- Skills
- number delivery, clear diction, friendly tone
- License
- CC BY 4.0
The script
(Standard)Thank you for calling [Business Name]. Our office is closed for the day. Our regular hours are [Days], [Opening Time] to [Closing Time]. Please leave your name, number, and a short message, and someone from our team will call you back the next business day.
(With an urgent line)You've reached [Business Name] after hours. We're closed right now, but we'll be back at [Opening Time] tomorrow. If this is urgent, please call [Urgent Number]. Otherwise, leave a message after the tone, and we'll get back to you first thing. Thanks for calling.
Script by SceneDub (scenedub.com), CC BY 4.0. Original script drafted with AI assistance and edited by SceneDub; any resemblance to existing characters is coincidental.
Practise it now
The teleprompter scrolls at the speed you set in words per minute. Tick "Record audio while reading" to capture a take; the audio stays in your browser until you download it.
Coaching notes
- Hours are where callers stop listening. Slow down on '[Days], [Opening Time] to [Closing Time]' and say each piece as if they're writing it down.
- In the urgent version, '[Urgent Number]' is the most important thing on the recording. Pause before it, and read it in small groups, the way people dial.
- End warm. 'Thanks for calling' should sound like the owner locking up and still happy to hear from you, not a machine signing off.
Try it three more ways
- Read it as the owner of a family bakery who knows most callers by name.
- Read it as a crisp, calm office manager for a busy plumbing company.
- Try it with a soft end-of-day feel, as if the lights are already half off.
Take it further
More scripts to practise
Frequently asked questions
How long is the "After-Hours Small Business Greeting" script?
89 spoken words, about 36 sec at a conversational 150 words per minute and 41 sec at a slower 130 wpm. Your take will vary with pauses and character choices.
Can I use this script in my voice acting demo reel?
Yes. SceneDub's original scripts are licensed CC BY 4.0. You can perform, record, edit, and publish them, including in demo reels, classes, and auditions, as long as you credit "Script by SceneDub (scenedub.com), CC BY 4.0" where you share the recording or the text.
How should I practise this script?
Read it silently once, then perform it with the direction above: friendly, settled, helpful, even, slowing on hours and numbers. Record a take with the teleprompter, listen back, and try one of the alternate reads to stretch your range.