Business Holiday Voicemail Greeting Examples

Callers usually want three things: whether you are open, when you will be back, and what to do if they need something now. A greeting that answers all three in under twenty seconds does its job. Anything longer and people start pressing keys or hanging up before the important part.

• Your business name so callers know they reached the right number
• The specific holiday or closure dates, not just 'we are closed for the holiday'
• Your normal reopening date and time
• What to do in the meantime: leave a message, check your website, or call back after a stated time
• An emergency line only if you actually have one and will answer it

Use this when the office is shut for the whole holiday and the day after. It is editable wording with replaceable fields in brackets.

• "You have reached [Business Name]. We are closed for [holiday] from [start date] through [end date]. We will reopen on [reopen date] at [time]. Please leave your name, number, and a short message, and we will return your call when we are back. Thank you."

Use this when you are open part of the holiday but with different hours. Being specific about both the holiday hours and the return to normal hours prevents repeat calls.

• "Thank you for calling [Business Name]. Our holiday hours are [day] from [time] to [time]. We return to normal hours, [normal hours], on [date]. If you are calling outside those hours, leave a message with your name and number and we will call you back. Thank you."

Use this when you are open but calls may pile up, for example the day before a major holiday. It sets expectations without claiming you will answer instantly.

• "You have reached [Business Name]. We are open today, [date], but call volume is high. If we cannot take your call, please leave your name, number, and reason for calling, and we will return your call as soon as we can. For [common request], you can also visit [website]. Thank you for your patience."

Record the greeting at least a day before the closure so you are not rushing it on your way out. Speak at your normal pace, smile while you talk, and do one test call to check the volume. Write the script down even if you plan to improvise, because improvised greetings tend to trail off or forget the reopen date.

• Record from a quiet room with the door closed
• Say the dates twice if the closure spans a weekend
• Set a calendar reminder to swap back to your normal greeting on the reopen date
• If your phone system supports multiple greetings, record the holiday version alongside your regular one so switching takes seconds

A voicemail greeting only collects messages. If you would rather have calls handled while you are away, an answering service or an AI receptionist can take messages and share your business details around the clock. AllDayDesk, this site's own product, answers calls using your saved business information, and you keep your existing number by forwarding calls to it. Setup involves choosing your business or entering its website, checking the details, hearing a personalized sample, and choosing how to forward your phone. Forwarding steps depend on your carrier, so check our carrier guides before the holiday. Calls, transcripts, summaries, and bookings show up in the dashboard, and new appointments go on the built-in calendar once you have configured services and availability, with an optional Google Calendar connection available in Settings after you authorize your account. Changes to existing appointments come to you as requests, not confirmed changes.

• A greeting works if you only need messages during a short closure
• A service works if callers need answers or booking while you are out
• Forwarding codes differ by carrier and product, so verify your exact service first