Business Out of Office Voicemail Message Examples

An out of office greeting is different from your everyday voicemail because callers need to know the situation is temporary and that someone else can help if the matter cannot wait. Before you record, gather four pieces of information so the message flows naturally and callers are not left guessing.

• Your name and a short reason for the absence, such as vacation, travel, or leave. You do not owe callers personal details.
• The date you expect to return, or a window like the week of a certain date if plans may shift.
• An alternate contact, such as a coworker, partner, or general office line, for anything urgent.
• An invitation to leave a message with the caller's name, number, and reason, so you can respond quickly when you return.
• Optional: whether you will check messages occasionally, so callers know what kind of reply to expect.

These templates are editable wording, not real calls. Replace anything in brackets with your own details, then read the message out loud a couple of times before recording so it sounds like you talking, not reading.

• Vacation, standard: "Hi, you've reached [name] at [business name]. I'm out of the office on vacation and will return on [date]. If you need help before then, please contact [alternate name] at [number or email]. Otherwise, leave your name, number, and a brief message, and I'll get back to you when I return. Thank you for calling."
• Vacation, checking in occasionally: "Hi, this is [name]. I'm away from the office until [date] with limited access to messages. I'll check in when I can, but for anything urgent, please reach [alternate name] at [contact]. You can also leave a message and I'll follow up as soon as I'm back."
• Short absence, one or two days: "Hi, you've reached [name]. I'm out today and back tomorrow, [date]. Please leave your name, number, and reason for calling, and I'll return your call first thing. If it can't wait, [alternate name] can help at [contact]."
• Travel with time zone note: "Hello, this is [name] at [business name]. I'm traveling and will return on [date]. I'm in a different time zone, so replies may come earlier or later than usual. For urgent matters, contact [alternate name] at [contact]. Leave a message and I'll respond when I'm back."

For longer or unexpected absences, keep the message simple and avoid dates you are not sure about. Callers mainly need to know who to contact and that their message will be handled. You do not need to explain the reason for your leave.

• Extended leave, no firm date: "Hi, you've reached [name]. I'm currently out of the office and will return at a later date. For assistance, please contact [alternate name] at [contact], or leave a message and it will be passed along. Thank you for your patience."
• Unplanned absence: "Hello, this is [name] at [business name]. I'm unexpectedly out of the office. Please contact [alternate name] at [contact] for immediate help, or leave your name, number, and message and I'll respond as soon as I'm able."
• Handing off completely: "Hi, you've reached [name]. I'm on leave and [alternate name] is handling my calls during this time. Please reach them directly at [contact], or leave a message here and they will follow up."

Record the new greeting from your own phone using your voicemail system's greeting option, or through your phone service's admin portal if you use a business phone system. Speak at a normal pace, keep the message under about twenty seconds, and listen to it once before saving. Write your return date down somewhere visible so you remember to change the greeting back on your first day back.

• Set a reminder for your return date so the out of office message does not stay up after you're back.
• If your plans change, re-record the greeting rather than leaving a wrong date up.
• If you forward your calls to another number while away, confirm the forwarding works by having someone call you before you leave.

An out of office greeting tells callers what is happening, but it cannot answer questions, book appointments, or take detailed messages while you are gone. If you work alone, the alternate contact on your greeting may simply be your own email or a promise to call back, which means urgent callers still wait. Some owners pair their greeting with an answering option so callers reach something useful instead of a beep.

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