Holiday Office Closed Voicemail Message: Scripts and Setup

Callers usually want three answers fast: Are you open? When are you back? What should I do now? Keep the message short enough that people hear all of it before they hang up, and put the reopening date early rather than at the end.

• The dates you are closed, stated plainly: closed Thursday and Friday, November 27 and 28.
• Your reopening day and normal hours: we reopen Monday at 8 a.m.
• What to do in the meantime: leave a message, book online, or email.
• Whether you will return calls before reopening, and any deadline for requests you will handle first.
• A different contact only if you actually have one, such as a manager's line for emergencies you choose to honor.
• A thank-you and your business name so callers know they reached the right place.

These are editable wording templates with replaceable fields in brackets. Adjust dates, hours, and instructions to match your real closure, then read the final version out loud before recording to catch awkward phrasing.

• Simple closure: You have reached [Business Name]. Our office is closed [day, date] through [day, date] for [holiday]. We will reopen [day, date] at [time]. Please leave your name, number, and a brief message, and we will return your call when we reopen. Thank you.
• Closure with self-service: Hello, this is [Business Name]. We are closed for [holiday] and will reopen [day, date] at [time]. If you would like to schedule an appointment, you can do that on our website at [website]. Otherwise, leave a message with your name and number and we will follow up when we are back.
• Closure with an urgent contact: Thank you for calling [Business Name]. Our office is closed [dates] for [holiday] and reopens [day, date]. For [define the urgent situations you will actually handle], call [name and number]. For all other matters, please leave a message and we will respond when we reopen.
• Multi-day holiday week: You have reached [Business Name]. We have reduced hours this week and are closed [dates]. We reopen [day, date] at [time]. Messages left today will be returned in the order received once we are back in the office. Thank you for your patience, and happy [holiday].

A holiday message is only useful if callers can hear the dates. Record in a quiet room, hold the phone or microphone at a steady distance, and speak slightly slower than normal conversation. Say numbers carefully: November twenty-eighth is easier to catch than 11/28.

• Write the script out and read it; improvised messages often skip the reopening date.
• Do one practice read, then record the second take.
• Listen back on speakerphone, since many callers will hear it that way.
• Set a calendar reminder to swap back to your regular greeting on reopening day, and another to record next year's version.
• If your closure changes last minute, re-record rather than leaving a message with wrong dates.

A greeting only helps if closed-holiday calls reach it. If you forward your business line somewhere while you are out, the forwarding rules decide what callers experience, so set them up before you leave. The steps depend on your phone provider. For example, Verizon mobile uses *72 plus the destination to forward all calls and *73 to turn it off, while Verizon business landline also uses *72 and *73 from the same line. T-Mobile uses **21*1 plus the destination and # for unconditional forwarding and ##21# to disable it. Optimum Business Phone uses *72, waits for dial tone, then the destination, with *73 to turn it off. Spectrum Business Voice manages forwarding through the SpectrumBusiness.net portal instead of star codes, and Vonage Business Communications handles it through Call Forwarding settings in its interface. Always confirm the exact product name on your account before using any provider's instructions, because codes differ between a carrier's wireless, landline, and hosted products.

• Test the setup by calling your business line from another phone before the holiday.
• Note how to turn forwarding off, and do it as soon as you reopen.
• Forwarding may carry plan charges depending on your provider and plan.

A static message cannot answer questions, take detailed messages, or book appointments while you are away. If you would rather have calls handled during a holiday closure, an answering option can pick up using your saved business information. With AllDayDesk, the AI receptionist answers around the clock, takes messages, and can book new appointments into the built-in dashboard calendar once you have set your services and availability. You keep your existing number by forwarding calls to it, using the forwarding steps for your phone service. You can hear a personalized sample before choosing phone setup, and calls, transcripts, summaries, and bookings show up in your dashboard. Existing appointment changes are passed to you as requests rather than confirmed changes, and if the receptionist does not know an answer, price, or opening, it takes a message.