The Ultimate Guide to Out-of-Hours Voicemail Messages for Businesses: Best Uses, Benefits, Examples, Tips

Voicemail messages remain the top choice for business communication. According to a recent survey by CM, 69% of consumers favor phone calls for customer service. And 64% of customers want a company to be approachable 24/7. Unavailability to handle customer concerns promptly leads to a negative impact on customer satisfaction and retention. Forbes research reports that 96% of customers would end their relationship with a company that delivers a bad customer experience. This means missing calls outside of regular business hours can destroy your business growth. But, it is impossible for you to answer the phone every time it rings. Moreover, hiring a full-time receptionist or investing in a customer service software solution can be costly and time-consuming.

That's where the professional out-of-hours voicemail greeting comes in. It's the simplest and most effective way to maintain connections with customers and enhance their overall experience, even when your business is closed.

In this guide, you'll learn everything you need to know about out-of-hours voicemail recordings, including the benefits, uses, examples, and tips.

The Overview of Out-of-Hours Voicemail Messages

What are they?

Out-of-hours voicemail messages are pre-recorded audio messages that play when callers are trying to reach your business outside of regular operating hours.
You can discover all kinds of voicemail messages here.

What makes them different?

Function: These messages inform the non-operational status of a business during off-hours and invite callers to leave a message.

Purpose: Their purpose is to maintain a professional image, manage caller expectations, and provide the necessary information and a way for callers to contact the business.

Why are they important?

For businesses: Out-of-hours phone greetings allow businesses to maintain a professional image and provide a way for customers to contact them even when they are not available. This can help businesses avoid losing customers due to unanswered calls.

For customers: They help customers get the necessary information or assistance, even outside regular business hours. They also provide a way for customers to leave messages at their convenience.

Benefits of Out-of-Hours Voicemail Messages

These massages are beneficial to your business and customers, as shown below:

Uninterrupted customer experience

Always-on support: Customers can contact you at any time, even outside your regular business hours. This is especially important for customers with busy schedules.

No wait times: Customers don't have to wait on hold to speak to a live representative. They can leave a message, and you can return their call at your earliest convenience.

Enhanced business growth

Build customer retention: These phone answering messages show customers that you are available and responsive, even when you are not able to answer their calls immediately. This helps keep customers informed and engaged with your business. These messages help prevent them from going to your competitors.

Capture new opportunities: You have a chance to capture leads and sales from potential customers who are calling outside your regular business hours. These messages provide customers with information about your products and services. They allow you to follow up with callers and make a sale or close a deal.

Exceptional customer experience

Make a great first impression: Professional and informative greetings can make a good first impression on customers. They show customers that you are well organized and that you care about their needs and interests.

Foster reliability: When customers know that they can always leave a message and that you will return their call promptly, it builds trust and confidence in your business.

Show respect: Out-of-hours voicemail greetings show customers that you respect their time by providing them with the information they need promptly. This is important because customers are more likely to do business with companies they feel respect them.

Enhanced well-being

Manage time and offer reassurance: By not having to answer every call immediately, these messages help you manage your time and workload effectively. They free up your time and ensure callers will be informed and supported during after-business hours.

Set clear boundaries: You will have a better work-life balance. These messages create a clear separation between your professional responsibilities and personal life. You can relax and have a great time with loved ones without being interrupted by unexpected calls throughout the day.

Effective communication

Provide clear expectations: These automated phone messages help remove uncertainty and improve understanding with customers. They provide clear information about why you can't answer their calls and when callers can expect callbacks from you. This helps callers set realistic expectations.

Reduce frustration: Customers are less likely to get frustrated if they know that you will return their call as soon as possible. These messages also provide customers with a way to leave a message and alternative contact methods during off-business hours.

Commitment to service excellence

Deliver professional service: Informative and prompt responses to incoming calls show that you are professional and that you value customer business and time.

Maintain high quality: These auto attendants help you deliver top-notch customer service. By eliminating human errors and biases, they can automatically reply to all incoming calls in the same manner. This ensures that every customer is treated exactly the way you desire.

Improve brand reputation: A positive customer experience can help enhance your brand reputation. When customers are happy with how they are treated, they are more likely to tell others about their positive experiences.

Smooth communication

Business continuity: These messages facilitate uninterrupted workflow and operations. They help ensure that business activities will continue seamlessly even beyond regular working hours. They allow callers to leave messages about orders, inquiries, or other important matters during off-business hours. When the business resumes, you and your team can prioritize tasks and respond to caller inquiries more efficiently.

Cost savings

No need for human resources: Out-of-hours voicemail recordings help reduce staffing costs by eliminating the need to hire staff to answer calls outside of regular business hours. They can save you money and improve your bottom line.

How to Create Out-of-Hours Voicemail Messages

Here are the essential elements you need to include in your messages to make them professional and informative.

Greeting

Use: Greet callers politely and friendly. Set a welcoming and professional tone at the beginning to make a good first impression.

Benefit: This will make them feel welcome and encourage them to leave a message.

Name

Use: Introduce your name or company name in your pre-recorded messages.

Benefit: This will help callers quickly identify who they have reached. It also builds credibility and ensures that they have called the correct person who can address their needs. Clearly stating a name helps avoid confusion and wasted time.

Reason for unavailability

Use: Apologize for missing the call and explain why you missed it.

Benefit: This will show callers that you respect their time and are committed to providing good customer service. This helps reduce frustration as callers understand why you can't answer their call.

Hours of operation

Use: Inform callers of your availability or the office's hours of operation. This part is very important for out-of-hours phone greetings.

Benefit: Callers will know when they can reach you during opening business hours, or they can manage their expectations of a delay in getting back to them.

Call to action

Use: Invite callers to leave a message with their name, phone number, and a summary of their reason for calling.

Benefit: This will encourage callers to leave a message and ensure you won't miss any important opportunities. When callers leave messages, you can understand their concerns and prepare more relevant responses.

Reassurance in a return call

Use: Reassure callers that you will call them back. Provide an estimated time when they can expect your return calls in your auto-reply message. You can give them a specific timeframe, such as "within 24 hours" or "on the next business day."

Benefit: This helps callers set realistic expectations and prevents them from getting frustrated. This shows that you are interested in their business and value their time.

Alternative contact information

Use: Provide alternative communication channels, such as an email address, a company website, or a social media site. Include an alternative contact person in case callers need to reach you urgently.

Benefit: This helps avoid frustration because callers know who can address their needs in urgent matters. It also boosts customer engagement through multiple means of business communication.

Additional information

Use: Offer promotional content in your pre-recorded greetings, such as discounts, promotions, or new product launches. Offer any relevant details, such as self-help resources on website FAQ pages.

Benefit: Promotional content helps increase customer engagement and loyalty, increase brand visibility, and drive sales. Additional resources and guidelines allow callers to solve their problems independently. This is optional, but it can be beneficial.

Thank-you note

Use: Let callers know that you appreciate their time and attention.

Benefit: Expressing gratitude leaves a positive and lasting impression. It also fosters a strong connection with callers.

Useful Examples of Out-of-Hours Voicemail Messages

These are some examples of how you can use out-of-hours auto-answering messages for particular situations and purposes.

Off-hours for small businesses

If you're a small business owner, you can let your customers know that your business is currently closed and when it will be open again. Provide basic information about your business, such as your company name, hours of operation, and how to reach you during off-hours. Include a brief message about how you're committed to providing excellent customer service and that you'll return their call as soon as possible. For example:

Out-of-hours voicemail recordings can help small businesses appear more professional and polished. They can also help reduce the number of missed calls and messages, which can lead to lost sales and opportunities.

Callers can know when their call will be returned and how to reach you outside working hours. They can leave a message at their convenience, rather than having to wait on hold. These messages also avoid caller frustration and disappointment.

After hours of complex businesses

Complex businesses could have separate messages for different departments, such as the sales department, the customer service department, and the technical support department. Each message should include the department's name, regular business hours, and emergency contact details. For instance:

Separating automated phone messages helps complex businesses appear more organized and efficient. They save business time and the workload of employees by eliminating the unnecessary task of sorting out caller inquiries for the appropriate department later.

Dividing greetings for specific departments helps customers get the relevant information they need quickly and easily. This can improve customer satisfaction and reduce frustration.

Appointment scheduling after business hours

If your business offers appointment scheduling, such as a medical clinic, consulting office, or salon, you can allow customers to schedule an appointment after business hours. Invite callers to leave messages with all necessary information or offer a link to your online appointment scheduling system. For example:

If you're a restaurant owner, you can let customers order food outside your business hours. Tell callers to leave their basic information, what menu they want to order, and their preferred options, like eat-in or takeaway. If you have alternative ordering methods like a mobile app or online ordering, you can mention them in your message. For instance:

Out-of-hours automated greetings can help increase the number of business opportunities. They also improve customer satisfaction by making it easy for customers to schedule appointments or order food at their convenience. These messages avoid caller frustration by eliminating the attempt to call your business multiple times to schedule an appointment. Customers can leave messages at their convenience, without having to wait on hold or speak to multiple people. This is very beneficial to customers with busy schedules.

Self-service options

You can direct customers to self-service options, such as a website, mobile app, or FAQ page. Provide clear instructions on how to access the self-service options and what type of information or assistance can be found there. For example:

Including self-service options in your automated answering messages can help you reduce the number of customer service calls you receive. This can free up your team to focus on more complex issues. These options help customers get the information they need quickly and easily without having to wait on hold to speak to a live representative. They can also help customers get the assistance they need, even when your business is closed.

Sales and marketing

You can promote special offers, upcoming events, or new products and services. Include a call to action to encourage customers to send emails or visit the website if they are interested in learning more. For instance:

Out-of-hours auto-reply greetings can be an effective way to increase sales and generate leads without the need to pay unnecessary advertising costs. They also help increase customer engagement and loyalty.

Customers can learn about special offers and upcoming events that are relevant to them, even when a business is closed. These messages help customers avoid missing out on special offers or events that are only available for a limited time.

Helpful Tips for Writing

Out-of-Hours Voicemail Messages

Consider these tips for writing a professional and informative message that will help you stay connected with your customers.

Keep it concise

Your out-of-hours voicemail recordings should be short and to the point. Aim for no more than 30 seconds. This will ensure that callers don't get bored and hang up before leaving a message.

Use simple and easy-to-understand language

Avoid using jargon or technical terms that your callers may not understand. Instead, use simple and direct language that is easy to listen to and comprehend.

Use a friendly and professional tone

Make sure to use a friendly and respectful tone. This will help create a positive impression of your business. Callers will feel more valued and comfortable leaving a message.

Let callers know when and how to reach you

Be sure to specify your regular business hours in your pre-recorded phone messages. This will let callers know when they can expect to reach you. You may also want to include information about how to reach you during off-hours, such as through email or a website.

Promise to get back to them

Let callers know that you will return their call as soon as possible. This will show them that you value their business and that their concerns are important to you.

Use background music

Use background music to make your automated phone greetings more professional and polished. Choose music that is appropriate for your brand identity and target audience. Music helps create a pleasant atmosphere and emotional involvement with customers.

Double-check your message

Be sure your message works properly, the way you want. Double-check the accuracy of your information, the clear pronunciation, and the recording quality. This helps prevent any unexpected errors you don't want callers to hear.

Keep your message current

Make sure to update your auto-answering message regularly, especially if your business hours or contact information changes. You should also update your message during holidays and other special occasions. This ensures that callers will receive accurate information about your business.

Take Advantage of Our Service to Build Seamless Communication with Customers

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Simply choose from a variety of inspiring examples and make your own changes. Add your own unique touches to make your greeting stand out. Control the pace and flow of your messages to your liking. Select from a variety of voices and languages, as well as a library of royalty-free background music, to create a truly unique automated message. Feel free to preview your message before saving it and make changes until it sounds perfect. We guarantee that your messages will be clear, professional, and compatible with most devices.

Learn more about AI's benefits and uses in creating voicemail messages. Read our full article on how AI can help you create perfect voicemail greetings.

Out-of-hours voicemail recordings are an important tool for any business that wants to provide excellent customer service. These messages can help you stay connected with your customers outside of business hours, answer their questions, and resolve their concerns.

Take the first step towards making a memorable impact on your callers, even when you're away. Our AI voicemail greeting creator offers a variety of features and options to choose from, so you can create a message that is tailored to the specific needs of your business. Try our service today and see the incredible results for yourself!