Phone answering scripts for small businesses
A good script for answering phone calls has four parts: a greeting, the business name, your name and an offer to help. “Good morning, thanks for calling [business name]. This is [your name]. How can I help you today?” The templates below start there, then cover messages, booking, prices, after-hours calls, urgent calls, transfers, upset callers, spam and wrong numbers.
Swap the [brackets] for your details, read each script out loud once, and change any line that doesn’t sound like you. The industry section adds wording for trades, clinics, salons and law offices. At the end, you’ll turn the same scripts into plain-language rules for an AI receptionist. LobbyStack wrote this guide and sells an AI receptionist, but every script here works for a person answering your phone.
What should a phone answering script include?
A phone answering script needs five parts: a greeting that names the business, a question that finds out why the person called, the answer or action, a next step with a time attached, and a close that reads key details back. Write one short script per call type, since a booking and a burst pipe need different questions.
Before you hang up, make sure you have what the next person needs:
| Call type | Get this before you hang up |
|---|---|
| Message | Name, callback number read back, reason, best time to call back, urgency |
| Booking | Service, day and time, name, phone number, job address for on-site work |
| Price question | What the job is, where it is, how soon they need it |
| Urgent call | What’s happening, the address, a callback number, whether anyone is in danger |
| Transfer | Name and number, in case the line drops |
| Complaint | Name, number, what went wrong, what they want done |
| Spam or wrong number | Nothing; end the call politely |
Three habits apply to every script:
- Read phone numbers back in groups: “five five five, zero one two, three four five six.”
- Give a time, not “soon.” “Dana will call you back by 3 p.m.” tells the caller someone owns the call.
- Ask one question at a time, and let the caller finish before you ask the next.
What do you say when you answer a business phone?
Say the business name, then your name, then offer help: “Thanks for calling [business name], this is [your name]. How can I help?” Callers first want to know they reached the right place. Keep hours, promotions and menu options out of the greeting, and give them later if the caller needs them.
Standard greeting
“Good morning, thanks for calling [business name]. This is [your name]. How can I help you today?”
Short greeting for a busy line
“[Business name], this is [your name]. How can I help?”
Owner answering a mobile on the job
“[Business name], this is [your name]. I’m with a customer right now. Can I get your name and number and call you back by [time]?”
Greeting with a recording notice
“Thanks for calling [business name]. This call may be recorded so we get your details right. How can I help?”
Recording laws differ by state, province and country, and some require everyone on the call to agree. Check the rule where you and your callers are before you record. LobbyStack records every call, so add the notice to its greeting where your local law requires one.
Greeting for an AI receptionist
“Thanks for calling [business name]. I can book a visit, answer questions about our services or take a message. How can I help?”
Naming two or three tasks tells callers what to ask for. Keep it under 25 words so the caller isn’t waiting to speak.
How do you take a phone message?
Take five details: the caller’s name, a callback number read back to them, the reason for the call, the best time to call back and whether it’s urgent. Then say who will call back and by when. A message without a reason, or with one wrong digit, means another round of phone tag.
“[Name] isn’t available right now. I’ll take a message and make sure they get it today. Can I get your name?”
“What’s the best number to reach you? … Let me read that back: [number]. Is that right?”
“What’s the call about, so [name] can come prepared?”
“When’s a good time to call you back?”
“Thanks, [caller’s name]. [Name] will call you back by [time].”
Pass every message on in the same format:
For: [name]
From: [caller's name]
Number: [number, read back]
About: [one or two sentences]
Best time to call back: [time]
Urgent: yes / no
Taken by: [your name], [date and time]What do you say when a caller wants to book an appointment?
Find out what they need, offer two specific times instead of asking when suits them, then get their name, phone number and, for on-site work, the address. Read the booking back before you hang up, and tell the caller how they’ll get a confirmation.
New booking
“Happy to get you booked. What do you need done?”
“I have Tuesday at 10 a.m. or Wednesday at 2 p.m. Which works better?”
“Can I get your full name and the best number to reach you? … And the address where we’ll be working?”
“So that’s [service] on [day] at [time] at [address]. You’ll get a confirmation by [text or email]. Anything we should know before we arrive?”
Rescheduling or cancelling
“No problem. What name and date is the appointment under?”
To reschedule: “I can move you to [day] at [time] or [day] at [time]. Which is better?”
To cancel: “Your [day] appointment is cancelled. Would you like to book a new time now?”
How do you answer “how much does it cost?”
Give a price or a range when you can, say what changes it, and offer the next step. If the price needs a visit, give the visit fee and what it covers. “It depends” on its own gives the caller nothing to decide with, so pair it with a number.
When you have a set price
“A [service] is [$X], and that includes [what’s included]. Want me to book you in?”
When the price depends on the job
“Most [service] jobs run between [$X] and [$Y], depending on [main factor]. The technician confirms the price before starting work. The visit is [$Z], [credited toward the repair if you go ahead]. Would you like to book one?”
When the caller is comparing quotes
“Makes sense to compare. Our [service] is [$X] and includes [a warranty, a same-day visit or whatever sets you apart]. Can I take your name and number in case you have questions later?”
Write your price list down before anyone uses these scripts. A receptionist, human or AI, should quote only numbers you’ve approved.
What should an after-hours phone script say?
Say you’re closed, give your opening time, and offer a way forward: book a time, leave a message with a callback time, or reach the on-call person for emergencies. Give one or two examples of an emergency so callers can tell whether theirs counts.
Answering live after hours
“Thanks for calling [business name]. We’re closed right now and open again at [time] on [day]. I can book you a time, take a message for the team, or, if this is an emergency like [example], put you through to [on-call name]. Which do you need?”
After-hours voicemail greeting
“You’ve reached [business name]. We’re closed and open again at [time] on [day]. Leave your name, number and what you need, and we’ll call you back by [time]. For an emergency like [example], call [on-call number]. If anyone is in danger, hang up and call 911.”
Use your local emergency number outside the US and Canada. If nights and weekends are when you miss the most calls, see how after-hours answering works with an AI receptionist.
How do you handle an urgent call?
Ask what’s happening, where, and whether anyone is in danger. Send anyone in danger to 911 first. For urgent work that isn’t an emergency, get the address and callback number before anything else. Then reach the on-call person, or mark the message urgent and give the caller a callback time.
“That sounds stressful. Is anyone in danger right now?”
If yes: “Please hang up and call 911 now. Call us back once you’re safe.”
“What’s happening, and where are you?” … “What’s the address? And the best number to reach you if we get cut off?”
“I’m putting you through to [on-call name] now.” Or: “I’ve marked this urgent. [On-call name] will call you back within [minutes].”
Write your list of urgent calls before you need it. The industry scripts below have examples.
How do you transfer a call or put someone on hold?
Tell the caller who you’re connecting them to and why, and get their number first in case the line drops. If you put a caller on hold, check back every minute or so and offer a callback. If the transfer fails, say so and take a message instead of sending the caller to voicemail.
Transferring a call
“[Name] handles that. Before I transfer you, can I get your number in case we’re disconnected? … Thanks, connecting you now.”
Putting someone on hold
“Can I put you on a short hold while I check?”
“Thanks for waiting. I’m still checking. Would you rather I call you back by [time]?”
When the transfer doesn’t go through
“[Name] isn’t picking up. I can take a message and have them call you back by [time]. Would that work?”
A warm transfer means you brief your colleague first: “I have [caller] on the line about [reason].” A blind transfer sends the call straight through with no introduction, so the person who picks up should answer with the business name and ask what the call is about.
What do you say to an upset caller?
Let them finish, repeat back what went wrong, apologize for the experience, and offer one concrete next step with a time. Don’t argue about fault, and don’t promise refunds or fixes you can’t approve. Promise a call back from the person who can.
Customer with a complaint
“I’m sorry about this. Let me make sure I have it right: [repeat the problem]. Is that it?”
“Here’s what I can do now: [action]. [Owner’s name] will call you by [time] about the rest.”
Caller who keeps shouting
“I want to help you sort this out. If the shouting continues, I’ll end this call and have [manager’s name] call you back.”
How do you handle spam calls and wrong numbers?
Keep both short. Ask sales callers to take your number off their list, hang up on recorded robocalls, and tell wrong-number callers which business they reached. The FTC advises hanging up on robocalls, because pressing numbers “will probably only lead to more robocalls.”
Sales calls
“Thanks, we’re not interested. Please take this number off your list. Have a good day.”
Wrong numbers
“This is [business name]. I think you may have the wrong number. Who were you trying to reach?” … “No problem. Have a good day.”
Phone scripts by industry
The scripts above cover most calls. Each industry adds a few lines of its own: trades sort emergencies, clinics protect patient privacy, salons state booking policies and law offices check for conflicts.
Trades: plumbing, HVAC and electrical
“Thanks for calling [business name], this is [your name]. Is this an emergency, or would you like to book a visit?”
“What’s the ZIP code for the job? … Good, we cover that area.”
Treat these calls as urgent: no heat in freezing weather, a burst pipe or active leak, sewage backing up, a total power loss, or sparks or a burning smell from an outlet or panel. For gas, safety comes first:
“If you smell gas, leave the building now and call your gas company’s emergency line or 911 from outside. Don’t use light switches on the way out. Call us back once you’re safe.”
Clinics: dental, medical and physical therapy
“Thank you for calling [practice name], this is [your name]. If this is a medical emergency, please hang up and dial 911. How can I help you?”
“Are you a new patient? Welcome. Can I get your full name, date of birth and the best number to reach you?”
“I can’t give medical advice over the phone, but I’ll have [the dentist, nurse or therapist] call you back today. Can you tell me briefly what’s going on?”
Confirm appointment details only with the patient or someone they’ve authorized.
Salons and spas
“Hi, thanks for calling [salon name], this is [your name]. Are you looking to book?”
“Which service, and do you have a stylist in mind? … [Stylist] has Thursday at 4 or Saturday at 11.”
“Just so you know, we ask for [24] hours’ notice to cancel or move an appointment, or there’s a [$X] fee. Is that OK?”
Law offices
“Thank you for calling [firm name], this is [your name]. How can I help you?”
“I can take a few details so an attorney can review your matter. What’s your name and best number? What type of legal matter is it? Who is the other party, so we can check for conflicts? Is there a court date or deadline coming up?”
“I can’t give legal advice, but I’ll get this to [attorney’s name], who will call you back by [time]. Please keep the details brief for now. The attorney will go over them with you.”
For intake rules, coverage hours and costs, see our guide to choosing a law firm answering service.
How do you turn phone scripts into AI receptionist rules?
Split each script into three parts. The opening line becomes the greeting. Facts such as hours, prices and service area go in the knowledge base. Instructions, meaning what to ask, when to transfer and what never to say, become short rules in plain language. The AI then words its replies around those rules instead of reading lines.
In LobbyStack, each part of a script has its own place:
| Script part | Where it goes in LobbyStack | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Opening line | Greeting | “Thanks for calling [business name]. How can I help?” |
| Hours, prices, service area, policies | Knowledge base: type it, upload a PDF, Word, text or Markdown file, or import your website | “The diagnostic visit is [$X] and is credited toward the repair.” |
| Services you book and how long they take | Services | “Furnace tune-up, 60 minutes” |
| What to ask, when to transfer, what not to say | Rules, in priority order | “If a caller reports water coming through a ceiling, treat it as urgent and transfer the call.” |
| Who takes transfers | Transfer number, one per business | Your on-call mobile |
LobbyStack reads the knowledge base as reference material and doesn’t take instructions from it. An “if this happens, do that” line inside an FAQ document won’t change what the receptionist does, so put those lines in Rules.
The scripts above, rewritten as rules
Put the most important rule first, because LobbyStack follows your rules in the order you set.
Urgent calls: If a caller reports no heat, a burst pipe, sewage backing up
or a total power loss, treat it as urgent. Get the address and a callback
number first, then transfer the call.
Messages: When you take a message, get the caller's name, callback number,
the reason for the call and the best time to call back. Read the number back.
Booking: Ask for the service and the job address before you offer times.
Offer two times.
Prices: Quote only prices from the knowledge base. If a job needs a visit to
price, explain the visit fee and offer to book one.
After hours: Outside opening hours, offer to book a time or take a message.
Transfer only urgent calls.
Complaints: If a caller is unhappy with past work, apologize, take a message
for [owner's name] marked "complaint", and say they'll get a call back today.
Don't offer refunds or discounts.
Sales calls: If the caller is selling something, say we're not interested
and end the call.
Wrong numbers: If the caller wanted another business, say they've reached
[business name] and end the call politely.What changes when an AI answers
With LobbyStack as the example (more on the AI phone answering page):
- Greeting and language. Every call opens with your greeting in the business’s default language: English, French, Spanish, Serbian, German, Brazilian Portuguese, Italian or Dutch. The receptionist then answers in the caller’s language: 70+ languages on OpenAI GPT-Live, including Spanish and Serbian.
- Booking. It books into Google Calendar, the only calendar it connects to. With the caller’s consent, it texts a confirmation and a reminder 24 hours before the appointment to US and Canadian numbers.
- Transfers. Transfers are blind and go to one number per business, so the receptionist doesn’t brief whoever picks up. Answer transferred calls with your business name and ask what the call is about. If a transfer can’t go through, the receptionist tells the caller and offers to take a message, and your team can get a “Live call transfer failed” alert.
- Messages. You get an email alert when it takes a message, with text alerts as an option. LobbyStack saves a summary, a transcript and a recording of every call in the dashboard.
- Spam. LobbyStack doesn’t bill spam calls or calls under 10 seconds.
- Texts. The AI doesn’t reply to text messages, so keep a person on any text line you advertise.
- Numbers. LobbyStack has phone numbers in the US, Canada, the UK, Australia and New Zealand, and you can forward your existing business number to it.
Test the rules before callers hear them
Call your receptionist and play each caller: an urgent call, a booking, a price question, an upset customer and a wrong number. LobbyStack’s Free plan gives you 30 voice minutes and a US or Canadian number free for 14 days, with no card, enough to run each scenario more than once. During the trial, transfers go only to the mobile number you verified, so check transfers to your team on a paid plan before you rely on them.
Fix the rule behind any answer you don’t like. Then forward your business number for every call, for overflow only or for after-hours calls. For more rule examples, see AI receptionist workflows in plain language.
Questions about phone answering scripts
What is the best way to answer a business phone?
Pick up quickly, say the business name, then your name, then offer help: “Thanks for calling [business name], this is [your name]. How can I help?” Speak a little slower than feels natural, and keep the greeting under 10 seconds so the caller can get to the reason they called.
Should a small business use a phone script?
Yes, as a guide rather than something to recite. A script makes everyone who answers ask the same questions and capture the same details, so messages and bookings come out complete. Write one per call type, keep each to a few lines, and let people say it in their own words.
How long should a phone greeting be?
A live greeting should take under 10 seconds, about 15 to 25 words. Name the business and offer help, and save hours and promotions for later in the call. A voicemail greeting can run longer, because it also gives your hours, a callback time and a number for emergencies.
Can an AI receptionist follow my phone script?
Yes, once you split the script up. Put the opening line in the greeting, facts such as hours and prices in the knowledge base, and instructions such as when to transfer in plain-language rules. The AI words each reply to fit the caller instead of reading your script line by line, so test it with real scenarios.
How do I make my business phone answer calls automatically?
Forward your business number to an answering service or AI receptionist with your carrier’s call forwarding. You can forward every call, only the calls you miss, or calls after closing time. The auto-answer setting on an iPhone or Android phone is a different feature: it picks up a call for you, hands-free, and doesn’t talk to the caller.
Try your scripts on an AI receptionist
Write your rules in an evening and test them the same night. LobbyStack’s Free plan gives you 30 voice minutes and a US or Canadian number free for 14 days, with no card. When the calls sound right, Starter is $30 a month for 150 minutes and a business number, then $0.20 a minute, with no setup fee. Start free and run your first script in the browser.