Free call script builder
Build the script your receptionist, answering service or AI receptionist follows: how to greet callers, what to ask, what's urgent, and what to say after hours. Free, no signup.
Your business: phone script
Greeting
“Thank you for calling [Business name], this is [your name]. How can I help you today?”
Smile when you answer: it can be heard. Get the caller's name early and use it once or twice.
New customers
“Happy to help. Is this your first time contacting [Business name]?”
Then ask, in a natural order:
• What's the best name and phone number to reach you?
• How did you hear about us?
• What can we help you with?
• Is there a day or time that works best for you?
Next step: take their preferred days and times, and let them know we'll confirm by the same business day.
“Thank you, [name]. We look forward to seeing you.”
Existing customers
“Of course. May I have your full name and the best number to reach you?”
“And what is this about?”
If the person they need is available, transfer the call. If not, take a message (format below) and say:
“I'll make sure they get this. You can expect a call back the same business day.”
Booking & rescheduling
To book: take their preferred days and times, and let them know we'll confirm by the same business day.
To reschedule or cancel: confirm the caller's name and the appointment they have, offer two alternative times, and confirm the change back to them.
Always repeat the final day, date and time before ending the call.
Urgent calls
Treat it as urgent if the caller mentions:
• a customer whose order, booking or service has failed today
• anything involving safety
• a caller who says it can't wait until tomorrow
Then: transfer the call to the on-call person straight away.
“I understand this is urgent. I'm getting this to the right person now.”
Billing questions
Take the caller's name, account or invoice number and question, and pass it to whoever handles billing.
Don't take card numbers over the phone unless you have a secure way to process them.
Sales calls & spam
“Thanks for calling. The best way to reach the right person is by email. May I take your name, company and email?”
Don't transfer sales calls, and don't confirm who makes buying decisions.
Message format
Every message has: caller name · phone · email (if given) · new or existing customer · reason for the call · urgent yes/no · best time to call back · time of call.
Never
• Promise a price, discount or delivery date that hasn't been confirmed
• Share another customer's details
• Argue with an upset caller: take the details and escalate
After-hours message
“Thank you for calling [Business name]. Our office is open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. If this is urgent, please stay on the line or press 1 and we'll get your message to the on-call person. Otherwise, please leave your name, number and a short message, and we'll call you back the same business day.”
Voicemail greeting
“You've reached [Business name]. We're sorry we missed you. Please leave your name, number and the reason for your call, and we'll get back to you the same business day.”
Read the script aloud once before you hand it over. Anything that sounds stiff when spoken will sound stiff to callers. Rewrite it the way you'd actually say it.
Your own numbers, nothing assumed.
Why a phone script matters
A good phone script is the single most useful thing you can hand to anyone who answers your calls. It keeps every caller's experience the same, makes sure the details you need are captured the first time, and tells the person on the phone exactly what to do with urgent calls. Pick your industry, fill in a few details, and the builder writes a complete script you can edit, copy or print.
Scripts for your industry
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Questions
What should a receptionist call script include?
At minimum: the greeting, the questions to ask a new caller, how to handle existing customers, what counts as urgent and what to do with it, what to say about pricing and availability, the after-hours message, and a standard message format so nothing gets lost.
Should a script be word for word?
Use the exact wording for the greeting, the after-hours message and anything legal or sensitive. For the rest, a short list of what to ask and what to say works better than a word-for-word script, because callers rarely follow the order you expect.
Can an AI receptionist use the same script?
Yes. AI receptionists are set up with the same information: your greeting, the questions to ask, your hours, what's urgent and where to send it. A clear script makes an AI setup faster and more accurate.