Receptionist phone script for every call
A receptionist phone script has five parts: a greeting that names the business and offers help, a hold that asks permission, a message block that captures four facts, a transfer that briefs the person picking up, and a close that says what happens next. Copy the blocks below and change the names.
Good morning, Carter Auto Repair, this is Luis. How can I help you today?
Business name before your own name. Callers listen for the first, and half of them miss the second.
May I place you on a brief hold while I check that for you?
Thanks for holding. I have the answer: the part arrived this morning and the car will be ready by 4:00pm.
Ask, wait for the yes, and come back with the answer rather than "still checking". If it takes longer than a minute, offer a callback.
Marisol is with a customer right now. Can I take a message and have her call you back?
May I have your name and the best number to reach you?
And what's the message about, so she can have the answer ready?
Is there a time today that's best for the callback?
Let me read that back: Kenji Ota, 555-0163, about the brake quote on the Civic, any time after 2:00pm. She'll call you this afternoon.
Four facts: name, number, reason, callback window. The read-back is what makes the callback actually happen.
I'll put you through to Marisol in service. One moment while I let her know it's you.
Marisol, I have Kenji Ota on the line about the brake quote on the Civic. Are you free to take it?
Kenji, connecting you now.
Tell the caller who they're going to, tell the receiver who's coming and why, then connect. Nobody explains their problem twice.
You're booked for Thursday at 8:30am. You'll get a text confirmation in a moment. Is there anything else I can do for you?
Thanks for calling Carter Auto, have a good day.
Restate the outcome, say what arrives next, ask once, and let them hang up first.
Thanks for calling Carter Auto Repair. You're speaking with the shop's AI assistant. I can book a service, check on a repair, or take a message for the team. What do you need?
Same three-part shape as the human greeting, with the AI notice in the second sentence.
Why these five blocks cover most calls
Almost every call resolves into one of them: answered on the spot, held for an answer, taken as a message, transferred, or booked and closed. A receptionist who has the five blocks by heart handles a call they've never heard before.
The message block is the one that earns its keep. A callback that never happens is a familiar front-desk complaint, and it usually fails at the phone number or the reason. The read-back fixes both.
The transfer block briefs the receiver before connecting. That is the whole difference between a warm transfer and a cold one, and it takes eight seconds.
The close names the next thing that happens. Callers who know a text is coming don't ring back to check.
How to adapt it for your front desk
Change the sorting question in the greeting to your two most common reasons for calling. A clinic asks "booking or a question for the nurse?" A law firm asks "new matter or existing client?"
Write the hold line with your real hold time in mind. If your checks take two minutes, the line should offer a callback instead of a hold.
Give the receptionist a sheet of who takes which call, with each person's direct line and whether they take transfers at all. The transfer block only works when the receptionist knows the answer before the caller asks.
If an AI answers, keep the five blocks and add the disclosure sentence to the greeting. The scripts don't change; the first line does.
The AI version has one extra sentence
How GreetKeeper runs the receptionist script
The greeting and the sorting question are settings you write. GreetKeeper answers every inbound call with them, at any hour, including calls that arrive together.
The message block is how it takes a message: it captures the caller's name, number and reason, reads them back, and texts the on-call person with the details. Every call arrives as a transcript and a short summary.
The transfer block is a transfer rule. GreetKeeper puts the caller through to your team when they ask or the assistant is unsure, and tries a second number you nominate if the first doesn't answer.
The close is a booking. It books into your calendar on every plan, including Starter at $49 for 200 calls, and the caller gets one text with the confirmation after the call.
Questions people ask about these greetings
What is a good receptionist greeting?
Time of day, business name, your name, then an offer of help: "Good morning, Carter Auto Repair, this is Luis. How can I help you today?" Under 15 words, business name first.
What information should a receptionist take for a message?
Four things: the caller's name, the best number, what the message is about, and when they'd like the callback. Read all four back before ending the call.
How do you put a caller on hold politely?
Ask permission and say why: "May I place you on a brief hold while I check that for you?" Wait for the yes. If the check will take more than a minute, offer a callback instead.
Should a receptionist announce a transfer?
Yes. Tell the caller who they're being transferred to, then tell the receiver who's calling and why before connecting. That is a warm transfer, and it means nobody repeats themselves.
Let GreetKeeper run the five blocks
14-day free trial, no card, every feature on. Paste the greeting, forward your number, and read the first message it takes.