Voicemail greetings · Auto repair shop
Voicemail greetings for auto repair shops
An auto-repair voicemail greeting should split “is my car ready?” from “can you fix it?” Ask year, make, and model on every new job. Status checks belong in a text when the bay is done, not on the beep. After hours, name the tow partner before the shop hours.
Will Caraway wrote this. Posted . Last edit .
Replace anything in [brackets], read the greeting out loud once, and keep it under 30 seconds.
Official docs I used
- AT&T: set up call forwarding on a wireless line — AT&T's **61* / **67* / ##004# codes from the carrier, not a recap blog
- Google Voice: change your voicemail greeting — Google's own greeting-recording steps for a Voice / Android mailbox
What should you ask callers to leave?
- Name and number
- Year, make and model
- What it's doing
- Existing repair or new
What's the fastest way to sort shop calls at the voicemail?
5 recordings. Pick the one that matches the call sitting in the mailbox today.
“Thanks for calling [Business]. We're with a customer right now. Leave your name, number, your vehicle's year, make and model, and what it's doing, and we'll call you back shortly.”
“You've reached [Business]. If you're checking on your vehicle, leave your name and we'll call you with an update. For new repairs, leave your name, number and what's going on with your car.”
“Hi, you've reached [Business]. To book service, leave your name, number, your vehicle and a couple of days that work, and we'll call you back to confirm.”
“Thanks for calling [Business]. We're closed. Our hours are [hours]. Leave a message and we'll call you back when we open. If you need a tow tonight, call [towing partner] at [number].”
“[Business]. Leave your name, number and vehicle, and we'll call you back.”
The one tweak that cuts status-check calls in half
If 40% of your calls are "is my car ready?" send those customers a text when a job moves to ready status instead of letting them call. Then rewrite the greeting: "If you're checking on your vehicle, we text you the moment it's ready — give us a few hours past your drop-off window before calling." Fewer calls, same transparency.
Split "is my car ready?" from "can you fix it?"
Status checks eat the front desk. If you text customers when a job is ready, say that in the greeting. "We text you when it is ready. Give us a few hours past drop-off before you call."
New work still needs year, make, and model. That is half the diagnosis. Ask for it on the beep.
- After hours, name a tow partner if you have one. A stranded driver will not leave a message.
- Appointments can wait until morning. A car on the shoulder cannot.
- Keep the greeting short. Service writers already talk all day. Callers will too if you let them.
A driver at 7 p.m. on the highway is calling the next shop. Your greeting is not in that race unless a person or Riley picks up.
Year, make, model — or you are guessing
Ask for it on the beep. A 2012 Civic and a 2022 Civic are different jobs. "My car is making a noise" is not a message you can act on.
Status checks: text when ready. Say that. The greeting should push those callers off the phone.
After hours, a tow number belongs before your hours. A driver on the shoulder is not listening for Monday at 8.
Riley can take the vehicle and the symptom at 7 p.m. You call back from the shop in the morning with a bay in mind.
What's the cost of a stranded driver reaching voicemail?
A driver on the side of the highway at 7 p.m. isn't leaving a message — they're calling the next shop on the list. If you don't have a towing partner, Riley catches the call, gets the vehicle, and texts you so you can call back and route them in the morning. If you do, your greeting should name the tow number before anything else.
What makes a auto repair shop greeting work?
- Ask year, make and model; it's half the diagnosis.
- Separate status checks from new work.
- Give a towing number after hours if you have a partner.
Running a auto repair shop? See how Riley handles calls for auto repair shops.