Custom Greeting Creation for AI Receptionist: Copywriting Guide + Industry Templates

Introduction

You've set up your AI receptionist. The system is ready. But you're staring at a blank "greeting" field, wondering: what do I actually say?

A generic "Thanks for calling, how can I help you?" sounds robotic. But writing custom greeting copy from scratch feels daunting. You're not a copywriter—you're a business owner trying to answer phones more effectively.

This guide gives you a proven framework and 10 ready-to-use templates. Pick the one closest to your industry, customize it in 5 minutes, and launch with confidence.

Why Your AI Greeting Matters More Than You Think

Your greeting isn't just a formality. It's doing three critical jobs: making a first impression, establishing credibility, and routing calls to the right place.

First Impressions Happen in 7 Seconds

Your greeting is the first—and sometimes only—impression callers get of your business. Research shows that people form judgments about credibility within the first seven seconds of an interaction. For phone calls, the greeting IS that moment.

A professional, well-crafted greeting builds trust instantly. A generic or poorly written one makes callers question whether they've reached a legitimate business.

The Hidden Cost of Generic Greetings

Generic greetings don't just sound unprofessional—they fail to route calls effectively. In our analysis of 130,175 customer service calls from 47 home services businesses, we found that 15.9% of calls contain urgency language like "emergency," "urgent," or "ASAP." Another 6.2% are true emergencies requiring immediate attention.

Without proper routing built into your greeting, emergency calls get treated like routine inquiries. The result? Frustrated customers who expected immediate help and lost revenue from high-value emergency jobs that average $4,200—significantly higher than routine work.

Your greeting should triage calls the moment they start, not after 30 seconds of conversation.

The 3-Part AI Greeting Framework

Every effective AI receptionist greeting follows the same three-part structure. Here's the framework that works across industries.

Part 1: The Greeting (Warmth + Professionalism)

Start with a simple, welcoming phrase that sets the tone:

• "Thank you for calling"
• "Thanks for reaching out to"
• "You've reached"

Keep it brief—just 3-5 words. This opening sets your tone (professional vs friendly) without wasting time.

Avoid "Hello" alone (too casual for most businesses) and time-specific greetings like "Good morning" or "Good afternoon." Your AI doesn't know what time it is, and these phrases can sound awkward on recordings.

Part 2: Company + Value Proposition (Credibility)

State your company name clearly, followed by a brief value proposition or expertise signal:

• "[Company Name], your trusted HVAC experts"
• "[Law Firm], serving clients since 1985"
• "[Agent Name], your local real estate specialist"

This accomplishes two things: it confirms the caller reached the right business, and it establishes credibility immediately. The value proposition doesn't need to be elaborate—just a quick signal of what you do or why you're qualified.

Part 3: The Intent Router (Action + Qualification)

This is where AI greetings shine compared to human receptionists. Ask a qualifying question that routes the call based on intent:

• "Are you calling about heating, cooling, or maintenance?"
• "Are you a current client or new client?"
• "Are you looking to buy, sell, or get a market analysis?"

Give callers 3-4 clear options maximum. This enables smart routing while capturing caller intent immediately. In our call data, we found that 6.9% of calls are quote requests and 7.7% are scheduling requests—having these as routing options captures common intents right away.

Framework Summary

Here's how it looks together:

[GREETING] + [COMPANY/VALUE PROP] + [INTENT ROUTER]

Example: "Thank you for calling ABC Plumbing, your 24/7 emergency plumbing experts. Are you experiencing an emergency, scheduling a service, or requesting a quote?"

This 25-word greeting accomplishes everything: it's warm, establishes credibility, and routes calls intelligently.

10 Industry-Specific Greeting Templates (Copy & Customize)

Here are 10 proven greeting templates for different industries. Copy the one closest to your business, replace the placeholders in brackets, and you're ready to launch.

1. HVAC Companies

Template: "Thank you for calling [Company Name], your trusted HVAC experts serving [City/Region]. Are you calling about heating, cooling, or maintenance?"

Why it works: Routes immediately by service type, which helps with technician scheduling and parts preparation. Mentions location for local credibility. Emergency callers will typically say "emergency" instead of a service type, allowing you to fast-track those calls.

2. Plumbing Services

Template: "You've reached [Company Name], available 24/7 for emergency plumbing. Are you experiencing an emergency, scheduling a service, or requesting a quote?"

Why it works: Leads with emergency availability, which is critical for plumbing. Three clear routing options capture the vast majority of plumbing call intents without overwhelming callers with choices.

3. Electrical Contractors

Template: "Thank you for calling [Company Name], licensed electricians serving [Area]. Is this an emergency, or are you calling to schedule service?"

Why it works: Simple two-option routing keeps it brief. "Licensed" builds credibility (important for electrical work). Emergency-first positioning ensures urgent calls get handled appropriately.

4. Roofing Companies

Template: "Thanks for calling [Company Name], your local roofing specialists. Are you calling about a leak, need a roof inspection, or want a quote for a new roof?"

Why it works: Three specific service types cover most roofing calls. "Leak" captures urgency without explicitly using the word "emergency," which can feel alarmist for a roofing company.

5. Law Firms

Template: "Thank you for calling [Law Firm Name], serving clients in [practice areas]. Are you a current client or a new client?"

Why it works: This distinction is critical for legal practices. Current clients need different routing (case updates, billing questions) than new prospects (consultations, intake). Some firms prefer separate phone lines, but this works well for single-line setups.

Alternative for specific practice areas: "Thank you for calling [Law Firm Name], specializing in personal injury law. How can we help you today?"

6. Real Estate Agents

Template: "You've reached [Agent Name] with [Brokerage], your [City] real estate specialist. Are you looking to buy, sell, or get a market analysis?"

Why it works: Three core real estate intents right upfront. Establishes local expertise and brokerage affiliation. Opens the qualification path immediately—buyers and sellers need different follow-up.

7. General Contractors

Template: "Thank you for calling [Company Name], general contractors specializing in [residential/commercial] projects. Are you calling about a new project, an existing project, or requesting an estimate?"

Why it works: Separates new prospects from existing clients. "Estimate" captures quote-seekers, which our data shows represent 6.9% of calls. Mentioning residential vs commercial sets expectations.

8. Auto Repair Shops

Template: "Thanks for calling [Shop Name], your trusted auto repair specialists. Are you calling to schedule service, check on a repair, or ask about our services?"

Why it works: Three routing options cover appointment booking (7.7% of calls in our data), status checks (common for repair shops), and general inquiries. Natural and conversational tone works well for auto repair.

9. Towing Services

Template: "You've reached [Company Name], 24-hour towing and roadside assistance. Do you need immediate towing, roadside help, or vehicle storage?"

Why it works: Emergency-first positioning is essential for towing. Separates urgent towing from less urgent roadside assistance and storage inquiries. 24-hour availability stated upfront sets expectations.

10. Medical/Dental Offices

Template: "Thank you for calling [Practice Name]. Are you calling to schedule an appointment, speak with a current patient, or ask about our services?"

Why it works: Routes by intent while maintaining HIPAA-appropriate language. "Current patient" enables proper handling of protected health information. Professional, welcoming tone fits medical settings.

How to Adjust Tone (Professional vs Friendly vs Urgent)

The same greeting structure works across tone variations. Here's how to adjust for your brand personality.

Professional Tone

Use "Thank you for calling" (not "Thanks"). Include credentials, years in business, or formal language. This tone works best for law firms, medical offices, financial services, and B2B companies.

Example: "Thank you for calling Smith & Associates Law Firm, serving clients since 1985. Are you a current client or prospective client?"

Friendly Tone

Use "Thanks for reaching out to" or "You've reached." Include personality and approachable language. This works well for retail, real estate, home services with strong personal brands, and businesses targeting residential customers.

Example: "Thanks for calling Joe's Plumbing! We're here to help with all your plumbing needs. Are you experiencing an emergency, or can we schedule a service call?"

Emergency-Optimized Tone

Lead with availability: "24/7" or "Emergency service available." Front-load urgency handling to reassure callers they've reached the right place for immediate help.

Example: "You've reached ABC Emergency HVAC, available 24/7. If this is an emergency, say 'emergency' now. Otherwise, are you calling about heating, cooling, or maintenance?"

Tone Comparison

Match the tone to your industry norms and brand personality. When in doubt, test both professional and friendly versions with a few callers and see which feels right.

AI Greeting Best Practices: Do's and Don'ts

Follow these guidelines to create greetings that sound natural, route effectively, and capture caller intent.

Do's

✓ Keep it brief: 15-20 seconds maximum (30-40 words). Callers want quick routing, not a monologue.

✓ State company name clearly: Say it in the first 5-7 words so callers know they've reached the right place.

✓ Ask a qualifying question: This enables routing. "How can I help you?" is too vague—give specific options.

✓ Offer 3-4 clear options: "Heating, cooling, or maintenance" works. Offering 7-8 options overwhelms callers.

✓ Use specific service names: Say "heating, cooling, maintenance" not "services." Concrete language beats abstract.

✓ Match your brand tone: Professional for law firms, friendly for home services, urgent for emergency businesses.

✓ Test with real callers: Launch, listen to a few calls, and refine based on what you hear.

Don'ts

L Don't write paragraph-long greetings: Anything over 25-30 seconds loses caller attention and feels robotic.

L Don't use time-specific greetings: "Good morning" sounds odd at 4 PM. AI doesn't know the time.

L Don't bury your company name: Say it early (within first 5-7 words), not at the end.

L Don't end with open "How can I help you?": It's too vague and doesn't enable routing.

L Don't use jargon or acronyms: Callers might not know your industry terms. Keep it accessible.

L Don't make callers memorize menus: Avoid "Press 1 for sales, press 2 for service, press 3 for..." Natural language routing works better.

L Don't sound robotic: Use contractions ("we're" not "we are"). Read it aloud—if it sounds stiff, rewrite it.

Pro Tip

Your AI greeting should be conversational, not transactional. Read it aloud before you launch. If it sounds like a robot wrote it, simplify the language and add natural phrases.

How NextPhone Makes Custom Greetings Easy

Creating effective AI greetings requires the right platform. Here's how NextPhone helps you implement these templates and optimize based on real call data.

Pre-Built Industry Templates

NextPhone offers industry-specific greeting templates built right into the platform. You're not starting from a blank screen—pick your industry, customize the placeholders (company name, services, location), and launch in minutes.

The templates follow the proven 3-part framework and include routing questions optimized for your industry's most common call types.

Real-Time Call Routing

NextPhone's AI routes calls based on how callers respond to your greeting questions:

• Emergency calls — Immediate transfer to your phone
• Appointment requests — Scheduling flow with calendar integration
• General questions — AI handles using your custom knowledge base
• Quote requests — Data collection flow to capture project details

The routing happens instantly. Our AI answers in under 5 seconds and starts qualifying callers immediately through your custom greeting.

Continuous Optimization

You can see how callers respond to your greeting through call transcripts and analytics. If callers frequently ask clarifying questions or seem confused, that's your signal to adjust the greeting.

NextPhone shows you:

• Most common caller responses to your routing question
• Calls that didn't fit your preset options (showing where you might need to adjust)
• Average time to route calls after the greeting

This data helps you refine your greeting based on actual caller behavior, not guesswork.

Customizable Personality

Beyond the greeting text, you can adjust the AI's voice personality:

• Professional and formal
• Friendly and conversational
• Warm and empathetic
• Direct and efficient

The personality setting affects how the AI delivers your greeting and how it handles the conversation after the initial routing. You can match the voice to your brand without rewriting your greeting script.

Key Features That Support Effective Greetings

• Answers in under 5 seconds: Fast pickup creates positive first impressions
• Customizable greeting and personality: Match your brand exactly
• Collects any information you define: Beyond routing, capture names, callbacks, project details
• Routes calls intelligently: Emergency detection, appointment scheduling, human transfer
• Integrates with your tools: CRM, calendar, SMS—closes the loop after the greeting

In our analysis of 130,175 calls, we found that 74.1% of calls to small businesses go completely unanswered. An AI receptionist with the right greeting captures those calls—and our customers tell us the greeting is what makes callers feel like they've reached a real business, not a voicemail box.

At $199/month with unlimited calls, NextPhone costs 60-75% less than traditional answering services ($500-800/month) while providing smarter routing and 24/7 coverage.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How long should an AI receptionist greeting be?

Keep greetings to 15-20 seconds (30-40 words). Longer greetings lose caller attention and feel impersonal. Shorter greetings can feel abrupt or unprofessional. Aim for: greeting (5 words) + company/value prop (10-15 words) + routing question (10-15 words). This gives you enough time to establish credibility and route effectively without testing caller patience.

Should my AI greeting sound formal or casual?

Match your brand and industry norms. Law firms, medical offices, and financial services typically need professional, formal tone. Service businesses like plumbing, HVAC, and landscaping can use friendlier, more conversational language. Real estate agents often prefer approachable but professional. Test both versions with a few callers and see what feels right for your business and customer base.

What if callers don't fit my greeting options?

Good AI systems handle this gracefully. If you ask "Are you calling about heating, cooling, or maintenance?" and the caller says "I have a question about your prices," the AI should understand the intent and respond appropriately. NextPhone's AI understands intent beyond preset options and adapts the conversation naturally. You're giving routing options, not limiting what the AI can handle.

Can I use different greetings for different phone numbers?

Yes, if your AI platform supports multiple phone lines. You might use one greeting for your main business line and another for your emergency-only line. Or use different greetings for different locations if you operate in multiple cities. NextPhone allows custom greetings per phone number, so you can tailor the message to how and why people are calling that specific number.

How often should I update my AI greeting?

Review your greeting quarterly or whenever your business changes—new services, new locations, seasonal offerings. Also update if you notice from call transcripts that callers are frequently confused or asking clarifying questions right after the greeting. Your greeting should evolve with your business and based on real caller feedback.

What's the biggest mistake people make with AI greetings?

Making them too long and complex. Business owners try to pack everything into the greeting—all services, disclaimers, multiple routing options, promotional messages. The result is a 45-second monologue that loses callers in the first 10 seconds. Keep it simple: greeting, company, and one routing question with 3-4 options maximum. Everything else can happen after the initial routing.

Should I mention that it's an AI answering?

Usually no. Most callers care about getting help quickly, not whether they're talking to AI or a human. Your greeting should be natural and helpful. If a caller asks directly ("Am I talking to a robot?"), the AI should be honest: "I'm an AI assistant for [Company], and I'm here to help route your call and answer questions." But leading with "You've reached our AI receptionist" can create unnecessary skepticism.

Start With a Template, Customize for Your Business

Your AI receptionist greeting is the first impression callers get of your business. Use the 3-part framework—greeting, company/value prop, and intent router—to create effective greetings that route calls intelligently and capture caller intent from the first moment.

Start with one of the 10 industry templates above. Replace the placeholders with your company information, test it with a few calls, and refine based on what you hear. You don't need to be a copywriter to create an effective greeting—you just need a proven structure and an example to work from.

With the right greeting, your AI receptionist captures caller intent, routes emergencies appropriately, and creates professional first impressions 24/7. The difference between "How can I help you?" and "Are you calling about heating, cooling, or maintenance?" is the difference between vague conversation and smart call routing.

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