What a good holiday greeting contains
- That you are closed and until when. State the date you are back, not the date you left: callers want to know when they can reach you again.
- One alternative: an email address, the website, or a colleague or stand-in for urgent matters.
- What happens to voice messages. Only say "we will call you back" if that will actually happen.
- No personal details. "Closed for the holidays" is enough; nobody needs to know where you are or with whom.
Three example scripts
“Welcome to [company name]. We are closed for the holidays until [date]. From [date] we will be back for you. You can always email us at [email address]; we will respond as soon as possible after our holiday.”
“Welcome to [company name]. We are closed for the holidays until [date]. For urgent matters, please contact [name or company] at [phone number]. For everything else, we will be available again from [date].”
“Welcome to [company name]. Due to the holidays, our customer service is closed until [date]. Your orders are still being processed and shipped. For questions, please email [email address]; we will respond from [date].”
Do not forget the rest
- Put the same message in your email auto-reply and, if relevant, as a banner on your website.
- Update the opening hours in your Google Business Profile, or it will say "open now" while nobody answers.
- Set a reminder for the day you return to switch the greeting off again. A holiday greeting in September is worse than no greeting at all.
Arrange it in time (though too late does not exist)
Many phone systems can schedule a temporary greeting in advance; ask your administrator. And if it does come down to the last minute: with us a holiday greeting is ready within a few minutes, even the evening before you leave.