In my (US-based) experience, doctor offices & the like have a place where you can fill out if they can leave messages or not (and some even have asked detailed messages vs callback messages), so that's my perspective! And that I can set different things for different numbers. So my cell phone they can leave detailed messages on any matter, my mother's house phone is detailed from billing only and otherwise callback, her cell phone is callback only. (And they also aren't allowed to tell her anything other than billing, so even if she does call them back about anything else! That was just a measure set up when I lived with her one summer & had no cell reception at her house.)
The above section details types of phrasing to avoid; however, it doesn’t detail what users should NOT say on their greeting. Though this is a bit loaded, as there are hundreds of combinations of things one shouldn’t say, there are some key components users should ALWAYS avoid. a. Forget About Slang: You should strive to be as professional and welcoming as possible in your greeting. While this may steer you towards using slang, in an attempt to make callers comfortable, it’ll most likely work against you. As a professional, your demeanor, tone, and speech should be clear cut and well articulated. Using slang undercuts this and works against you. b. Don’t Even Think About Profanity: This is a no-brainer. Never, under any circumstances, curse in your greeting EVER! c. Keep Your Sentences Clean, Don’t Ramble: Introduce yourself and give your caller specific direction. Avoid long diatribes detailing tangent thoughts. Keep it simple and quick. d. Always Return Your Calls: It’s important for callers to feel they are valued. Nothing dissolves this quicker than a greeting that doesn’t stress this. For example, “I’ll call you when I can,” “If I don’t return your call, please call back”—these phrases are terrible and completely destroy any good will you may have with a caller.
