Phone Scripts for Small Businesses: Templates and Tips

Why Phone Scripts Work

Phone scripts are not about sounding robotic. They are about ensuring consistency, professionalism, and completeness on every call. A good script is a framework that your team (or your AI receptionist) follows to deliver a great experience — not a word-for-word reading.

Benefits of phone scripts:

• Consistent experience regardless of who answers
• New employees get up to speed faster
• Important information (caller name, number, reason) never gets missed
• Awkward moments and dead air are eliminated
• Call handling time is reduced by 20-30%

Universal Opening Script

This works for any business type:

"Good [morning/afternoon], thank you for calling [Business Name]. This is [Your Name], how can I help you today?"

Variations:

• Warm version: "Hi there, thanks for calling [Business Name]! This is [Name], what can I do for you?"
• Professional version: "Thank you for calling [Business Name], [Name] speaking. How may I assist you?"
• After-hours version: "Thank you for calling [Business Name]. Our office is currently closed, but I can help you right now. What do you need?"

Appointment Booking Script

For dental offices, salons, medical offices, and any appointment-based business:

Caller: "I'd like to schedule an appointment."

Response: "I'd be happy to help you with that! Are you an existing patient/client, or is this your first visit with us?"

If new: "Welcome! Let me get a few details so we can get you set up. Can I start with your name?"

[Collect: Full name, phone number, email, reason for visit, insurance (if applicable)]

"Great, [Name]. We have availability on [Day] at [Time] or [Day] at [Time]. Which works better for you?"

[Confirm booking]

"You're all set for [Day] at [Time] with [Provider]. We're located at [Address]. Is there anything else I can help you with?"

Pricing Question Script

For HVAC, plumbing, auto repair, and other service businesses:

Caller: "How much does [service] cost?"

Response: "Great question! [Service] typically ranges from $[low] to $[high], depending on [key variable — size of your home, extent of the issue, etc.]. To give you an exact quote, we'd need to [quick assessment step].

"Would you like to schedule a [free estimate / consultation / diagnostic]? We can usually get someone out to you within [timeframe]."

Key principles:

• Always give a range — refusing to discuss pricing loses the caller
• Explain why it varies — this justifies the range and builds trust
• Move toward the next step — scheduling gets them closer to becoming a customer

Emergency Call Script

For plumbers, HVAC, and emergency service businesses:

Caller: "I have a [emergency — leak, no heat, etc.]!"

Response: "I understand this is urgent and I want to help right away. Let me get your information so we can dispatch a technician.

"Can I get your name and the address where the emergency is?"

[Collect: Name, address, phone, nature of emergency]

"Okay [Name], I'm sending this to our on-call technician right now. You should hear back within [timeframe].

"In the meantime, [safety instruction if applicable — e.g., 'if it's a water leak, turn off the main water valve if you can safely reach it'].

"Is there anything else I should note for the technician?"

Message-Taking Script

When the appropriate person is unavailable:

"I'm sorry, [Person] is [with a client / on another call / unavailable right now]. I'd be happy to take a message and have them call you back. Can I get your name and the best number to reach you?"

[Collect: Name, phone number, reason for call, best time for callback]

"I'll make sure [Person] gets this message and calls you back by [specific timeframe]. Is there anything else I can help you with in the meantime?"

Important: Always give a specific callback timeframe ("by end of day" or "within 2 hours"), not a vague promise ("as soon as possible").

Handling "I Want to Speak to a Manager" Script

"I understand you'd like to speak with a manager. Let me see if they're available right now."

[If available:] "I have [Manager Name] available. Let me transfer you — and in case we get disconnected, their direct line is [number]."

[If unavailable:] "Unfortunately [Manager Name] is [in a meeting / with a client] right now. I want to make sure your concern gets addressed properly. Can I take down the details and have them call you back within [timeframe]?"

Closing Script

End every call positively:

"Is there anything else I can help you with today?"

[If no:] "Thank you for calling [Business Name], [Name]. Have a great [day/evening]!"

Configuring These Scripts in an AI Receptionist

If you use an AI receptionist like Crixin, you do not need to manually program these scripts word-for-word. Instead, the AI learns your business from your website and handles conversations naturally. However, you can customize:

• The greeting — your exact opening line
• Business information — hours, services, pricing ranges, team members
• Call routing rules — when to transfer, when to take a message, when to dispatch emergency
• Required information — what details to always collect from callers

The advantage of AI is consistency: it follows the script perfectly every time, never forgets to collect a phone number, and never has a bad day. For most businesses, the combination of AI handling routine calls and trained staff handling complex ones provides the best caller experience.

See our guide on setting up an AI phone system to get started, or browse our complete phone etiquette guide for more best practices.