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.
There is no definitive answer here, but you should include one of the two at the beginning of your message based on what makes the most sense.

The 8 Rules of Phone Etiquette at Work. Follow these 8 rules for good phone etiquette on the job. Be prepared. Get familiar with your phone, and learn how to transfer calls. Answer right away. Answer within three rings. Announce yourself. "Thanks for calling Company Name" . Be an active listener.
Here are 10 sample greeting scripts to make a good first impression on the phone. … If you would like to leave a voicemail, please press 1 and leave your name, …