Note: I have several lessons about communicating on the telephone that may be useful to you:
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.

10.) Bonjour, et bienvenue chez John Doe. Pour des raisons techniques, nous ne pouvons pas prendre votre appel personnellement. Merci de votre compréhension. Nous essayons de trouver une solution. Si vous le souhaitez, vous pouvez laisser un message sur notre page d'accueil www.johndoe.de - Merci et au revoir.
While it may seem like a small detail, setting up an after hours announcement can help you win and keep customers. By presenting a clear, welcoming message containing relevant information about your business, you are showing callers that you value their time.