Free template
Phone Message Template
for Print & Word
The classic While You Were Out slip as a free phone message template: a printable PDF with two forms per A4 or Letter page, and a Word file you can edit. No sign-up, no watermark.
To:
Taken by:
Caller:
Company:
Phone number:
Message
Preview. The PDF fits two of these forms per A4 or Letter page, the Word file holds the same form for editing.
What belongs in a phone message
A phone message works when the person returning the call can act without asking you anything. Some offices call the form a telephone message template, others know it as the While You Were Out slip. The fields are the same:
- Date and time: when the call came in, not when the slip was found.
- To and Taken by: who the message is for and who answered the phone, in case a detail needs checking.
- Caller and company: ask for the spelling, a garbled name makes the callback awkward.
- Phone number: read it back before hanging up. This is the field where most slips fail.
- Checkboxes: please call back, will call again, urgent, returned your call. One tick tells the reader what the caller expects.
- Message lines: one or two lines on the reason for the call. Enough to prepare the callback, no transcript needed.
Message slip or call log?
The two forms do different jobs. The message slip on this page passes a single call on to a colleague, one slip per call, straight onto the right desk. If you want an overview of all calls in one place, with follow-ups and a done column, use the call log template instead. Many front desks run both: the pad for handing messages over, the log for keeping track.
When the paper pad stops working
For a staffed front desk that hands messages to people in the same building, the pad is hard to beat. It stops working the moment calls reach you directly: slips pile up while you are in a meeting, nobody fills in a form for a call taken in the car, and a missed call on your mobile never touches the pad at all. Those are usually the calls that matter. For that part there is Callvent: the app logs each call right on your phone, with a note and a callback reminder in your calendar.
Your own calls: one tap instead of a slip
Callvent logs calls right on your phone. After you hang up, one tap turns the call into a calendar event, with contact, time, note, and a callback reminder. It also detects WhatsApp, FaceTime, Telegram, Teams, and Zoom calls. All data stays on your device, 7-day free trial.
See CallventFrequently asked questions
What should a phone message include? +
Date and time of the call, who the message is for, who took it, the caller's name and company, a phone number you read back to confirm, what the caller expects (please call back, will call again, urgent, returned your call), and one or two lines on what the call was about.
Is the template really free? +
Yes. Both the printable PDF and the Word file are free, with no sign-up and no watermark. Use the template at the office, adapt it, and share it with your team.
Should I use the Word or the PDF version? +
The PDF is ready to print: two identical forms per A4 or Letter page, so you cut each sheet in half and keep a stack by the phone. The Word file contains the same form and is for editing, for example to add your company name or an extra field, before you print.
What does While You Were Out mean? +
It is the heading printed on the classic paper message pad: a slip a colleague fills in while you are away from your desk. This phone message template covers the same fields, just as a free download instead of a bound pad.
Is there a digital alternative to the message pad? +
For messages you take for other people, paper or a shared document works fine. For your own calls, an app is faster: Callvent turns a finished call into a calendar event with one tap, with contact, time, note, and a callback reminder. All data stays on your device.
How do I get support? +
Email info@callvent.app. Questions about the template, the app, or a purchase are answered there directly; all contact options are also listed on the support page.