Abstract: An economic alternative to expensive answering services intercepts incoming phone calls after a predetermined number of rings and plays a prerecorded greeting to the incoming caller. After the greeting the device places the caller on hold. One embodiment gives the caller the choice to hold or to be connected to voice mail. If the caller chooses to hold, the device plays music from an external source until the call is answered. An indicator light illuminates signifying that a caller is on hold. An audible tone also plays intermittently alerting the recipient of the phone call that a caller is holding. The device has the capacity to handle calls to multiple phones from multiple incoming telephone lines.