What to do when you're late for an appointment
2013-05-27 TweetPunctuality is a big thing in Japan. It signifies trust and credibility. Trains are on time for the most part, though buses has a little bit of randomness to them. But sometimes even with the best preparations, you might run late for an appointment. Be it late trains or buses, sudden stoppage because of an earthquake, or the ambiguous "human accident" (人身事故).
Stay calm and don't fret! As long as you don't make a habit out of it (see #19 in this list), just follow these steps and you'll be fine.
1. Send an email or call
Here's the email template to send:
- If you are sending an email to your boss (or someone in your company):
お疲れ様です。[Your name]です。
[Cause of lateness] 、[Number of minutes you'll be late] 分ほど遅れます。
遅刻になってしいまして、誠に申し訳ございません。
宜しくお願い致します。
Example:
お疲れ様です。Andyです。
事故でバスが遅れて 、15分ほど遅れます。
遅刻になってしいまして、誠に申し訳ございません。
宜しくお願い致します。
- If you are sending a client/customer, simply change the intro:
[Your client's name] 様
[Your company name] の [Your name] です。
[Cause of lateness] で [mode of transportation] が遅れて 、[Number of minutes you'll be late] 分ほど遅れます。
遅刻になってしいまして、誠に申し訳ございません。
宜しくお願い致します。
[Your name]
Example:
佐藤様
東芝のAndyでございます。
地震で電車が遅れて 、30分ほど遅れます。
遅刻になってしいまして、誠に申し訳ございません。
宜しくお願い致します。
Andy
Different from other types of email, you don't need to worry about politeness too much. You're presumably in a hurry and are not expected to put a proper long form email, so you can keep it succinct and simple.
It is also common courtesy to explain your excuse for lateness, and give an honest estimate on how long it would take. If you're uncertain, for example you're waiting in line in a hospital, you can put this instead: 「終わり次第早速向かいます。/ おわり しだい さっそく むかいます」"I'll be on my way as soon as I'm finished"
Here's a short list of common excuses:
通院 - went to the hospital
事故 - accident
先約が伸びてしまいます - previous appointment was unexpectedly late
2. Hurry up (or at least put an effort)
Bonus points if you come into the room panting. On a serious note, if you're late because of a train delay, the station manager usually gives out late passes. Make sure to grab one on your way out, if you need it.
3. Apologize in person
It's good manners to follow up with a sincere apology.
さきほど まことに もうしわけございません。
If you're apologizing to your boss, you may also add an "This won't happen again" statement:
にどと おこらないように ちゅういします」
Interested in learning different level of politeness, how to make the phone call, and other variations of this email? Sign up for BizJapanese and learn more.
Photo credit: chrisjongkind
