I work in a school. I have a lot of meetings each day, and I make excellent use of my Outlook calendar. I have a very busy day, every day, and I usually set up meetings in a consecutive order so that I need to make sure I’m out of one and into another. I allow about a half hour each if it’s a parent meeting, and even less if it’s a meeting with colleagues. Needless to say, i’m pretty OCD about my calendar and keeping track of things.
Often, one (or several) of the people I’m meant to meet with will be late, or just won’t show up. I have set my time aside for these people, and they can’t give me the courtesy of arriving on time? It’s like my time is less valuable than theirs, and they can just arrive whenever they want. Not so! I have too much to do in my day to wait around for people to show up to a meeting that they probably asked for in the first place. In addition, I probably have something set very quickly after the missed meeting, and will not have time to meet fully. It really annoys me when they don’t have an excuse. Sometimes, they will blame traffic or getting lost on the way. These are flimsy excuses, but they are excuses nonetheless. When a person shows up late for a meeting and has no real excuse other than “oh, am I late,” I just lose it. I will not set another meeting with that person. Obviously, they have no respect for me as a person and no respect for my time that they think they can just show up whenever they want.
The late-comers are horrible, but not as bad as the no-shows. Every once in a while, I will have a meeting scheduled where the person doesn’t show up. I usually give the courtesy of 5 minutes before I send an e-mail or call (if I have a number). Sometimes I will call the person (or receive a return e-mail) and they say, “oh, I won’t be able to make it.” WHAT!?!? And I’m just learning about this now!?!? Why the hell didn’t you call or send a message or smoke signals, or something?!? Here I am waiting around for you, and you’re not coming?!? These people really have no respect for anybody but themselves. These are extremely selfish people who don’t think other people are valuable enough to let them know when they will not be able to meet. Even if they aren’t feeling well (which I understand completely), they should at least call or e-mail BEFORE the intended meeting time! I would rather have a “last-minute canceler” than a no-show!
These people deserve to have the same treatment as those that they treat horribly. If you make another appointment with them (which I don’t really advise after their first disgusting display), show up late or don’t show up at all. When they call you, tell them you can’t make it. Let them know that their time is not any more valuable than anyone else’s. They need to learn so they don’t leave people hanging all the time and I’m not left waiting another second for one of these morons!
365 Things That Annoy Me! 