This is the Business English Podcast, episode 326.
Raincheck, how to reschedule a meeting in English.
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Hello, Aubrey. How are you doing?
I'm great. How are you, Lindsay?
Good, good. So have you had to reschedule with someone recently?
Have you had any work meetings or things you've had to change?
I did. I had to reschedule recording with Jessica.
We were going to record for the IELTS Energy Podcast, and we're headed to Mexico next week.
My kids are on fall break, and we're going to go a day earlier than we expected.
Lucky. So I had to reach out to her any chance you could reschedule.
Nice. Oh, your annual trip to Mexico, yeah?
Is that what it is?
Yes. We go every fall with a bunch of neighbor friends.
It is so fun. I can't wait.
I love it. There's a place there, a restaurant named Lucas Chicken, that I'm already craving.
I cannot wait. It's so delicious.
That's amazing. Wow.
So maybe we'll hear some stories when you come back, yeah, on the podcast?
Yes. I always am trying to, like, use my Spanish while I'm there.
So I'm hoping to have stories of, like, connecting with people there in Spanish.
Yeah. Language travel, for sure.
Absolutely. Well, today's episode is based on a question from Joanna from Poland, which we love your questions, guys.
So send them in to support at allearsenglish .com.
Should I go in and read the question, Aubrey?
Yes. You did ask me about a meeting I had to reschedule.
That's what Joanna asked about.
Let's hear it. Yeah, getting into rescheduling meetings.
All right. So she said, Dear Lindsay, I listen to your podcast while driving to work.
I totally enjoy listening to it.
The episodes are short to the point, and your voices are so natural and easy to understand that I don't get bored or tired.
Well, that's good to hear.
I heard that some other listeners suggested the topics for the episodes, so I'd like to do the same.
I work in an English -speaking environment, and often I need to reschedule the meetings due to changes in my boss's agenda.
I'm wondering if you could suggest some professional and polite sentences that I could use to reschedule or cancel the meeting and propose a new time or date.
Thank you for your help.
Kind regards, Joanna from Poland.
Nice. Yes, such a great question.
This is a skill that we all need in business English.
We're all, something comes up, right?
This is a very human experience that it might be an emergency, a family thing you have to deal with, and you need the vocabulary of the phrases to be able to ask to reschedule.
Yes, and the connection moments here, right?
And when this happens, if you're on the receiving end of this, just keeping in mind connection and that one day it'll happen to you.
Some emergency will come up and you'll need the grace from the other person, right?
Yes, right. When it's going to have your, you're sort of building up a favor, right?
Like, okay, we'll reschedule and then hopefully you won't mind when I need to do it.
Exactly. Exactly. It's like social capital or something.
Yes, exactly. So I was just kind of looking online like the steps for rescheduling, this seems kind of, maybe it goes without saying, but I could imagine, you know, sending an email asking to reschedule and not really thinking about everything that needs to be included.
It would be sort of rude and disrespectful of one's time to just immediately email and say, I need to reschedule.
How about this time?
There's some more that needs to go into that email, right?
Lindsey? A hundred percent.
Even if it's someone that you work with every week you've been working with for years, you still need to maintain that connection and that kind of that respect.
It's really a respect thing, right, Aubrey?
Exactly. So you first are going to apologize for inconveniencing them.
Any time I need to request a reschedule, even if it's a quick, so sorry about this or you know, I'm really sorry to have to ask this but there's just a respect when you recognize you are inconveniencing them to apologize in advance.
A hundred percent. I mean, I feel bad.
I always feel so bad when I have to change, like request a change and so that just kind of comes out naturally but if it doesn't come out naturally, just for like try to make it a habit.
Part of a template we're building here.
Exactly. Knowing like this is just the first thing you're going to say is because everyone's busy, right?
We have scheduled time in advance.
So people are usually willing to be flexible but they appreciate the apology.
So apologize for inconveniencing the other person, then what, Aubrey?
Yeah. And to explain why and you can definitely say it, stay general.
We have some phrases here just like something unexpected came up or I have to deal with the personal emergency.
You don't have to give all of the details but it is a level of respect to share why you're having to reschedule so they know that it is for something important.
Yeah. It's a hundred percent.
A hundred percent. And then next step is that we want to propose a new date and time and I do think that's on you, if you're canceling, to propose a few options.
Exactly. Right? Right.
Because it would be tricky if you get this message from someone asking to reschedule.
If you don't propose that, then it's on them.
Like, okay, yeah, no problem.
And they have to say, you know, it's on them then to reschedule.
Yeah, exactly. So this is kind of a back and forth.
We're in a dance, a little dance here, and then we thank them, right?
And of course, you can thank them in advance in the message.
You're like, you know, here's my proposed date.
You know, thank you in advance for your understanding.
Thank you for your flexibility.
Or you can, of course, once they agree to reschedule, you can thank them in a follow -up message, whichever sort of feels more natural to you.
Just make sure it's in there somewhere.
Right? That thank you is in there somewhere.
So we're going to give you guys some very specific phrases.
We've got three of them today.
Exactly. Yeah. The first one is just can we reschedule for, so the entire email with the, you know, apology first, you could say, I'm so sorry for the inconvenience, but something unexpected came up and I cannot make tomorrow's meeting.
Can we reschedule for next week?
I'm available Thursday or Friday all day.
So we have it all here, and then I could say thank you so much in advance or wait to hear from them, and once they agree, then I could send a follow -up.
Thank you. Yeah, I think we kind of know that if we're cancelling, we're going to make ourselves a little more available and, you know, maybe inconvenience ourselves a little bit on the rescheduling time if we have to, you know, you're going to need to provide some bigger windows in order for them to
be able to find a time they could do it.
But I think we know that's just kind of a social intelligence kind of thing that we know as human beings, right?
A lot of this is just a human thing.
That's true. It would be strange if I were like, I'm available Thursday at 8am.
That's it. Yeah. You're going to have to work around my schedule.
Right? No, maybe it means that we stay at the office a little later one evening or come in a little early or work through lunch or something to make that happen.
Yeah. Okay, so what would be number two?
All right. Number two, I was looking through my own emails to see the language I was using to reschedule and I found that when I was talking about with Jessica and I use this very native phrase to say any chance you could, so this is straight from my email, you know, I first apologize.
I'm so sorry for this inconvenience.
We're trying to leave Thursday morning instead of Friday.
If we can pull it off any chance you could record Monday or Tuesday at noon instead of Thursday.
Let me know, right?
So this is very, you know, it's a little more informal, but would be appropriate for any business English email.
Yeah, I like any chance you could because it's very polite.
It's very much in those words.
It's recognizing that you're kind of causing the inconvenience, right?
Sort of saying like I understand this is inconvenient any chance and you're also not assuming it could happen, right?
And this also does imply that if they can't do it, you can stick to the original meeting.
Sometimes there may be things that come up where you have to reschedule and you would use different language.
You might use that.
Can we reschedule for this time?
You're letting them know I cannot make that meeting.
This is one where worst case scenario if she weren't available, I would miss the you know, I wouldn't leave early for the vacation.
So this any chance you could is letting them know if it's really an inconvenience.
You can't do it. I can be flexible.
So that phrase carries a lot of meaning, right?
A lot of meaning. So that's the second one.
Any chance you could and then number three, Aubrey is what?
Rain check. I love this a lot.
Right. It just means to push something for a later date.
We often use this with spoken English, but we'll put it in an email as well.
Yeah, and I think the key difference here is for the first scenario where you're rescheduling recording, I probably I think this might be a little too light for rescheduling work, right?
A work meeting. Maybe it's more about that happy hour or that party or that dinner.
We were going to have with our partners double date or something.
Yes, this is definitely the most informal the most right?
If it's yes, you had something scheduled maybe oh, I know we were supposed to do a happy hour this week, but I'm swamped rain check right is right.
It's not like a scheduled business meeting that I'm having to ask you.
Can we reschedule this exactly?
So so when someone says that to you, you're not expected to necessarily reschedule that rain check or schedule that rain check.
Let's do it later. You don't have to offer the time to reschedule.
It's just a gesture where you're saying I'd like to have those drinks with you or like to catch up another time.
It doesn't mean we're going to find out when right away.
That'd be a little weird.
In some cases. If like, okay, how about next Wednesday at 7?
Right? Because when you're saying rain check, it's the kind of situation.
It's only appropriate for those kinds of situations that if it happens or not, it's not the end of the world.
We're probably not going to reschedule it right away, but we do know that this is appropriate for career English because business continues to happen after work, right?
We go to these happy hours, these parties, you know, company dinners, maybe we do these things.
So yes, right. We also have those kinds of things scheduled that if you can't make it, this is a great thing to say just rain check or can we get a rain check?
Yeah, but just to be clear that it's really different the context here.
Okay, sure. All right, Aubrey, let's throw in a role play here and see what we do.
So we are co -workers and I have just entered your office.
Yeah, corner office.
Love it. Do you have a minute?
Yeah, sure. What's up?
I'm really sorry about this, but something unexpected came up and I won't be able to make it to Friday's meeting.
Oh, no problem. Everything.
Okay. Yes, I'm sorry for the inconvenience.
Any chance we could reschedule for next week.
I'm free Tuesday or Wednesday afternoon if that would work for you.
Let me check my schedule and I'll get back to you.
Nice. And honestly most of the time this is how things go and people don't take things personally most of the time, right?
As long as both sides are pretty flexible in any given situation.
It works out pretty well, I think for the most part.
I agree. And so this role plays interesting often you do sort of want to think about how much information do you want to share?
And this I shared in a role play where you don't share anything right?
They say no problem everything.
Okay, and you just say yes and then straight to I'm sorry for the inconvenience.
Can we reschedule and that I think let me know what you think Lindsay, I think that's okay too, right?
You could say yes, just something came up super general like that.
I think yeah, I think it just depends on the relationship you have with this person.
Yeah, there's how comfortable you feel but there's no yeah, this is a really case by case basis.
Yeah, if you're really close to someone and you say something something came up or I have a personal emergency that's gonna seem very very urgent to them because otherwise you'd be giving them details.
So they're gonna be quite worried about you.
That's true. That's a good point.
If you know someone really well and you have spoken about your families, they know a lot about your personal life then you probably would give a little more information.
It's all about your comfort level.
Exactly. There's no pressure either way, but just think about that about how it will land for sure.
Okay, so which one do we want to go through first here?
upper? What should we highlight?
Yeah, so I kind of first just love the way you started you've popped into my office to just say do you have a minute?
I love this the respect that you're offering recognizing they might not you know, they might be busy and it might not be the right time.
So I could say no. I'm sorry.
Can you come back in 10 minutes?
Yeah, that's a great and we could do another episode but how to initiate those conversations in that way.
Hey got a minute. You have a minute?
Can I check in with you real quick?
Simple things as if you barge into someone's office just like hey, I need to reschedule.
They might be on a call.
They might be in the middle of something that they're going to lose their place and then get sidetracked.
Sure, 100 % always respecting what's going on in their world before you enter it right in that way.
And then you you know, I said sure what's up and you said right there you've got the apology.
I'm really sorry about this.
Something unexpected came up and I won't be able to make it to Friday's meeting.
And then I did check in or you checked in and you said no problem everything.
Okay, and that you might get that right just if you know, if you're being vague again, and maybe I'm concerned or something.
And again, it doesn't mean you have to say what it is but you might get that question.
So exactly and you can just say yes, or you could share, you know, my grandfather passed away.
I've go to the funeral.
Whatever it is you could give them just enough information to let you know that you have a valid excuse for rescheduling.
If you feel like that's necessary.
Yes, a 100 % 100 % and then you said yes, I'm sorry.
You just in this case apologized which is good too.
I'm sorry for the inconvenience any chance we could reschedule next week and again that any chance is really good.
Yes, because not imposing right and here you may have shared like, you know, you've said something came up I won't be able to make it you can still use this phrase any chance we could reschedule for next week because that's more like does next week work for you if not we can push it later if we have to
I can be flexible. Yeah, so you're saying you're not saying that it means you're not going to go to the funeral like you're going to say, okay I'll just work instead but saying any chance next week works for you as the reschedule time.
Yes, exactly. Exactly.
So then you said absolutely let me check my schedule and I'll get back to you.
So you may not have that resolution right away but it'll come they'll get back to you.
Right exactly. So this is interesting.
We definitely want to share with you.
We did a recent episode 217 about meetings.
Let's take five how to announce a break in a meeting in English.
There's so many language skills like this that come up in meetings so that you are ready to make it, you know, as professional as possible.
Yes, I love that go and check out that episode and where should we leave our listeners today, Aubrey?
Yeah, I think I mean definitely follow today's tips when rescheduling you want to apologize explain why of course you can stay general and then propose a new time and also show gratitude be sure to thank them for being flexible.
Yes, a hundred percent.
So it's a real art the art of canceling especially for colleagues that you work with on a regular basis.
But if you have I think I think the key here is there needs to be an ongoing environment of respect that already happened and was already being built right.
Like mutual respect and then this will work just fine.
If that's not there you're going to run into drama in these moments, right?
That's true. If you're rescheduling all the time every week, then people are probably going to start getting frustrated.
If it's happening when it's not an emergency, then you might get a little pushback when you ask, right?
Or even just a broader environment of respect at the company, right?
So then things will run smoothly when not everything is perfect according to plan, right?
So thinking about how we can create that is the bigger picture.
I think yeah, awesome.
So yeah news today's phrases for your emails or your in -person conversations when you need to reschedule.
Thank you for the question.
This is really important business skill.
Yeah, super important.
All right, Aubrey. Thanks for being on the mic guys.
Hit the follow button right now on this podcast.
All right. See you next time.
Bye. Thank you for listening to Business English, a podcast just for you, the high -achieving global professional.
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