Are you trying to figure out the most appropriate way to change the date or time of a meeting?
Perhaps you’re worried that it’s unprofessional to reschedule a meeting, so you don’t know the best thing to say.
Well, you’re in luck!
After all, this article will teach you how to politely reschedule a meeting.
Is It Unprofessional to Reschedule a Meeting?
It is not unprofessional to reschedule a meeting. It’s not bad to do so, as long as you have a good enough reason to let someone know why you’re rescheduling.
Also, it’s not rude. So, you can reschedule any meeting as long as you let someone know quickly and use appropriate wording to get the point across.
For instance, this example should help you out:
Dear Ms. North,
Can we reschedule our meeting for another time?
Something has come up that I simply cannot overlook, I’m afraid.
Best regards,
Daniel Nock
Pros
- It’s fine to cancel or postpone a meeting, and you should always keep people informed.
- It lets everyone know what’s happening without any confusion.
Cons
- If you word your email wrong, it could sound rude.
- Of course, rescheduling a meeting isn’t ideal, and it could cause unintended issues.
While there’s nothing wrong with rescheduling a meeting, you still need to know what to say to be polite and respectful. Otherwise, you could get into trouble!
So, keep reading to learn a polite way to change a meeting time. We’ve gathered a list of some of the best alternatives to show you what works well.
How to Politely Reschedule a Meeting
- Can we move our appointment?
- Might it be possible to rearrange our meeting?
- Do you have a problem with rescheduling?
- You don’t mind if I reschedule, do you?
- I’m afraid I have to reschedule
- Let’s reschedule the meeting
- Is it possible to shift our scheduled time?
- Is there flexibility to change the time of our meeting?
- I hope you don’t mind me rescheduling
1. Can We Move Our Appointment?
One of the best ways to reschedule to another day is by asking “can we move our appointment?”
Honestly, it doesn’t get more direct and formal than this. It works really well when you’d like to find out whether someone is happy to move a meeting up a few days.
Generally, you can use this to postpone a meeting when contacting a client. It’s also a good opportunity to decline a meeting if the original time doesn’t suit you.
So, feel free to review this email sample to learn a bit more about it:
Dear Miss Small,
Can we move our appointment to a later date?
I’d like to get some more time to meet with you, but I don’t have anything free at the moment.
Best wishes,
Juliet Rogers
2. Might It Be Possible to Rearrange Our Meeting?
Next, you can write “might it be possible to rearrange our meeting?” This is a great way to politely ask your boss to reschedule a meeting.
Using “might it be possible” keeps things formal and polite. So, it’s a useful way to show that you don’t want to annoy your boss by changing things around, but you need to reschedule a meeting.
Generally, this works best to be direct and sincere. Your boss should understand and will hopefully be more receptive to changing the meeting times before moving forward.
Also, this email sample will help you to understand it a bit better:
Dear Mr. Murphy,
Might it be possible to rearrange our meeting for another time?
I’m afraid I can no longer make it in on Monday at 3 pm.
Yours,
Carla Sinclair
3. Do You Have a Problem With Rescheduling?
We also think it’s good to use “do you have a problem with rescheduling?” This can work well when trying to reschedule a meeting someone missed.
Asking if someone has a problem with changing the time keeps things formal and sincere.
So, it’s a professional way to show that you’d like to hear back from someone to see if they’re happy and ready to change the original meeting time to meet your requirements.
This sample email will help you if you still need more information:
Dear Miss Clarkson,
Do you have a problem with rescheduling the meeting since I missed it?
I’m so sorry, but I’m more than happy to rearrange it.
All the best,
Joey Tanner
4. You Don’t Mind If I Reschedule, Do You?
It’s also good to write “you don’t mind if I reschedule, do you?” This synonym allows you to cancel a meeting or postpone it if you can’t attend.
Try using it when rearranging a meeting with an employee. It’s sincere and honest, showing you can no longer meet with someone at the originally planned time.
We recommend it because it keeps things professional and shows you’re still in charge of the situation. Most of the time, employees will be okay with you rescheduling things.
After all, they will understand that you’re the boss, so you have priorities that may outweigh the meeting they’d like to have with you.
This example will also clear a few things up for you:
Dear Thomas,
You don’t mind if I reschedule, do you?
Something has come up, so I will no longer be able to meet with you at this time.
All the best,
Sarah Mustard
5. I’m Afraid I Have to Reschedule
For a polite way to change a meeting time, try “I’m afraid I have to reschedule.”
This is a great way to be professional and respectful. So, it works really well when you regret your decision but don’t see yourself being able to make a meeting time.
You can try using it when apologizing to a client. It’s a good way to save face and let them know you truly regret having to give them short notice when canceling a meeting.
You can also review this email sample to learn a bit more about how it works:
Dear Miss Truly,
I’m afraid I have to reschedule because I can no longer fit this in.
I hope you don’t mind my telling you this.
Best wishes,
Sam Shaw
6. Let’s Reschedule the Meeting
You can also write “let’s reschedule the meeting” to be confident and to the point.
Recipients will appreciate a phrase like this if you’re comfortable to take action and let them know you have to reschedule something.
After all, it shows you’re in control of the situation. Even though you might have to change the meeting time, this is a great way to be direct and respectful.
So, you can refer to this email sample to learn a bit more about it:
Dear Jess,
Let’s reschedule the meeting for another time.
I’ll be in touch again soon once I have more information.
Yours,
Kyle Bloker
7. Is It Possible to Shift Our Scheduled Time?
Next, we think it’s worth using “is it possible to shift our schedule time?”
This is a polite way to figure out whether someone will be happy to rearrange a meeting time at all.
For the most part, it’s a great way to be respectful and sincere.
It shows that you’re going to have to rearrange something, and you’d like to know whether it’s okay for you to do so when writing to the recipient.
If you’re still unsure, you can review the following example to learn more:
Dear Harry,
Is it possible to shift our scheduled time?
I currently don’t think I’ll be able to meet with you until next week at the earliest.
My best,
Sarah Catford
8. Is There Flexibility to Change the Time of Our Meeting?
We like using “is there flexibility to change the time of our meeting?” to lay the foundation before rescheduling something.
It shows that you’re open to suggestions if someone isn’t able to work around your time constraints.
So, you can use this when asking your boss if they’re happy to mix things up.
If not, you’ll have to put up with the original meeting time. If they are, then you can suggest a more appropriate time.
Here’s a helpful email sample to also show you how to use it:
Dear Ms. Bryant,
Is there flexibility to change the time of our meeting at all?
I’d thoroughly like to discuss more about this with you, but I’m unsure if I can make it on Tuesday.
All the best,
Dan Hunt
9. I Hope You Don’t Mind Me Rescheduling
Finally, you can write “I hope you don’t mind me rescheduling” when you need to decline a meeting.
It’s a formal and respectful way to postpone something when it doesn’t suit your schedule.
So, it’s worth using it when writing to a client. It lets them know that you’re going to have to reschedule some things because they no longer fit in with your schedule.
For the most part, clients will be happy to receive something like this. After all, it’s honest and sincere and shows you’d still like to meet, but it has to be a different time.
Check out this email example before you go:
Dear Ms. Jennings,
I hope you don’t mind me rescheduling, as I can no longer make it at this time.
Please let me know what time will suit you better.
Yours,
Mike Wickes