20 Sample Emails on Missed Appointments

Missing an appointment can be a stressful and embarrassing experience.

Whether it’s a doctor’s visit, a business meeting, or a personal engagement, the thought of having to explain your absence and apologize for the inconvenience can be daunting.

But don’t worry – you’re not alone.

Everyone has missed an appointment at some point in their lives.

The key is to handle the situation with grace, professionalism, and a genuine apology.

By crafting a well-written email, you can smooth over any ruffled feathers and maintain a positive relationship with the person you stood up.

In this article, we’ll provide you with 20 sample emails that you can use as templates for your own missed appointment apologies.

Sample Emails on Missed Appointments

Before we dive into the emails, here’s a quick reminder: always personalize your message to the specific situation and recipient.

These templates are meant to be a starting point, not a one-size-fits-all solution.

1. Missed Doctor’s Appointment

Subject: Apology for Missed Appointment – [Your Name]

Dear Dr. [Name],

I am writing to apologize for missing my scheduled appointment with you on [date] at [time]. I had an unexpected family emergency that required my immediate attention, and in the chaos of the moment, I completely forgot to call and cancel.

I understand that my absence may have caused inconvenience for you and your staff, and I am truly sorry for that. It was not my intention to be disrespectful of your time. I value my relationship with you as my healthcare provider and appreciate the excellent care you have always provided.

Please let me know if there is anything I can do to make amends for this oversight. I would like to reschedule my appointment at your earliest convenience. Again, I sincerely apologize for any trouble this may have caused.

Best regards,

[Your Name]

2. Missed Business Meeting

Subject: Apologies for Missing Our Meeting

Dear [Name],

I wanted to reach out and apologize for missing our scheduled meeting yesterday. I had a last-minute client emergency that required my immediate attention, and in my haste to address that situation, I completely forgot about our appointment.

I understand that you are busy and that my absence likely caused inconvenience for you. That was never my intention, and I feel terrible about it. I value our business relationship immensely and have always appreciated your time and insights.

Please let me know if there is anything I can do to make up for this oversight on my part. I would be happy to reschedule our meeting at a time that works best for you, or if you prefer, we can schedule a call to discuss the agenda items we had planned to cover.

Once again, I am truly sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused you. It will not happen again.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]

3. Missed Lunch Date with Friend

Subject: I’m So Sorry I Missed Our Lunch!

Hey [Name],

I feel awful about missing our lunch date today. I got caught up in a work project and completely lost track of time. By the time I realized what had happened, it was too late.

I know how much you were looking forward to catching up, and I feel terrible for letting you down. You’re such an important friend to me, and the last thing I would ever want to do is make you feel unimportant or disrespected.

Can we reschedule for next week? Lunch is on me, of course. And I promise to set multiple alarms this time so I don’t space out again!

I’m sorry, [Name]. It won’t happen again.

[Your Name]

4. Missed Dental Appointment

Subject: Missed Dental Appointment – Apologies

Dear [Dental Office],

I am writing to apologize for missing my dental cleaning appointment scheduled for [date] at [time]. I had a family member fall ill unexpectedly, and in the confusion, I completely forgot to call and cancel my appointment.

I understand that missed appointments can be disruptive to your schedule and may prevent other patients from being seen. That was never my intention, and I am truly sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused your staff.

Please let me know if there are any fees associated with my missed appointment, and I will take care of those immediately. I would also like to reschedule my cleaning at your earliest availability.

Thank you for your understanding, and again, I apologize for my oversight.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]

5. Missed Job Interview

Subject: Apologies for Missed Interview – [Your Name]

Dear [Hiring Manager’s Name],

I am writing to apologize for missing my scheduled interview for the [job title] position yesterday at [time]. I had a family emergency come up at the last minute, and in my haste, I neglected to call and inform you of my inability to attend.

I understand that your time is valuable and that my absence may have caused inconvenience for you and your team. That was never my intention, and I am truly sorry for any trouble this may have caused.

I remain very interested in the position and would appreciate the opportunity to reschedule my interview, if possible. I am available at your earliest convenience and am happy to work around your schedule.

Again, I sincerely apologize for my absence and any inconvenience it may have caused. Thank you for your understanding.

Best regards,

[Your Name]

6. Missed Hair Salon Appointment

Subject: Apology for Missed Appointment

Dear [Stylist’s Name],

I am writing to apologize for missing my hair appointment with you today at [time]. I had an unexpected issue come up at work that required my immediate attention, and in the chaos, I completely forgot to call and cancel.

I understand that my absence likely threw off your schedule for the day, and I feel terrible about that. I have always appreciated your time and talent, and the last thing I would ever want to do is disrespect either.

Please let me know if there are any cancellation fees I need to take care of, and I will do so immediately. I would also like to reschedule my appointment at your earliest availability, if possible.

Again, I am truly sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused you. It will not happen again.

Best,

[Your Name]

7. Missed Therapy Session

Subject: Missed Session Apology

Dear [Therapist’s Name],

I am writing to apologize for missing our scheduled therapy session yesterday. I had a family member experience a medical emergency, and in the confusion and worry, I completely forgot to call and cancel.

I understand that my absence may have disrupted your schedule and prevented someone else from using that time slot. That was never my intention, and I am truly sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused you.

I value our work together immensely and have always appreciated your time and guidance. Please let me know if there are any fees associated with my missed appointment, and I will take care of those immediately.

I would like to reschedule our session at your earliest availability, if possible. Again, I sincerely apologize for my absence.

Best regards,

[Your Name]

8. Missed Meeting with Professor

Subject: Apologies for Missing Our Meeting

Dear Professor [Name],

I am writing to apologize for missing our scheduled meeting today to discuss my research project. I had a sudden family emergency come up, and in my haste to deal with that situation, I completely forgot to email you and cancel.

I understand that you are very busy and that my absence likely caused inconvenience for you. That was never my intention, and I feel terrible about disrespecting your time in this way.

I take my studies and our work together very seriously, and I want you to know that this is not a reflection of my commitment to my research or your guidance. It was an oversight on my part, and it will not happen again.

Please let me know if you are available to reschedule our meeting. I am happy to work around your schedule. Again, I sincerely apologize for any trouble this may have caused you.

Best regards,

[Your Name]

9. Missed Phone Interview

Subject: Apologies for Missed Phone Interview

Dear [Interviewer’s Name],

I am writing to apologize for missing our scheduled phone interview for the [job title] position today at [time]. I had an unexpected family emergency come up, and in the confusion, I neglected to call or email to reschedule.

I understand that your time is valuable and that my absence may have caused inconvenience for you. That was never my intention, and I am truly sorry for any trouble this may have caused.

I remain very interested in the position and would greatly appreciate the opportunity to reschedule our interview, if possible. I am available at your earliest convenience and am happy to work around your schedule.

Again, I sincerely apologize for my absence and any inconvenience it may have caused. Thank you for your understanding.

Best regards,

[Your Name]

10. Missed Dentist Appointment for Child

Subject: Apology for Missed Appointment for [Child’s Name]

Dear [Dental Office],

I am writing to apologize for missing [child’s name]’s dental cleaning appointment scheduled for [date] at [time]. We had an unexpected family situation come up, and in the confusion, I completely forgot to call and cancel.

I understand that missed appointments can be disruptive to your schedule and may prevent other patients from being seen. That was never my intention, and I am truly sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused for your staff.

Please let me know if there are any fees associated with the missed appointment, and I will take care of those immediately. I would also like to reschedule [child’s name]’s cleaning at your earliest availability.

Thank you for your understanding, and again, I apologize for my oversight.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]

11. Missed Meeting With Supervisor

Subject: Apologies for Missing Our Meeting

Dear [Supervisor’s Name],

I am writing to apologize for missing our scheduled meeting this morning to discuss the [project name] project. I had a personal emergency come up at the last minute, and in my haste to deal with that situation, I completely forgot to inform you that I would be unable to attend.

I understand that you are very busy and that my absence likely caused inconvenience for you. That was never my intention, and I feel terrible about disrespecting your time in this way.

I take my work and our meetings very seriously, and I want you to know that this is not a reflection of my commitment to my job or our team. It was an oversight on my part, and it will not happen again.

Please let me know if you are available to reschedule our meeting. I am happy to work around your schedule and provide an update on my progress on the project in advance.

Again, I sincerely apologize for any trouble this may have caused you.

Best regards,

[Your Name]

12. Missed Parent-Teacher Conference

Subject: Apologies for Missed Conference

Dear [Teacher’s Name],

I am writing to apologize for missing our scheduled parent-teacher conference yesterday evening. I had a work emergency come up at the last minute that required my immediate attention, and in the chaos, I completely forgot to call the school and inform you of my inability to attend.

I understand that you likely stayed late to accommodate our meeting and that my absence may have caused inconvenience for you. That was never my intention, and I am truly sorry for any trouble this may have caused.

I take my child’s education and our partnership in their learning very seriously. Please know that this is not a reflection of my commitment to their progress or your hard work as their teacher.

If possible, I would like to reschedule our conference at your earliest convenience. I am happy to come in early, stay late, or even have a phone conference if that works better for your schedule.

Again, I sincerely apologize for my absence and any inconvenience it may have caused. Thank you for your understanding.

Best regards,

[Your Name]

13. Missed Therapy Appointment

Subject: Apology for Missed Appointment

Dear [Therapist’s Name],

I am writing to apologize for missing our scheduled therapy session this afternoon. I had a last-minute issue come up at work that required my immediate attention, and in the chaos of trying to resolve it, I completely forgot to call and cancel our appointment.

I understand that my absence may have disrupted your schedule and prevented someone else from using that time slot. That was never my intention, and I am truly sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused you.

I value our work together immensely and have always appreciated your time and guidance. Please let me know if there are any fees associated with my missed appointment, and I will take care of those immediately.

I would like to reschedule our session at your earliest availability, if possible. Again, I sincerely apologize for my absence and the short notice.

Best regards,

[Your Name]

14. Missed Dental Surgery Appointment

Subject: Apology for Missed Surgical Appointment

Dear [Dental Office],

I am writing to apologize for missing my scheduled dental surgery appointment today. I woke up feeling extremely ill and, in my feverish state, I completely forgot to call and cancel.

I understand that surgical appointments require significant preparation and staff coordination and that my absence likely caused major inconvenience for your office. That was never my intention, and I am truly sorry for any trouble this may have caused.

Please let me know if there are any fees associated with my missed appointment, and I will take care of those immediately. I would also like to reschedule my surgery at your earliest availability, once I have recovered from this illness.

Again, I sincerely apologize for any inconvenience my absence may have caused. Thank you for your understanding.

Best regards,

[Your Name]

15. Missed Meeting with Wedding Planner

Subject: Apologies for Missed Meeting

Dear [Wedding Planner’s Name],

I am writing to apologize for missing our scheduled meeting this evening to discuss the floral arrangements. My fiancé and I had a miscommunication about who was supposed to inform you that we needed to reschedule, and in the confusion, we both dropped the ball.

I understand that you likely stayed late to accommodate our meeting and that our absence may have caused inconvenience for you. That was never our intention, and we are truly sorry for any trouble this may have caused.

We are very excited about working with you and have always appreciated your time, creativity, and guidance in making our wedding vision a reality. Please know that this miscommunication is not a reflection of our commitment to the planning process or your hard work.

We would like to reschedule our meeting at your earliest convenience. We are happy to work around your schedule, even if it means meeting on a weekend.

Again, we sincerely apologize for our absence and any inconvenience it may have caused. Thank you for your understanding.

Best regards,

[Your Names]

16. Missed Physical Therapy Appointment

Subject: Apology for Missed Appointment

Dear [Physical Therapist’s Name],

I am writing to apologize for missing my physical therapy appointment this morning. I had an unexpected issue with my car on the way to your office, and by the time I got it resolved, I had completely missed our session.

I understand that my absence may have disrupted your schedule and prevented another patient from using that time slot. That was never my intention, and I am truly sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused you.

I am committed to my recovery and have always appreciated your time and expertise in helping me heal. Please let me know if there are any fees associated with my missed appointment, and I will take care of those immediately.

I would like to reschedule our session at your earliest availability, if possible. Again, I sincerely apologize for my absence and the short notice.

Best regards,

[Your Name]

17. Missed Vet Appointment for Pet

Subject: Apology for Missed Appointment for [Pet’s Name]

Dear [Veterinary Office],

I am writing to apologize for missing [pet’s name]’s scheduled checkup today. I had a last-minute emergency at work and, in my haste to resolve it, I completely forgot to call and cancel the appointment.

I understand that missed appointments can be disruptive to your schedule and may prevent other pets from being seen. That was never my intention, and I am truly sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused your staff.

Please let me know if there are any fees associated with the missed appointment, and I will take care of those immediately. I would also like to reschedule [pet’s name]’s checkup at your earliest availability.

[Pet’s name]’s health is extremely important to me, and I appreciate all the care you have provided. Again, I apologize for my oversight.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]

18. Missed Photoshoot Appointment Subject: Apologies for Missed Photoshoot