10 Really Working Excuses to Cancel a Meeting: What is a Good Excuse?

We all have obligations other than work or moods that often compel us to cancel an official meeting. But whatever are the reasons, when we have to do it we have to do it in a way that it doesn’t really backfires our reputation at work place or impression to our bosses or seniors. So, if you are to cancel a meeting, you need to have an excuse that sounds legitimate enough. Let’s find in this article, what is a good excuse to cancel a meeting?

Before moving forward to excuses, here are few of the advises that may help you make good impression even after cancelling the meeting. Whenever you are to cancel a meeting do it personally, don’t play the passing game and inform all the attendees personally or through the coordinator of the meeting.

Do not get into the details, be specific, long explanations prove you guilty conscious. If the meeting was continued in your absence, don’t forget on the follow up part. Last but not the least stay away from social media or be watchful about your posts. So, let’s get to 10 Really Working Excuses to Cancel a Meeting!

Excuses to Cancel a Meeting, Image Credit: PRESSMASTER

1. Login and Log out

If it is an online meeting which you are about to cancel, just login the meeting room and inform you are still stuck with the former meeting and it might take a while. It happens sometimes, meeting agendas are overstretched, so no one to blame.

2. Weirdo Client or Customer

If you are in sales or in direct dealing with customers or clients, this excuse surely is a blessing for you in disguise. Blame it to the once annoying customer or client that everyone or may be few of you remembers. If you don’t have any such customer or client, simply say I have a customer call or meeting, have been chasing him for quite long.

3. Traffic Blues

This one excuse suits the best if you are living in a mad congested city. Blame it to the traffic; say you got late while reaching home after dropping your kid at school or mom at doctor or anything, if it is online meeting. And if the meeting is at office, simply say am still on the way, Traffic is moving like caterpillar and I don’t think will there soon too, so let’s call it a day.

4. Blame it to the New Intern or your Assistant

Don’t worry; no one is going to check with your Assistant or the New Intern about the goof up. Just send a message saying your intern put you into two meetings at a time or at a time difference of 5 minutes by mistake. Now you are already in a meeting which just started few minutes ago.

5. Family Emergency

Any serious emergency at home always works and make up for your excuse to cancel the meeting. Death of someone in the close family or any accident or even illness of someone at home is a genuine excuse to cancel a meeting.

6. Got a call from my Kid’s school

Cancel the meeting and inform them that you had to go to pick up your kid from school, the teacher called, he/she is not well and needs to be taken home or to the doctor. This excuse always works for working parents; you cannot ignore your family’s well being after all.

7. I am still working on the details

If there is any specific agenda or new agenda of the meeting, postpone the meeting and say am still working on details. I got some new ideas or info anything.

8. Technical Errors

You are not able to attend the meeting sue to some technical errors or difficulties. This is a common yet a legit excuse that can be used to cancel a meeting. Zoom is lagging or login issues, or anything that suits you the best.

9. No Power

Frequent power outages in your area can be blamed and used as an excuse to cancel the meeting.

10. Weather Alerts

This excuse may work best for you if you are in some area where the current weather conditions are not stable. Simply drop the message; you won’t be able to make up to the meeting as there is a weather alert in our area, staying at home is advised. If its an online meeting, bad weather leads to network issues and you can’t really help them.

Please do share your opinion on our article if it helped you or give us a tip that’s not listed above but worked well for you.

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Janka Bush

Janka is a passionate and versatile author based in the United States, with a knack for covering a diverse array of topics. Her expertise in consumer products sets her apart, as she provides insightful and valuable information to her readers. Janka's writing portfolio extends to subjects such as electronics, social security, geography, and more.