Time is money. Time is also love.
Never, ever be late to a date, especially the first, when you want to make a good – and most importantly — lasting first impression. It’s nerve-wracking as is when someone is taking the time to meet you and you’re both filled with anticipation.
Those anxious minutes watching the clock tick may seem like an eternity and the last thing you want is for your date to have is any doubt. While waiting, your date might feel stood up. Don’t go there. Being late sets the tone and the date gets off to a bad start. Being late shows you don’t respect your date’s time. But sometimes
even someone nice and considerate like you really do get stuck in traffic. Or a meeting runs late. Anything can happen. We can’t control every little unforeseen obstacle. So if you can’t help being late, stay the course and be “there” even when you’re not. Here are five common courtesy tips to avoid becoming a tardy turn-off.
- You should’ve already spoken on the phone with your date, but if you haven’t, always exchange phone numbers before meeting in person.
- Call or text when you realize you might be running late and most certainly communicate the second you know for sure you’re going to be late.
- Phone ran out of battery? No excuses. Find a landline or borrow someone else’s cellphone. Ditto with a lost phone.
- Can’t remember your date’s phone number? Google the phone number of the establishment where you’re meeting and ask for your date by name. Better yet, keep your date’s phone number written down on paper as a backup.
- If you’re running more than 15 minutes late, keep calling or texting regularly until you arrive. Don’t just anticipate your ETA with a vague remark. “I’ll be there soon” offers little comfort. Best practice? Simply avoid being late in the first place. If you know ahead of time traffic jams occur at a certain time or a big meeting is taking place just before you need to drive across town, schedule the date accordingly. There’s no need to rush or be frazzled. Dates should be fun, relaxing and stress-free. And if you do arrive late, apologize with a gracious smile. Remember, love may be patient, but it certainly doesn’t like to feel taken for granted, waiting for minutes on end!