How Long Should You Wait for Tardy People to Show Up?

The length of time to wait for tardy people to show up for an appointment depends on the type of person you’re waiting for. I divide them into people you know and strangers. Generally the people you know are friends, coworkers, family or exes. The strangers tend to be professionals of some sort with whom you do expect to do business. Or, you could be a professional meeting a client.

In my occupation, that of a Sacramento Realtor, it depends on whether the client is a buyer or a seller. Usually, you would meet a buyer for the first time at the office. Buyers could be late because they might have a hard time finding the office. Further, buyers are generally very excited about buying a home, a bit nervous. They are the types to drive away and have to turn around to go back because they left their cellphone at home.

I give them 15 minutes. Then I call to find out if they are lost.

If it is a seller I am meeting, I view it a bit differently. Especially since I am meeting at their place of residence. Often, I have to wait for tardy people. If I ring the doorbell and nobody answers, I call immediately. They could be sticking the dog in the back yard. Or, they could be at work and forgot our appointment. Or, they could be upstairs, peeking through the blinds, wishing they had never called a Sacramento listing agent. What were they thinking? They cannot bear to sell their home. Stupid, stupid idea. Too scared to come to the door now.

Or they could be stuck in traffic. I still call them right away because I am most likely standing outside in hot weather or in the pouring rain. If they get upset because I expect them to be on time and adopt an attitude of how dare I disturb them by calling, they are not my client. It is simply respectful to be on time.

Now, on the other hand, if I am late, which is so rare I can pretty much count the times on one hand, I text. With GPS nowadays, you can monitor your arrival time. I would be devastated to keep clients waiting for me. Just not my method of operation. If anything, I am typically early.

If I have to wait for tardy people I know, I might give them 30 minutes before giving up the wait. With cellphones, though, there is absolutely no excuse to stand up anyone for any reason. When you have an appointment, if you’re gonna blow it off, you can text. You can email. You can call or ask a friend to call.

For me, there is also Hawaii time and Sacramento time. Many of the people I know in Hawaii give a window, like noon to 1:00 PM. Yet, deep down, you know it will be 1:30 PM or tomorrow. Punctual people really struggle with this. Questions: How long do you wait for tardy people? And how do they get away with being tardy all of the time?