For those of you who are businessmen, entrepreneurs, consultants, office workers, and other
professions who are closely related to business interests, you must be familiar with the term "making an
appointment" or making an appointment. Whether it's an appointment with a client, supplier, customer,
etc.
Not only that, appointments also apply to set agendas or other important activities, such as job
interviews, doctor visits, making passports and visas, and so on.
Well, you know what? Making appointments-including changing or canceling them-is one of the
important skills we have to master, you know. why? For some people, a meeting must be set on an
agenda to avoid timing errors, or time to avoid wasting because no clear appointments have been made
beforehand.
Hmm, why do you have to use English? As we know, currently we live in a global era. This means that we
have the potential to get acquainted, establish relationships, and even make appointments with many
people from abroad. It doesn't even rule out the possibility that one day you will have clients from
abroad and have to arrange appointments for online meetings. Who knows?
So ladies and gentleman, today i will explain to all of you, about how to make an appointment in English
and examples of conversations.
How to Make an Appointment in English
1. Greetings (greeting the other person)
To make an appointment, you first need to greet the other person in a friendly and polite manner. Open
the conversation with a warm greeting so that the conversation can sound comfortable and convincing
to the other person's ear. Don't forget to adjust the greeting with the atmosphere, circumstances, and
who we are talking to.
2. Introduce Yourself
If you want to make an agreement on behalf of a company, on behalf of someone else, or want to set up
an appointment with someone you don't know, don't forget to introduce yourself first. Make sure that
the person you are going to meet already knows you well!
3. Express your purpose
After the introduction, you can convey what your goals are to the person you are talking to, which is to
make an appointment. Example:
Good morning. This is intan Aulia. I'm calling on behalf of Dr Adams and would like to arrange an
appointment with Mr Edward Cullen.
(Good morning. This is Intan Aulia. I am calling on behalf of Dr Adams and would like to make an
appointment with Mr Edward Cullen.)
4. Asking for a time
Before determining or agreeing on a schedule, of course you need to ask about the availability of the
people you want to meet. In this case, we need to find out when they have free time in between their
busy lives. Here are some examples of the question format:
When are you free?
When would you have time?
When do you have time?
When would it suit you?
When are you available?
The questions above are "open questions," allowing your partner to answer according to the agenda
they already have. However, if the person you are going to has a fairly busy schedule, or you have an
important and urgent discussion, then it's a good idea to immediately suggest a meeting time. Example:
Could we meet sometime next week to talk about your application?
What/How about Monday?
How to say Monday sounds?
Can you do Monday?
(How) Does Monday work/look for you?
5. Don't Forget to Say Thanks
If the person you are addressing has taken the time to schedule a meeting with you, don't forget to say
thank you. Not only that, if in the end the appointment made has a schedule change, is uncertain, or is
still in the confirmation stage, at least they have worked it out for you.
Things to Look For in an Appointment in English
Next, we will discuss a number of things that need to be considered in the appointment
1. Asking for an appointment
If you are in a formal situation, you can use the following examples:
I would like to make an appointment with the lecturer to discuss something.
(I want to make an appointment with the lecturer to discuss something.)
Would it be possible to meet up at your / our offices to discuss …?
(Is it possible to meet at your/our office to discuss?)
So, to arrange an appointment that tends to be formal, you can say a few sentences below:
Can we meet on Tuesday?
(Can we meet on Tuesday?)
Would you be available on Friday?
(Will you be available on Friday?)
Of course, you can change the specific time of day according to your needs.
2. Agree the Appointment
If you want to agree to an appointment to meet, here are examples of phrases you can use:
Formal:
I'd be available to discuss…. on (date) at (time and place).
(I am willing to discuss…. on (date) at (time and place))
I would be available at that time.
(I will be available at that time. I will come to the meeting.)
3. Arrange the Time
In this case, the time in question is the specific time. What phrases are used in arrange the
appointment?
Formal: What sort of time would suit you? Is it good around 8.30 in the morning?
(What kind of time works for you? Is it good around 8.30am?)
4. Saying No and Making a New Suggestion
If you are talking to someone in a formal situation, you can decline and suggest meeting at another time
in the following ways:
Unfortunately, I will be away on business during the week of August 6 – 11, so I will be unable to meet
you then. However, if you were available in the following week, I would be glad to arrange a meeting
with you.
(Unfortunately, I'll be away on business during the week of August 6 – 11, so I won't be able to see you
then. However, if you're available the following week, I'd be more than happy to set up a meeting with
you.)
I will be out of town next Sunday, but I will be available on Monday in the afternoon.
(I'll be out of town next Sunday, but I'll be available Monday afternoon.)
5. Rejecting Inconvenient Times
This rejection usually comes from several people who are indeed very difficult to meet with a busy
schedule. If you want to decline an appointment, an example is as follows:
I won't be available all next week. I'll be on…… (e.g. vacation)
(I will not be available all next week. I will be on…… (e.g. vacation))
I think I can't on Thursday. I'm very busy. I'll go to… (e.g. Bandung)
(I don't think I can on Thursday. I'm very busy. I'm going to… (eg Bandung))
6. Canceling/Rescheduling an Appointment
If you want to cancel an appointment, make sure you have a clear reason and make sense, so it doesn't
seem to be harming other people (people who have been invited to meet). Also, don't forget to
apologize! Here's an example sentence:
Formal: Would it be possible to schedule a meeting for another? I have a sudden change of plan for this
weekend.
(Is it possible to schedule a meeting for another one? I suddenly changed my plans for this weekend.)
Next, after you have discussed and determined a time to meet, it's time to reconfirm regarding the
appointment. You can use some of the following phrases:
Formal: Please confirm/let me know if this date and time is convenient for you.
(Please confirm/let me know if this date and time works for you.)
Example of Conversation/Dialogue Making Appointments in English
To make your understanding of how to make an appointment in English better, you can pay attention to
some examples of conversations or dialogues.
Conversation Making Appointments for Business Meetings
A: Hi, this is Jason Statham calling for Mary Baura. Is she available?
B: Yes, this is Mary. Who's speaking?
A: Good morning Mary. I'm the new account manager handling your department's shipping and
receiving, and I would like to make an appointment with you to review your ordering list. Do you have
20 minutes on Tuesday next week for me to introduce myself and go over a couple of your orders?
B: I'm sorry, but that's not going to work. I already have another appointment then. What about
Mondays?
A: It sounds good. What sort of time would suit you? Is it good around 8.30 in the morning?
B: I appreciate it. Mornings are better for me.
A: Great, so to confirm, Monday the 21st at 8.30 a.m.?
B: Yep, that's great.
A: Great, thank you. I'll send you a good place via text.
B: Thank you very much.
A: No problem. thank you
B: Goodbye.
A: Bye.
