How to ask for a change of appointment

Why a short, early message matters here

I'm Jisun, the owner of London Brow in Seoul. I work alone and see one client at a time, so every appointment is a block of my day kept for one person. When plans change, the earlier I know, the more easily that block can move. That is the whole reason for this article: not rules, just how to make a change quick for both of us.

Travel plans change all the time. Flights move, a friend's schedule shifts, a work meeting appears. I would much rather hear about it the moment you know than the evening before, even if you are not yet sure of the new date. A message that says 'my plans may change, I will confirm tomorrow' is useful too.

Look at your calendar before you write

Before you open the chat, open your calendar. Mark the date you booked. Then mark the days that are now fixed for other reasons: flights, tours, meetings, other appointments. Cross out Sundays, because the studio is closed on Sundays. What is left are your real options. Pick two or three of them, and if you can, note whether each one is flexible or tight.

This takes two minutes and removes the most common delay in rescheduling: a request with no alternatives. 'Can I change my appointment?' needs a reply asking which date. 'Can I move from Tuesday to Thursday or Friday?' can be answered straight away. When I look at a request, the first thing I usually check is whether it already contains options.

The four lines of a rescheduling message

Line one: the booking you have now, with the date. Line two: the reason in a few words, such as 'my flight changed'. You do not need to explain more than that, but a reason helps me understand how fixed the new dates are. Line three: two or three new dates in order of preference. Line four: anything that has changed besides the date, for example if you now want to talk about a different menu.

Keep it in the same WhatsApp chat where we agreed the first date, so the history stays together. Consultations are translation-assisted, so write each date in numbers and the month as a word, like '14 March', rather than a format that could be read two ways. A date such as 03/04 can mean two different days depending on where you come from.

What gets confirmed in the reply

I will reply with which of your options works, or suggest the nearest days that do. Anything practical about moving a booking is confirmed in that chat, not in an article, because it depends on your booking and the timing. I do not publish fixed rules for changes here, so please ask in the chat rather than assume.

If none of your options work and your trip is short, tell me your departure date clearly. We plan the timing together within your trip, and sometimes the most useful answer is to talk about a future visit instead of squeezing an appointment in. Every trip is different, and there is no single right choice.

A message you can copy

'Hello, I have an appointment on 14 March. My flight changed, so I need a new date. I could come on 15 March or 17 March, and 15 March is better for me. Nothing else has changed.' Replace the dates with yours and send it as soon as you know. If you are still waiting on your own plans, send the first line and 'I will confirm new dates by tomorrow', and follow up when you can.

Common questions