What do you say after someone misses their slot?
You sent the room notice for a fictional community storytelling event.
The question
Your email named the wrong room for Mina’s three-minute reading. The event has moved on. You can ask the facilitator about a later slot or offer to forward a written statement.
- MinaI took unpaid time to come here. I missed the slot I had prepared for.
“Speak to Mina. Say what you can do and find out which option would help her.”
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A strong answer, step by step
Open each step in turn. This is one strong answer, not the only one.
Step 1: How do you open?
What would you do here? Open the move you’d make.
Name the error and its effect
The strong move. Mina hears that you understand why she is upset.
Explain that the event must stay on schedule
Tempting, but it misses something. This explains a constraint before you have acknowledged the error.
Apologize for the confusion and ask her to wait
Tempting, but it misses something. This leaves her unsure whether you know why she missed the reading.
See how a strong candidate says it
“I sent the wrong room. I’m sorry you missed the slot you took time off to attend.”
Why it works: Start with what you did and what it cost Mina.
Step 2: What do you need to ask?
What would you do here? Open the move you’d make.
Offer to forward the writing now
Tempting, but it misses something. Mina has yet to agree to have someone else read it.
Ask what she prefers and check availability
The strong move. You can find out which action would help before you promise it.
Promise her the next turn
Tempting, but it misses something. The facilitator owns the schedule. You have yet to check the space.
See how a strong candidate says it
“Would you prefer to read it yourself? I can ask the facilitator if there’s another slot. If you’d prefer to send it in writing, I can forward it.”
Why it works: Check what Mina wants before choosing between two different remedies.
Step 3: What can you offer now?
Mina says the story works only in her own voice. She has to leave in ten minutes. The facilitator confirms a three-minute slot starts in five minutes.
What would you do here? Open the move you’d make.
Book the slot without asking
Tempting, but it misses something. It fits her time, but she still has to choose whether to take it.
Offer the confirmed slot and ask
The strong move. This preserves the option and gives Mina the choice.
Offer another reading on a later day
Tempting, but it misses something. You have a confirmed option that works within her stated time today.
See how a strong candidate says it
“The three-minute slot in five minutes ends in eight minutes. It fits before you leave. Would you like to read then?”
Why it works: The confirmed slot fits the time and lets Mina use her own voice.
Step 4: Say your reply to Mina
What would you do here? Open the move you’d make.
Give the confirmed time and ask what she wants to do
The strong move. She can decide and knows what you will do next.
Say the facilitator has fixed it
Tempting, but it misses something. It leaves her without a time or a choice.
See how a strong candidate says it
“I sent the wrong room, and I’m sorry you lost your slot. There’s a three-minute slot in five minutes. Would you like me to tell the facilitator you’ll take it?”
Why it works: Name the mistake, the exact offer and what you need from Mina.
The answer, in short
- Decision
- Offer Mina the confirmed slot and ask before you reserve it.
- Because
- It lets her give the reading herself before she has to leave.
- What would change it
- If she declines or the facilitator loses the slot, ask what would help and check the options again.
Common traps
- Explain the schedule before acknowledging the mistake.
- Promise a slot you have yet to confirm.
Check your answer
- I named the mistake and its effect.
- I asked what Mina wanted.
- I used the confirmed time.
- I asked before committing Mina.
Last reviewed Nov 11, 2026