Germany: Appointment Alert!

From ExecutivePlanet.com

Making appointments

Never underestimate the importance of punctuality in German business culture. Arriving even five to ten minutes later than the appointed time is perceived as late, especially if you are a subordinate. Fifteen minutes would be considered a very serious faux pas and could mean a shaky start to any potential business relations.

Be prepared to make an appointment for most things. Germans don't usually feel comfortable discussing especially serious things “on the go”, so don't expect to be able to just drop into the office unannounced for any detailed discussions. Make your appointments well in advance. [Making appointments for a more detailed telephone conversation is also not unusual]. Give at least one or two weeks notice for an appointment made by telephone; allow at least a month for an appointment made by mail. If you don't have much preparation time, it's sometimes possible to arrange for a brief, introductory meeting within a few days' notice.

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If you must be late for any reason, it's important that you call and notify the person who is expecting you. Moreover, you should give a plausible explanation for the delay.

The preferred times for business appointments are between 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. or between 3:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m.

Avoid scheduling appointments on Friday afternoons, as some offices close by 2:00 p.m. or 3:00 p.m. on Fridays.

Casually changing the time and place of an appointment is not appreciated. Allow for at least 24 hrs, if you can, to change or cancel appointments. Be prepared to offer a plausible explanation.

Be sensitive to vacation and festival periods here. Germans generally have six weeks of paid vacation, which means someone is almost always “in Urlaub” [“on holiday”]. Therefore, be prepared to take this into consideration when making appointments or planning visits. For instance, Germans commonly take long vacations during July, August, December and Easter, when schools break.

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