I once asked not to work with the new learning support assistant I'd been allocated, and requested rematching with a new one, because she was one single, petty minute late.
I'd walked half an hour across town to the building she was based in, arrived in good time, and waited for her in what seemed like the right place. She sauntered down from her office at one minute past our meeting time and didn't even acknowledge her slight lateness, let alone apologise.
I understand that things suddenly come up that need dealing with, phone calls unexpectedly run over… people just lose track of time, even. I get that. It's fine.
But even if it's fine, inconsequential, and I wouldn't normally give a second thought to a minute's lateness in itself, I did give a second thought to the way this person made me feel by being slightly late and not acknowledging it or giving a quick social-lubricant apology. I'd put a lot of effort into being in the right place at the right time, in an unfamiliar city, and was nervous about identifying the person I was meant to meet, as well as unsure I was in the right place. When my appointment time came and went, I began to feel more anxious and uncertain.
Something as small as an apology for being a little late, maybe an acknowledgement I'd been waiting, possibly a brief explanation — something like "Hello, you must be off! I'm <name>. Thank you for waiting — I'm sorry, there was something I had to wrap up before our meeting", or even just "Hello — oh, I'm a minute late, sorry about that!", or really anything to acknowledge it, and all would've immediately been smoothed over.
But without it, I was left with a vague and uncomfortable feeling — perhaps that she didn't think it would matter if she didn't do what she said she'd do, or my time and discomfort were of no concern to her as she was more important than me, or… something, I don't know exactly what. But from that point on, I felt uncomfortable with her.
These tiny things like apologising for being a minute late, even when it's something so petty and doesn't really matter, can be important sometimes, because of the message you send by not apologising when an apology is routinely expected. It depends on the circumstances, obviously, but occasionally it's socially important even when it's something so tiny.
The replacement LSA I was allocated organised to travel to me, and turned up on time.