Virtually everyone misses calls so it is not special to some people. However, it is inevitable for some people to get criticized for it, especially if it happens so often that the person has to create excuses for each incident.
If you have missed a person’s calls and need to find the perfect response to calm the other person, this article is for you.
It is normal to think a person is intentionally ignoring your calls but it is not always true. Below is a list of possible incidents that can fit in as excuses for missing a person’s call.
18 Ways to Apologize for a Missed Call
I’m sorry I missed your call
When you miss a person’s call, this may be all you have to say at the end of the day. You are not required to pick your phone up when you are called unless you have a job or a duty.
You can simply say you are sorry and the person will understand you. In case it is someone who asks for reasons, you can say why. If you don’t think your excuse is believable enough, keep reading for the perfect excuses to use.
I was unable to pick up your call. Sorry
Several thoughts may cross a person’s mind when you fail to answer your call. The person may think you are intentionally ignoring the call. The person could also think you are too careless with your phone that you don’t realize when you have to answer your phone.
When you respond with this, you are showing that you are not careless but you have good reasons for not picking up the call. Some people may ask for your reasons. Some may not. Some don’t even care about the call you missed.
My phone was muted. Sorry!
This is an excuse you can use so the person does not believe that you have intentionally ignored his or her calls. With a muted phone, you are unable to hear the phone ringing and that has led to you missing the person’s call.
It sounds absurd but some people will still judge you for keeping your phone muted.
Forgive me for the insolence
One of the coolest ways to prevent a person from getting angry with you is to turn it into a joke. If you are not comfortable with lying, this is a nice response you can use.
This response will sound hilarious to the person. He or she will ask if you intentionally ignored the call, then you can explain why you missed the call.
The conversation about the missed call will not be dragged on longer. If it is, the anger will already be watered down by your initial statement.
Did I miss something? Sorry I missed your call
This is one of the best statements you can first mention when you call back. It shows that you didn’t ignore the call intentionally. It also shows that you are interested in having a conversation.
The person may not talk about the missed call. There is also a chance that he or she asks for your excuse. You can explain afterward.
I didn’t hear it ring. I’m so sorry
This is another excuse you can use. Instead of saying your phone was muted, you can say you didn’t hear the phone ring. If you mention your muted phone, you may have to answer endless questions about why your phone was muted.
At the end of the day, the major word you need is Sorry. However, a believable excuse works much better.
My phone was in the room. Sorry
This could be your excuse for not hearing your phone ring. By saying this, you are telling the person that you didn’t ignore the call intentionally. The person may stop talking about the missed call, with this statement.
I left my phone in the bathroom. Sorry
This could be true or it could be a false excuse. The person will probably find it hilarious to hear that you left your phone in the bathroom. However, it still confirms the person’s possible judgment of your carelessness.
Saying this with a slight giggle would mean you embrace whatever insult comes your way. It will lighten the situation quickly.
I was at a meeting. Sorry
One of the best excuses is a reason to have intentionally ignored the call. When you give an excuse like a muted phone, it appears to the person that you are careless with your device.
This excuse proves that you ignored the call intentionally. However, it proves that you are not careless and you have a good reason to have ignored the call. This is the best way to get the missed call out of your conversation as quickly as possible.
I am very busy now. Sorry. I’ll call you back
If you have missed a call and you don’t want the person to think it was intentional or careless, you can call the person back immediately, say this quickly, and end the call. That is good acting, right there.
It could be the truth, however. If you decide to apply this idea, you may want to find the perfect lie, in case the person asks what you were busy with.
With this response, you have shown the person that you ignored the call intentionally but you have good reasons. On top of that, you are apologizing for it while promising to call the person back.
My son had the phone. Sorry
It is quite cool to lie against your little child unless you don’t have one and the person is sure of it. If you have a little son or a little sibling in the house, you can blame it on the person.
By saying this, you are telling the person that you didn’t miss the call intentionally and it wasn’t your carelessness either. This will end the conversation about the missed call unless the person decides to ask unreasonable questions about it.
I was at a gas station. Sorry
There are several stories about phones, gas, and explosions on the internet. There is a high chance that the person does not require any explanation to understand this statement.
With this, it shows that you intentionally ignored the call for safety reasons. The person will understand that and the conversation about the missed call ends there.
My phone was on silent. My bad
You can admit that your phone was muted and be apologetic about it. This may not stop the person from ranting about your carelessness. There are people like that.
However, this shows that you did not ignore the call intentionally.
I just saw your missed call. What did I miss?
Sometimes, you don’t have to say sorry. The way you approach the conversation will make the person want to skip to the main point of the conversation quickly.
This response acknowledges that you missed a call. The following question shows that it wasn’t intentional and you are interested in having a conversation with the person.
I’m sorry I couldn’t pick up the call. I was driving
This is a nice way to respond if you were driving. You could simply say you were driving. Some people go on to rant about you ignoring calls intentionally or being careless with your device.
You can start the conversation by apologizing for missing the call. Then you can give your excuse.
I was in church. Sorry.
You also have a quite acceptable excuse if you were in church. The person will understand that you chose not to answer the call but you have your reasons for it.
However, this reason will not be respected by everyone. Remember that you don’t exactly owe anyone an apology for missing a call unless it’s your boss or your spouse.
I’m sorry. What did you need?
If it has been a while since the call came in, you may want to jump straight to the point so you know if it is too late to address the topic or not. By asking What did you need, you are asking if the person’s reason for calling can be addressed.
I hope you’re not pissed. I just got the chance to call back
This is a nice response if it has been a while since the call came in. This response indirectly explains that you have been busy and unable to attend to your phone calls. It tells the person that you called back when you had the chance.
There is a low chance that the person keeps talking about your missed call unless something has been affected by it.