Is Professional Courtesy a Thing of the Past?

Last week I had blocked time for a phone call and for a meeting down in Houston. I was supposed to get a confirmation call for the Houston meeting on Monday. Neither of the calls ever came. I followed up, of course, and both phone messages and e-mail went unanswered.

Once upon a time, not too long ago, if you scheduled time with a professional in any field and you needed to cancel you called to let them know. You didn't just pull a no show unless something was seriously wrong. There is no shame in saying things aren't going to work out for whatever reason. You don't even need to give a reason. In this day and age, with smartphones everywhere, giving the courtesy of a note cancelling a meeting takes a few minute and can be done by phone, text or e-mail.

I find it amazing, not to mention incredibly unprofessional, than one person in the business world would simply stand up another like this. Time is valuable. Is professional courtesy dead? Is it a thing of the past. Sadly, it seems to be.