The main difference between “Sorry to keep you waiting” and “Sorry for keeping you waiting” is:
“Sorry To Keep You Waiting” is used when you arrive late to meet someone, and they have been waiting for you. It expresses regret that the other person had to wait because of your tardiness. For example:
Sorry to keep you waiting, the traffic was terrible.”
“Sorry For Keeping You Waiting” is used when you have already been interacting with the person for a while, but had to briefly pause or step away, making them wait longer than expected. It expresses regret for causing an interruption to their time. For example:
Sorry for keeping you waiting on the phone, I had to take another call.
So in summary:
“Sorry to keep you waiting” = apologizing for arriving late and making someone wait
“Sorry for keeping you waiting” = apologizing for an interruption that caused an unexpected wait time
The key difference is whether the waiting began because of your late arrival vs. an interruption during your interaction. But both phrases express politeness and regret for delaying someone’s time.
“Sorry To Keep You Waiting” Examples
– You arrive late to meet your friend at a restaurant. When you get there you say “Sorry to keep you waiting, traffic was insane.”
– You’re running late for a job interview. When you arrive you say “Sorry to keep you waiting, I had trouble finding parking.”
– You show up late to an appointment with your doctor. You say “Sorry to keep you waiting, my last meeting ran over.”
“Sorry For Keeping You Waiting” Examples
– You’re on a video call with a colleague. You tell them “Sorry for keeping you waiting, my laptop froze up for a minute.”
– You answer the phone and it’s your mother. You say “Sorry for keeping you waiting, I was just running upstairs to grab something.”
– You’re chatting with a customer service agent online. You say “Sorry for keeping you waiting, my wi-fi cut out temporarily.”
– You’re on hold with technical support. When they come back on the line you say “Sorry for keeping you waiting, I really appreciate your patience.”
Conclusion
So “Sorry to keep you waiting” is for when you arrive late. “Sorry for keeping you waiting” is for interruptions/delays during an ongoing interaction.
Leave a Reply