It’s easy to get frustrated and worried when it seems like the good one got away, but if she was offered one job, she’ll be offered another. I’m a bit of an expert in this, unfortunately - I have been unemployed so many times in my life that I’m intimately familiar with how these things go. Tell her not to worry and take the next good opportunity that comes along.
And I agree with others who say it wasn’t that great a job if it couldn’t wait a couple of hours for her answer. I know placement agencies move fast, but that’s a little too fast.
Chiming in again… if the new job couldn’t give her an additional week when starting, what are the odds they’d be ready to give her the time she wants or needs for vacations, family emergencies and the rest of the events in life? Relationships between employees and employers should start with a mutual respect, and giving two weeks notice is a part of that.
Speaking as someone who has done a fair amount of hiring (my latest hire starts Monday, as a matter of fact), I would prefer that the person I am hiring have the integrity to give notice at their old position rather than bail out to start right away. Shucks, I have recommended that new hires not only give notice but take a week or two off between jobs to get their life back in order – ending a job and starting one are both stressful things, and taking some time to focus on yourself leads to a healthier start.
So in retrospect, not giving in on their need to start fast was probably a good thing, and the fact that they were basically looking for a body to start now tells her something important about them.