Entitled mom expects portrait photographer to stay after her 9 hour shift because she's late with her 2 kids, doesn't even have an appointment: 'I'm leaving at 7:00, that's our closing time'

Author image for Emmy Pratt
Emmy Pratt • Senior Editor
Nov 20, 2024 4:00 PM EST

If there's one thing in this world I hate, it's lateness. It's one thing to be late to see a movie by yourself, but if you're leaving your friend who has your ticket waiting in the lobby for 30 minutes, you're a bad dude. Lateness rarely only affects the late person, and if you're clinically late to everything you attend, it's not some haha funny thing to brush off. It's a real problem that needs to be fixed.

Most people think 10 minutes of lateness is okay if the late person lets the person they're meeting know that they will be showing up late. That's all well and good for a personal engagement, but not a professional one. If you show up to a restaurant that closes at seven at 7:10, they probably won't serve you, even if people are finishing their meals who showed up before closing. Nobody is entitled to service when the business is closed.

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  • 01
    Cheezburger Image 10430888192
    via Szabo Viktor

    This image is for illustration only, and the subjects are models; the image does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 02
    Entitled mother thought I should stay late because she was "on her way"
    via u/Number-2-Sis
  • 03
    So this took place some 30 years ago. Some important facts. I was a photographer at a portrait studio in a major retail store. A portrait session could take anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour; depending on the subjects.
    via u/Number-2-Sis
  • 04
    I had a 7 and 8 year old at the time. My commute was an hour each way. Our hours were 10:00 am to 7:00 pm
    via u/Number-2-Sis
  • 05
    I worked in a major town that drew a lot of its business from nearby rural communities, by near by I mean up to 30 minutes away. On to the story: One evening at 6:50 pm I'm wrapping things up to close when I get a phone call and the following conversation ensued:
    via u/Number-2-Sis
  • 06
    EW (entitled women) Me: (expecting to be making an appointment) Portrait studio, how can I help you? EW: I just wanted to let you know we're on our wait to get photos taken, I have two kids!
    via u/Number-2-Sis
  • 07
    Me: it's 6:50.... your realize we close at 7:00? EW: yes... that's why I'm calling so you know we're coming, we only live In (and names a town 15-20 minutes away), we'll be there by 7:00. Me: (knowing they will never arrive by 7:00) I'm leaving at 7:00... that's our closing time.
    via u/Number-2-Sis
  • 08
    EW: that's why I'm calling to make sure you wait for us, we'll be there by seven. Me: I won't be here EW: you don't understand, the kids are dresses already, they have to get their pictures taken tonight!
    via u/Number-2-Sis
  • 09
    Me: yes, I do understand, what you don't understand is we close at seven, and I'm leaving at seven, I have two kids myself and would like to see them before they go to bed. Would you like to make an appointment for later this week? Our last appointment is at 6:30. EW: click
    via u/Number-2-Sis
  • 10
    JayEll1969 But I'm running late so I expect everyone else to run late to accommodate by timekeeping.
    via u/JayEll1969
  • 11
    carmium "A lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part."
    via u/carmium
  • 12
    MysteriousStandard68 This happened about a month ago. 7pm close, I've been there since 7 am. I'm 15 minutes away. Can you stay open? Nope....
    via u/MysteriousStandard68
  • 13
    babyducky40 Years ago, I also worked in a portrait studio. We closed at 5 on xmas eve, but because corporate are a h_les, we took our last appt at 5. Someone booked that appt and demanded I stay until they show up. Nope. Appt is at 5, I leave at 501. You were late. Too bad, so sad
    via u/babyducky40
  • 14
    Number-2-Sis OP One year they tried to tell me "walk in only... no appointments" I refused... I had customers coming to me for years, with appointments, and suddenly I'm supposed to tell them we don't take appointments! H I no, I took care of my regulars!
    via u/Number-2-Sis
  • 15
    JustanOldBabyBoomer I bet that Kraken was throwing a tantrum because she got told NO!
    via u/JustanOldBabyBoomer
  • 16
    Big Target78 When I was much younger I worked in retail, in a tourist shop that sold chintzy, culturally suspect stuff like plastic totem poles and dreamcatchers made in China. I had tidied the shop, counted out my float, put the cash drawer in the safe, shut down the till and locked the doors and was walking up the street away from the shop when a couple women ran up to me saying could I please reopen, they really needed to get some dreamcatchers because they were leaving town that day.
    via u/BigTarget78
  • 17
    I said "sorry, I already shut down the till and put the cash in the safe." They started to argue with me about how I could still just take their cash and I said "sorry, I have a bus to catch" and walked quickly away toward the bus stop.
    via u/BigTarget78
  • 18
    dart22 I'm friends with someone who coaches JV football. After tryouts one kid's parents showed up 90 minutes late. He had the kid call every half an hour, and the mom was always "on the way." He said you could tell the kid was feeling bad, and it wasn't his fault, but he wanted to tell the kid, "you know I have two small kids at home, right? I won't get to see them before they go to bed because of this." Kid didn't make the team.
    via u/dart22
  • 19
    Independent-Win9088 I despise people like this. I work in the service department of a car dealer. We are open from 7am to 6pm. I was the Friday closer (all other days you worked 7 to 4). The number of people who would call in 10 to close to tell me to wait as they were "almost there" was ASTOUNDING. Sir and/or ma'am, we've been open for near 11 hours, and you need me to wait? GTFO. We open again Saturday at 7am if you need to pick up or drop off. We also have night drop envelopes.
    via u/Independent-Win9088
  • 20
    I soon realized that no good phone calls come through that close to closing, and I stopped answering the phone then. I can't tell you the amount of times I've snuck out the side door to see people pulling in after 6pm yanking on the see-through glass service doors to the office with ZERO lights on. Get a clue, Karen. Gives me a bit of smug satisfaction.
    via u/Independent-Win9088
  • 21
    Number-2-Sis OP My mechanic has a sign I love We have 3 kinds of service Good and fast.... won't be cheap Good and cheap....won't be fast Cheap and fast.... won't be good Your choice!!!
    via u/Number-2-Sis
  • 22
    Pipelnevitable9383 Businesses close when they close. People need to stop thinking they are the exception. Let the workers do their closing duties and leave on time.
    via u/Pipelnevitable9383
  • 23
    Number-2-Sis OP I stayed late often enough when o had a difficult sitting. And never did I make a customer feel bad about it!!
    via u/Number-2-Sis
  • 24
    Pipelnevitable9383 Its one thing if the appointment is running past it's time. Its another to assume people should stay open.
    via u/Pipelnevitable9383
  • 25
    kempff Yes it's hard sometimes being on-time when you have kids to wrangle, but props to you for standing your ground.
    via u/kempff
  • 26
    Number-2-Sis OP She didn't even have an appointment that she was running late for... if she had I may have given her a bit of grace... he plan was to come in as "a walk in" but to come in after closing and just expected me to stay because she called.
    via u/Number-2-Sis
  • 27
    stealthdawg funny part is it typically only take a little empathy to get your way too "Hey, I know this is a big ask. Right now I'm about 10 minutes away. I know you guys close at 7pm but is there any way you'd be willing to stay 10-15 minutes late to squeeze in one last portrait? I would even pay you a little extra for the trouble" and go from there.
    via u/stealthdawg
  • 28
    SpookyBeck Sears!! I used to work there in the 90s. The photo lady was amazing! I remember getting 20 sheets for &50! She would sit with my baby for over an hour and get precious shots! I probably did that at least 5 times. I have sheets and sheets in an old album. She was the best. It wasn't my idea for the sessions to take so long, she would keep adding props and kept having me change her clothes. The photo lady had a blast!
    via u/SpookyBeck
  • 29
    Number-2-Sis OP The things I used to do to get kids smiling!!
    via u/Number-2-Sis

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