"...but it's Christmas!"

[CrazedClerkthe2nd]

I took not one but several calls yesterday that went something like this:

Me: It looks like your account is over two months past due.
SC: Yeah but I made a payment just the other day.
Me: I do see the payment here, unfortunately it was not enough to cover the full past due amount, so your services are still off.
SC: I realize that, but this time of year my money is real tight, is there any way I could like get an extension until the end of the month? I'll get it paid off.
Me: As I said you are two months past due, unless you are able to make a substantial payment today, I can't do much to restore your service.
SC: But it's Christmas! Come on, give me a break, it's hard to keep money in your pocket this time of year, just help me out a little bit.
Me: I do understand it's the holidays but with the account this far past due I can't do much for you if you can't make a payment today.
SC: Oh come on, where's your holiday spirit?
Me: How I feel about Christmas does not change the fact your account is still past due.
SC: Fine. I guess I'm not going to have a crappy Christmas this year. I can't believe you won't help me out. *click*

Let's get something straight here people: Using Christmas as an excuse will not in any way shape or form increase your chances of me turning your service back on or otherwise bending the rules just to make you happy.

Thinking I will take pity on you because of the season is a grave mistake indeed. Just because it's the holidays doesn't mean my job or your responsibility to pay your bills is put on hold for a month.

If money is tight well then you should have planned better!

[mattm04]

A SC plan a budget, ha. That will be the day.

[matty]

Help you out? Sure! But first, what Christmas present are you going to give to me?

[AmericanZero8503]

You are right it is christmas...why don't you ask santa to cover your bill?

Do they think we all live in a holiday special? Its bad enough that the Holidays have gotten way out of control...and the retail sector decides to start celebrating Christmas the day after labor day.

Christmas= 1 day. Hanukkah= 8 days...so why does one seem to last an eternity?

[greensinestro]

I once had a lady who called me to make payment arrangements around Thanksgiving. She owed some $500 or more on the bill, but wanted to pay it at $10 a month, never mind she had her future bills that would be added to this amount. Our policy was any arrangements like that had to be paid in four months or less, so the minimum had to be $125. Now, this lady had everything on her phone service, from five pagers, to DSL and satelite TV. When I told her this, she tried giving me the guilt trip of my life saying, "I guess I won't be having Thanksgiving with my family being I was going to cook the turkey. Now I won't be able to afford it!" My reply was "I'm sorry, but $10 per month on a $500 balance is not acceptable for the minimum payments." I further told her that she could speak with another rep (because she stated she would do just that), but that it would not change company policy. She never did call back, but I found later she did pay $200 of this balance. Let me see. She could not pay $125, but paid $75 over that, money she could have used to buy a turkey. My turkey was under $20 this past Thanksgiving.

[Emrld]

sadly the following would not be possible . . .and it is based on the specific choice of holiday . . .if another holiday was chosen it would change the response . . . .
" I am sorry to hear that you feel that our company policies will be ruining your Christmas. I strongly suggest you set up a meeting with your Priest and have the meaning of the Birth of Christ re-explained to you. Apparently you have forgotten that it is not a holiday about begging for freebies"
Just wish sometimes we could throw messed up logic back in there faces

(and don't flame me - I do give gifts . . .I love to give gifts . . .and I am proud that I have finally gotten to the point where it is about the giving rather than the gimmee . . . except for my parents - I still want something nice from them - hey I am human)

[shenzee]

We get this alot at the apartment complex I work. We'll have tenants two months behind on their rent and telling me that they couldn't pay the rent because they had to instead use their rent money to buy little Johnny that Guitar Hero game he wanted so badly. I want so badly to ask them where little Johnny will be playing this game once his mommy gets their belongings thrown on the street for failure to pay rent! "Merry Christmas kids, sorry we don't have a home, but enjoy your video games!"

[Bright_Star]

I can't understand how too many people go hog wild shopping for crap & then have the nerve to bitch & complain when they get behind in their bills. Because it's the holidays doesn't mean that you stop paying your bills & hope that the creditor is going to help you out because of the time of year.

[Nutjob R/T]

But it's CHRISTMAS, Mr. Scrooge!

Goddamn you, Cratchet, look what you've done to the world.

[Soulstealer]

This year among the holidays, it's also time for reregistering my car, renewing my licence and the traditional care insurance bill.

Money's going to be tight so I don't see myself spending too much on anything I don't really need. (If I'm really good I'll buy a new pair of gloves)

Some people need to learn to budget. Freshmen are fun, they're old enough for a credit card but stupid enough not to realize you have to pay it back.

[Ayleah]

I've heard this excuse since pretty much the first week of November.

I get that everyone pretty much assumes that cable tv, cell phones, and internet service are basic necessities, right up there with their car and rent/mortgage. If you live in a modern world, who wants to be without them if you don't have to be?

The kicker is that where I work, most of the stuff that they are behind on are toys. ATVs, jetskis, dirtbikes, etc. So if you are a person that has a hard time making ends meet anyway, how did you come to the brilliant decision to finance 8 grand for a completely non-essential plaything?? Some of these people pay more for them than I pay on my CAR.

I don't want to hear about the fact that having to make this payment is going to ruin your <insert holiday here>. Maybe, just MAYBE... the next time you get a wild bug up your bum to sign half your paycheck away, you'll think twice, and fondly remember that Christmas I ruined by making you <gasp>... pay your bill.

[Brentos]

I get "but it's christmas!" alot working in sales and I've actually a couple times responded with "yeah, and I'm trying to make some money for my family for the holiday. Care to help me out?" They usually stopped trying after that.

[anyanka2]

Yeah, Christmas has a different meaning for those who work in retail. It means having to work extra hours to allow for people to finish up their gift and grocery shopping, some of whom don't do that stuff until the last minute. Working before and after holidays is a part of the job, and it isn't any easier when you get the fake "aww, you have to work during this time?" shtick from the customers, especially when you and some of your co-workers haven't had time to do your own holiday shopping.

It does suck when people use Christmas as an excuse to get out of paying bills. Maybe Santa will give them some budgeting skills and some insight to get their priorities back in order, instead of more useless crap that they don't need.

[powerboy]

I get that at my job at the self storage.

We had one guy that honestly thought, that we were not charging rent for December.

[protege]

I've always wanted to answer the "but it's Christmas" folks with something like "So? What's your point?"

I mean, money is tight for me, yet I can somehow get my bills paid. Even with buying the house last year and the car last June. It's difficult, but they're paid