Portrait Studio
Sunday was a busy afternoon in the studio - for a couple of hours we had appointment every fifteen minutes but we could handle it. However, the last three appointments were all booked together because they were the same group. When we confirmed, we tried to address that we were going to be busy and there was going to be a wait - same thing we tell everyone during the busy seasons. We also explained that they couldn't book the same one but she wasn't hearing it and hung up.
Whatever but we have reasons as to why we can't people making more than one appointment in a single hour ... because the system will assume that is going to be a busy hour and will open up more slots. And someone booked online. Right in the middle of it.
Anyways, we had several people in the studio all present for their appointments but since some of them were early, it meant they had to wait longer. Not our fault but we made sure to get everyone in a timely manner. I decided to just take three appointments back-to-back so I could them done quicker.
I have a new girl with me and love her but she's not...as expeditious as I would like in the camera room but she can sell. I got two appointments in, they were super awesome and in and out in less than ten minutes. Well, the group that booked three together (there were only eight people, by the way - it was not necessary to take up that many slots) was getting impatient with me. They also debated the times they booked when they checked in. Like, why are getting antsy with me? Y'all booked them, not us!
Then I got the third one - the three-slots takers - and the woman in charge (WIC) walked in the camera room with a major attitude. I am super-sweet to everybody. It's not me being arrogant or anything but it's just in my nature because I want folks to be happy.
I get started with them and get everyone cracking up, so things are relaxing a bit, even with the WIC. But I am spending more time with these people already than I did with the previous folks in the camera room. She had some request, including a pose I didn't think was very flattering (her family wasn't necessarily small) so I sort of did it and then did another pose that was more flattering to folks of their size.
I was running out of room in the SD card so I asked if there was anything else: "Oh, I need this/I would like this." Fine but we were done after those.
I get them uploaded on the computers and she is sitting in a chair that is to my left (I am deaf/HOH and my left ear is the worst) and she asked me how I was going to put their pictures together. I told them I was putting everything in one account but before I could finish that sentence, she very sharply says, "I do not want that. They need to be in separate accounts because we have a coupon and it would be cheaper that way. That's why we made three reservations." (Reservations, how cute)
I politely said, "Yes, ma'am ... I'll see what I can do." So I created two accounts and basically uploaded everything twice but eliminating photos with the corresponding family. This is taking me longer so she asks if I was done yet.
"Yes, ma'am ... almost."
I finally get them ready and take everyone to two separate computers and upload the corresponding accounts and I explained everything and if they wanted to browse for a bit I would let them do that then WIC was glaring at me. I mean, when I was looking at everyone, including her, our eyes actually kind of locked for about ten seconds because she had this look on her face as if she was waiting to start something.
Personally, I think she was waiting for me to ask if everything was OK so she could unload on me - even though she hadn't looked at the photos yet. But I didn't because I felt like that would make me look insecure so I walked away with a smile bolted on my face.
After a few minutes or so, I walked back over and WIC and her sister-in-law were now on the same computer. I asked if anyone had an idea of what they would like to do; WIC says to me:
"I do not like any of them! I could have taken better pictures with my phone and I observed that you spent more time with other families in the camera room than you did with us. I do not like any of them and you didn't do the pose I wanted." And she pointed at one of our displays that had the pose she wanted but would not have been flattering.
"I understand. Would you like to go back in and get some more-"
"No."
"Would you like to reschedule and have a different photog-"
"No."
"What would you like to do?" (I asked this sincerely, not condescendingly)
She ignores me and looks at her SIL's pictures, which are essentially the same but without her family's photos. Her SIL wants some photos but wanted to rearrange some pictures for a card, then asks if we could take some pictures of WIC's session to put in with one of the cards.
I told her I could not do that because they had asked for separate accounts and I cannot take images from another account onto another one's. Luckily, I missed a couple and had one they could use. WIC wanted the same cards (even though she didn't like any of hers...) and we finally wrapped things up. I kept the same friendly demeanor the entire time. I was sugary-sweet to her even though she pouted and had such attitude with me.
Merry Christmas, ma'am....
Whatever but we have reasons as to why we can't people making more than one appointment in a single hour ... because the system will assume that is going to be a busy hour and will open up more slots. And someone booked online. Right in the middle of it.
Anyways, we had several people in the studio all present for their appointments but since some of them were early, it meant they had to wait longer. Not our fault but we made sure to get everyone in a timely manner. I decided to just take three appointments back-to-back so I could them done quicker.
I have a new girl with me and love her but she's not...as expeditious as I would like in the camera room but she can sell. I got two appointments in, they were super awesome and in and out in less than ten minutes. Well, the group that booked three together (there were only eight people, by the way - it was not necessary to take up that many slots) was getting impatient with me. They also debated the times they booked when they checked in. Like, why are getting antsy with me? Y'all booked them, not us!
Then I got the third one - the three-slots takers - and the woman in charge (WIC) walked in the camera room with a major attitude. I am super-sweet to everybody. It's not me being arrogant or anything but it's just in my nature because I want folks to be happy.
I get started with them and get everyone cracking up, so things are relaxing a bit, even with the WIC. But I am spending more time with these people already than I did with the previous folks in the camera room. She had some request, including a pose I didn't think was very flattering (her family wasn't necessarily small) so I sort of did it and then did another pose that was more flattering to folks of their size.
I was running out of room in the SD card so I asked if there was anything else: "Oh, I need this/I would like this." Fine but we were done after those.
I get them uploaded on the computers and she is sitting in a chair that is to my left (I am deaf/HOH and my left ear is the worst) and she asked me how I was going to put their pictures together. I told them I was putting everything in one account but before I could finish that sentence, she very sharply says, "I do not want that. They need to be in separate accounts because we have a coupon and it would be cheaper that way. That's why we made three reservations." (Reservations, how cute)
I politely said, "Yes, ma'am ... I'll see what I can do." So I created two accounts and basically uploaded everything twice but eliminating photos with the corresponding family. This is taking me longer so she asks if I was done yet.
"Yes, ma'am ... almost."
I finally get them ready and take everyone to two separate computers and upload the corresponding accounts and I explained everything and if they wanted to browse for a bit I would let them do that then WIC was glaring at me. I mean, when I was looking at everyone, including her, our eyes actually kind of locked for about ten seconds because she had this look on her face as if she was waiting to start something.
Personally, I think she was waiting for me to ask if everything was OK so she could unload on me - even though she hadn't looked at the photos yet. But I didn't because I felt like that would make me look insecure so I walked away with a smile bolted on my face.
After a few minutes or so, I walked back over and WIC and her sister-in-law were now on the same computer. I asked if anyone had an idea of what they would like to do; WIC says to me:
"I do not like any of them! I could have taken better pictures with my phone and I observed that you spent more time with other families in the camera room than you did with us. I do not like any of them and you didn't do the pose I wanted." And she pointed at one of our displays that had the pose she wanted but would not have been flattering.
"I understand. Would you like to go back in and get some more-"
"No."
"Would you like to reschedule and have a different photog-"
"No."
"What would you like to do?" (I asked this sincerely, not condescendingly)
She ignores me and looks at her SIL's pictures, which are essentially the same but without her family's photos. Her SIL wants some photos but wanted to rearrange some pictures for a card, then asks if we could take some pictures of WIC's session to put in with one of the cards.
I told her I could not do that because they had asked for separate accounts and I cannot take images from another account onto another one's. Luckily, I missed a couple and had one they could use. WIC wanted the same cards (even though she didn't like any of hers...) and we finally wrapped things up. I kept the same friendly demeanor the entire time. I was sugary-sweet to her even though she pouted and had such attitude with me.
Merry Christmas, ma'am....