“We are normally a 24-hour store,” writes our submitter in Portland, Oregon, “but we close early for Christmas.” At least one customer found this policy to be most unsatisfactory — as evidenced by the holiday greeting she left behind.
![December 24, 2009. Portland, Oregon, USA. [store name] about 9 pm. I came by to purchase a birthday card, your store was closed. Sign says open Xmas eve 24 hrs. How kind of your company to give you all the day off =)](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2725/4218576118_b11de57a1e.jpg "December 24, 2009. Portland, Oregon, USA. [store name] about 9 pm. I came by to purchase a birthday card, your store was closed. Sign says open Xmas eve 24 hrs. How kind of your company to give you all the day off =)")
related: In case you’re wondering why we’re closed
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89 responses so far ↓
#1
anglophile
The note writer really screwed up. She should have left it for her lawyer to draft this initial contact. She’s lessened her case for pain and suffering by describing the store owners as kind. Clearly an amateur.
Dec 29, 2010 at 5:03 pm rating: 24
#2
lagne
Hahaha. I’m so staying out of this one.
Dec 29, 2010 at 5:06 pm rating: 1
#3
NoAdditives
Maybe it’s not sarcastic. They did put a smiley face…
Dec 29, 2010 at 5:09 pm rating: 10
#4
Guy
No doubt the birthday card would have been filled with the same sincere, heartfelt message.
Dec 29, 2010 at 5:10 pm rating: 34
#5
orlanemo
Getting a birthday card for the Baby Jesus is not something to be left ’til the last minute… Shame on you lady…
Dec 29, 2010 at 5:18 pm rating: 40
#6
Stephizzal
quite right too. retail staff are a bunch of uneducated morons who don’t deserve a christmas with their equally moronic family. they should work christmas day, in fact, in case they need to serve someone a luminous 8ft inflatable santa claus which they simply *must* have. if they don’t like it, they should get another job, i mean there’s thousands out there, not like we’re in a recession or anything. bunch of whiney crybabies. in fact, next time i see one i’m going to swear at them for 10 minutes without repeating myself…
oh sorry, thought i was on the dunkin doughnuts thread then ; )
(yeah don’t flame me, i’m obviously joking.)
Dec 29, 2010 at 5:36 pm rating: 46
#7
PABrit
Wow. That is one passive-aggressive smiley face/wink/screw-you-NOT-24-hour-Store sign off.
I like the Portland, Oregon, U.S.A. heading, as if to suggest closing the 24-hr store was somehow un-American.
Dec 29, 2010 at 5:38 pm rating: 9
#8
Really?
I live in Portland, OR and NOTHING is open Christmas Eve night at 9pm. Not even McDonald’s. I love when people blame others for their obvious mistakes. Who goes out to buy a birthday card at 9pm on Christmas Eve? Honestly?
Wait, I take that back, Jack in the Box stays open 24-hours on all holidays. Because their employee’s lives don’t already suck enough.
Dec 29, 2010 at 5:55 pm rating: 44
#9
Nahhh
“Happy Birthday! I waited until 9 p.m. Christmas eve to buy you this card, because I care soooo much! =)”
Dec 29, 2010 at 5:55 pm rating: 20
#10
alex
Now wait, did the store really have a sign that said “open christmass eve” as the note-writer says? If so she might have reason to be annoyed. Though it doesn’t justify going to the trouble of writing such a stupid note out of spite.
If it really bothered her and it was a chain she could have called the district manager or something. And even then, only if there really was a sign and they closed despite that.
Dec 29, 2010 at 6:18 pm rating: 10
#11
Lizzie Borden
The author of this note wrote it on a Christmas card! Perhaps there should have been TWO cards purchased during that trip….
Dec 29, 2010 at 6:28 pm rating: 4
#12
Odious
If they close early on xmas eve, why did they bother putting a sign up to the contrary? It’s confusing. Confusion leads to frustration. Frustration leads (apparently) to taking time to leave a PAN when that time could have been spent downloading a birthday card from any of a multitude of sites.
Dec 29, 2010 at 7:19 pm rating: 7
#13
Sirius¤
I think the store was supposed to be open on Xmas eve, but unfortunately it snowed.
Dec 29, 2010 at 7:41 pm rating: 8
#14
pony girl
It must really suck for all of those people who don’t celebrate Christmas to have to deal with all the traffic and store-closings this time of year.
That being said, I would think that after a few years, one would plan ahead. Christmas comes every year on the same day, and so does that person’s birthday.
Dec 29, 2010 at 8:05 pm rating: 24
#15
Divvitar
This is like the opposite of Rick, the asshat employee. Here we have the asshat customer. For a while after my college days, I worked in a 24 hour convenience store and had to work on most holidays. Time and a half was great, but I still missed spending the day with my family. Once I had a customer bring me Christmas dinner, which was awesome! This note writer is obviously not in the holiday spirit.
Dec 29, 2010 at 8:14 pm rating: 9
#16
Canthz_B
The best part is that she found this store closed, went on safari to find another store which sells cards, bought this Christmas card (and presumably a birthday card), then came back to leave this holiday greeting.
The worst part is that because of this, she missed “It’s A Wonderful Life” again and had to settle for a midnight showing of “Miracle on 34th Street”.
Dec 29, 2010 at 8:49 pm rating: 10
#17
keycar
time for machine gun nests at stores I guess. What a fucking bitch.
Dec 29, 2010 at 9:45 pm rating: 4
#18
Canthz_B
Now this is a twist!
Finally, a customer cards the store instead of getting carded by the store!
Although, after a certain age being carded is a minor compliment that can really save a crappy day, rather than an annoyance.
Dec 29, 2010 at 11:07 pm rating: 2
#19
Who? Me?
Ooh, this card makes my skin curdle in sooooo many ways …
The PA level is just whammy-off-the-charts. The person is so obviously pissed, and chooses a “sending wishes of love and joy” card to express her bitter disappointment – a disappointment so freaking HUGE that it couldn’t possibly be cast aside in the spirit of the day.
The little “How kind of your company” line is just stabbing the knife in as far it will go, and giving it a couple of rigorous twists for good measure. How dare this company think of its employees on one brief day of the year, instead of on a customer’s potential last minute needs for small, inconsequential sundry. I’m hearing something akin to a Dana Carvey Church Woman voice sarcastically speak the words aloud as she slowly writes them out one by one. “How … kiiiiiiiinnnnnddd … of your coooomppppaaaannnny …” with a high, lilting voice on the word kind.
Don’t these people realize that she is alone, ALONE, on Xmas Eve, dammit! How dare they abandon her in this way! Ok, I know that her gender is not explicitly identified but there is something about the handwriting, the smiley face, and the forced chirpiness where it doesn’t belong that just screams female to me, for whatever reason.
But the very best part is her preference for the words “Christmas Season” over the words “Holiday Season”. This bitch is a “Christian”, the kind of person who approvingly nods when Bill O’Reilly expresses dismay that the “reason for the season” has been forgotten!
And that just makes me cringe. She believes that she’s “holier-than-thou” 24 x 7 every single day because of her “faith”, and yet she scolds a store for giving employees a few hours off to celebrate Christmas Eve?
Un-freakin-believable.
Dec 30, 2010 at 12:20 am rating: 15
#20
neo
And here I was thinking it was terrible that Sears was open on Thanksgiving Day. I guess it should have been opened extended hours, instead of only ’til lunch. Just in case someone needed a washing machine at nine o’clock.
…why did she just happen to have a Christmas card with her when she went to the store? XD
Dec 30, 2010 at 1:09 am rating: 2
#21
James L.
If she wants to buy a birthday card on Christmas Eve, next time she should go to a Jewish store.
Dec 30, 2010 at 3:13 am rating: 2
#22
Slerte
Instead of using the Christmas card to write a passive aggressive note, she should have just repurposed it as a Birthday card…
Sending wishes of love
and joy for a wonderful
Christmas Season,
and Birthday.
Dec 30, 2010 at 4:19 am rating: 10
#23
Canthz_B
I wonder if Jesus worked on his birthday?
If he gave sermons on mounts or did carpentry before going home, putting on a festive hat, blowing out the candles on his cake and beating the crap out of a Pontius Pilate piñata?
In short, when deciding whether to open the stores or close them on Christmas, we should ask ourselves,”WWJD?”.
Dec 30, 2010 at 4:27 am rating: 1
#24
Canthz_B
I’ve been trying for ages to get my company to close on 25-February, but they just don’t think Sun Myung Moon deserves the honor, at least not until after he croaks.
Dec 30, 2010 at 4:53 am rating: 0
#25
Canthz_B
‘Twas the night before Christmas…
Shopping list:
Gold
Frankincense
Myrrh
*Gaspar speaks*:
Alright, guys…let’s draw straws to see which Magi can find a merchant willing to supply these last-minute gifts.
Okay, Melchior, you’re up. Hey, see if you can find some coffee and donuts while you’re out…and a nice birthday card too!!
*Melchior angrily leaves tent, mumbling under his breath… “Mother fu-”*
Gaspar, you know everything is closed tonight, right?
Oh!! I told you guys we should have shopped earlier!! But NO! You insisted on going to the camel races! You decide now is the time to have an epiphany, Balthasar?!
Hey, not a bad idea…let me think…
Dec 30, 2010 at 5:40 am rating: 8
#26
Kate
Although I think she has left a particularly PA note and I am pleased that the store decided to allow the staff to have some time off over Christmas, I do think it is rather poor of the store to advertise ‘open 24 hours’ and then not to amend that to ‘but closing at 9pm on christmas eve’.
I have worked in retail for many years and have had countless arguments with customers over the fact that we are closing as the staff have lives of their own.
Dec 30, 2010 at 7:13 am rating: 2
#27
Le lac
But did she drive through a blizzard to buy that birthday card?
Dec 30, 2010 at 9:04 am rating: 7
#28
srsly?
Business I work in closes before usual time on Christmas eve. It also doesn’t post signs saying “We’re open 24 hours on Christmas eve!” This note is not half as bad as people are making it out to be — the business should post correct information.
Dec 30, 2010 at 9:33 am rating: 2
#29
Kevin
I love that she couldn’t resist reiterating that she lived in Portland (even though the store and the employees are in Portland as well). It’s become a reflex among self-satisfied Portlanders, much like Texans who let you know they’re from Texas in the first minute of conversation.
Dec 30, 2010 at 11:13 am rating: 6
#30
lilah
I may regret this, but I’m on team note-writer, assuming the store really did have a sign claiming they’d be open Christmas Eve. Putting up a “We’ll be open Christmas Eve” sign and then closing on Christmas Eve is kind of a jerk move. And yeah, making people work on Christmas at all is also a jerk move, but that doesn’t excuse false advertising.
And honestly, if I went to a store that had claimed it would be open that day and found out it was actually closed, I’d be kinda pissed.
Dec 30, 2010 at 11:25 am rating: 3
#31
Helena
She should’ve just used that Christmas card as a birthday card. It sucks but, odds are, if you’ve got a birthday near Christmas, you’re kind of used to that kind of double-duty b.s., especially from a mean ol’ bitty like this chick. She also seems like the type who’d blame you for having a birthday near Christmas and making her forget to wish you a happy f***ing birthday in the first place, jerk!
Dec 30, 2010 at 12:44 pm rating: 2
#32
oi
VIDEO ADS? HIDDEN VIDEO ADS, THAT TELLS ME IN DISEMBODIED VOICE TO BUY CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS? I will kill you internets!
I tried to be nice and cool about it yesterday but this is going too far!
BEWARE! the people thinking about to tell me about firefox and adblcok. DO NOT DARE! That might just tip the balance and you might loose the internets forever.
Dec 30, 2010 at 1:21 pm rating: 5
#33
oi
Talk about misleading signs!
That is pool’s face not mine. Mine was and is: 
I wanted to go swimming, found decent pool, called for hours. Got message listing hours for each day of week. Wednesday recreational laps 7 to 8 pm. Got there 6:45 it is open and kids are swimming. No body is at front desk. Found signs all over the place listing the same hours. Most people left at 7, some are lounging around. Still nobody at front desk. Finally asked the life guard kid (barely 14) who was leaving. Where, who to pay. He says that nobody at front desk means they canceled the laps! I called the City number that I got from the original number (they graciously said if you need more information call this other number) for the correct schedule. Got another message saying that everybody is on furlow until January 5th. So he will answer the messages on January 6th!
Recap: Misleading signs by telephone and everywhere, pool is open at said hour, but nobody is there to manage. There is no way to contact them until a week later!
I should have left the note instead of just swearing at my car. It is like they wanted patrons to experience crushing disappointment. They bait you in every possible way, then crush you like a mosquito between fingers! Come on in sucker! That will teach you!
Dec 30, 2010 at 1:38 pm rating: 6
#34
Charlie
If the author of this note felt the store would be open Christmas Eve, then she must have recently been there to read the sign saying so. Why didn’t she buy the birthday card then?
Dec 30, 2010 at 4:13 pm rating: 8
#35
MikeM
I have to fly home today. The membership lounge at this airport for my preferred airline was slated to permanently close today. For weeks, the Airline’s web site said the lounge would close at 1 pm, so I planned a flight that would have me finishing up at the lounge about 12:30 pm.
I cleared security at 10:45 am and went to the lounge, only to find a sign that said it was permanently closed as of 10:30 am.
I refrained from leaving a note, but I was pretty unhappy given that I had saved some work to do at the airport where I would have a desk and plenty of outlets. Now I am sitting in the lovely, uncomfortable chairs at the gates. There is nowhere to plug in my laptop, and there is not nearly enough privacy to work on expense reports and the like.
If you are going to post a closing time, please honor it. There are no weather reasons at this airport that explain the early closing. The sun is shining and there is no snow on any roads leading to the airport.
Dec 31, 2010 at 1:34 pm rating: 1
#36
RP
Stores with different hours during the holidays should post the exact hours.
That’s not to say that this store didn’t do that. In my experience that’s what always happens, whether it’s a chain or a local business. They may have done but left the “Open 24 hours” signage visible on the door and the note writer missed the new signage. I wouldn’t expect a store to cover up their normal hours so that’s all on the note writer if that’s what happened.
But if all they said was that they’d be open then that is misleading. No, it’s not a safe assumption that the store would be open 24hrs but customers shouldn’t have to guess at your closing time. 2PM? 6PM? 9PM?
That said, I’d be really surprised if the only sign the store had was that they’d be open Christmas Eve. Perhaps it was a relatively new business?
In any case, this is not worth a PAN. Drop a note in the suggestion box about making holiday hours clear or tell the owner/manager in person.
Jan 3, 2011 at 7:33 pm rating: 0
#37
Izzy4Realz
You know what you do when you aren’t certain about store hours (especially around the holidays)? You CALL THE BLOODY STORE AND ASK. I work at a place that’s open 24 hours for 363 days of the year, and the only reason some people realized we were closing on Christmas eve was because the store manager stood by the door starting at 7:30pm and reminded everyone who came in that we were closing at 8pm. I’m sorry that the lady didn’t realize that retail workers also have families, but a much better way to handle the situation would be to call and leave a neutral message with a manager, something along the lines of: “Hey, your sign was kind of confusing, maybe you could be a little more specific next time.” Instead she writes a sarcastic card that probably was thrown away after it was photographed and submitted here. The last lines in particular irritate me, because having one guaranteed day of the year off doesn’t seem like too much to ask, but apparently in her world retail associates are automatons and not people.
Jan 4, 2011 at 10:44 pm rating: 0
#38
emily
she might have been serious
my grandma was talking about how happy she was that a certian grocery store by her was closed christmas eve night and christmas day, and that she even told the manager she would be doing he shopping their and not at the rival store, because their store respected christmas, while the other store didn’t. it seems silly but this lady might have actually appreciated that this store was closed and giving their employees off.
she might just be a bitch though.
Jan 4, 2011 at 11:08 pm rating: 0
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