Originally Posted by Shades of Blue

It still works that way for me. Every time. I tell the gate agent before I walk down that I’d like every seat full and if it causes a delay for them to “put it on me”. The gate agent almost always smiles and their demeanor relaxes.

If it looks like timing is getting tight, I put a comment in Flight Family saying “Captain wants to wait for boarding remaining passengers and jumpseaters”. I tag tower, gate agent, and FAs. Tower normally responds with an “Ok” or a “.”
Never had a phone call or an issue come from it. No “carpet dance” or whatever people fear will happen.
I’m also proactive about getting them an “out” time as soon as the doors are closed though. It’s a team effort.