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Do you remember the old saying, “I’d walk a mile for a Camel”?

Well, recently, I came to the conclusion—that I’d walk a mile for a smile and some quality service.

What is it about customer service these days? Gone are the times when effort was actually put into customer care. Rod Man, a clever young Black comedian, brought it home for me when he said he walked into a grocery store, picked up his food, and walked up to the counter—only to be greeted by a rude woman who barked, “Check your own self out!”

He continued, “I came in as a shopper, and I want to leave as a shopper! Do I now work here? Should I wear an apron like yours? Turn my light on… ‘Ladies and gentlemen, this lane five is open for business!’”

And that’s the way it goes nowadays. Very little polite or helpful service. You’ve got people treating the entire Walmart as their personal kingdom.

“No sir, I don’t carry that product.”

“Well, do you have any recommendations?”

“Yep, Amazon.com.”

“Well, thank you for your help, dude!”

Customer service people these days are often like those acquaintances who seem to go out of their way to make it hard to like them—and the same goes for the checkout clerk manning a register. I mean, is this really how you were brought up?

Or how about the girl (with the faraway eyes) at the checkout counter of a grimy gas station, looking at me like it was entirely my fault the diesel pump nozzle failed to shut off—overflowing the can and flooding the back of my truck. Will she inform the manager to prevent it from happening again? I doubt it. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if she is the manager.

This week, I made a decision—after what may be my final visit—to stop going to a store that sells hand tools, where no one smiles. Everyone acts as if they hate their job and seem actively annoyed by the idea of helping a customer.

And what is it about auto parts stores? If the guy behind the counter is on the phone or helping someone else, you’re basically invisible. There’s no glance, no “I’ll be right with you”—nothing. It’s like protocol to ignore anyone not being served.

I’ll wait my turn. But be nice, people—can you do that? No.

So forget the rule of opportunity cost—the time and effort it takes to drive 30 miles to a big-box store for the same product. I leave that store thinking, “Even if they had what I needed at a reasonable price, I’m simply not shopping here again.”

To be fair, I have found some places that break the mold. Without naming names, let’s just say there’s a national battery store that sells every type of battery you can think of—plus a few bulbs. Universally, I’ve been pleased. Overjoyed, even.

I don’t know how they’ve trained their staff, but they’ve nailed customer service. And yes—that same guy who told me to try Amazon was absolutely wrong. I found what I needed right there in the battery store—quickly and with a smile.

“Sir, is there anything else I can help you with? These batteries are on sale. If you need anything for your tractor, just come here. We’ve got you covered.”

And guess what? I will go there again.

I’ll walk a mile for a smile—and avoid service from, as Mick Jagger once said, “a girl with faraway eyes.”