My Rules of Customer Service

My blog seems to be turning into a whine-fest. But here goes: Over the weekend, Paul and I visited the garden center at a Home Depot. After walking a couple of aisles, I didn't notice ground cover. So, I walked to the front and ask the twenty-something guy, who was busy chatting w/ another employee, where I could find it.
"Ummm. . . ugggh . . I dunno. I'll call". God forbid he have to walk around and learn anything about the department he's working in. I figured by the time he called and found someone, I could find it myself. I was right. No biggie there, but he never followed up. Never an 'Oh, I'm glad you found it' or 'Did you find it?' And don't even consider the option of him walking over to me; he returned to his prior conversation, never to acknowledge my presence again. When it was time to check out, I purchased, among other items, a large, heavy plant on a trellis. No offer to carry it to my car. I looked around for plastic to lay in my car and there was none to be had.
"Do you have any plastic sheets?" I asked the girl who checked me out.
"I don't know." But she turned around and pulled out one piece from a large box hidden behind the check out counter.
"Could I have a couple more please?" I asked
She complied. Meanwhile, a different checker commented to my husband, who was standing there waiting:
"She (me) doesn't know what she's doing--those sheets are big."
I don't know what I'm doing? You're kidding--did you graduate from the customer service training school?
There, I feel better. I like to think I'm a pretty patient customer when the employee makes an effort (I think I'm a good driver too). There's nothing more pleasing than a person who enjoys their job; it usually shows. But lately, customer service seems to be a lost art.

So, here are my rules for anyone who cares:
--Make eye contact with the customer.
--Don't chat with fellow employees while dealing with a customer.
--Smile if you can manage it.
--Offer any small service available or just make idle boring chit chat so I think you notice me (do you need help loading this? would you like a plastic sheet? did you find everything you needed? how is your day going?)
--Use polite phrases, such as "thank you".

And I thank you for indulging my blog-o-complaints today. More to follow, I suspect, as I am now heading to the post office, dry cleaner, supermarket, building supply store and, you guessed it, The Home Depot garden center.