I am not much of a complainer in stores. I don’t throw fits, even when I think I’ve been wronged. But I do expect a certain standard of service, and it has been eroding for several years.

Mind you, when it’s just horrid – like when the waiter at a downtown restaurant stood behind me and spoke loudly over my head to a customer at the next table, then corrected me when I ordered chocolate mousse cake (“You mean the chocolate MOUSE cake?”) – I make sure someone who can fix things knows.

But little offenses, I don’t know what to do about.

I live by a Jack’s, so I frequent it, um, frequently. And usually the service there is pretty good.

But yesterday I found yet again, someone telling me, “Thanks, have a great day” … and looking 7 feet to my right.

This has happened in other stores, too, and I don’t get it. Sure, it’s good to keep an eye on the door and know who’s coming in. But why, why when you have to hand me a receipt anyway is it so hard to look at me while you tell me goodbye? I am tempted to stand there long enough to recapture attention, but I don’t think it would get my point across.

I know some of these jobs are tedious. Believe me, I had plenty of them.

But I don’t remember ever looking away while I was talking to a customer.

This post originally appeared on ourMidland.com, the online home of the Midland (MI) Daily News. Republished with permission.