Mon Jan 3rd - Business As Usual - Customer Service Is NonExistent

Today began the new business year.  My fresh outlook on what has been undeniably a health and economic trial by fire year called 2010, was tested already this day, but not shaken.  A new pain medication I started in December was up for refill, the first I have had to pay any out of pocket, my doctor being very sympathetic to my drug costs and financial circumstances.  I dropped off this and another pain med refill off, and was told the wait for pick-up was 1hr to 1hr-15minutes.  Quite a long wait, but I was told this was typical for this day of the year. OK. I didn't fuss. Of course, I knew that if I would have gone to my regular "ma'n'pa" pharmacy, I would have sat for 5 or 10 minutes while they filled my order while I waited. When I leave, they all yell "thanks, John!" For reasons I won't go into, I used this large chain parmX today. I hate to. I hate to shop at any chain store. No business where you don't deal with the family knows what customer service is anymore. Great Scot hands you your groceries and says "there ya go" never thank you. Krogers, Wal-Mart, K-Mart, Circle-K, CVS, any Fremont or Northern Ohio business I visit I have noticed, that they have the attitude that they are doing YOU a favor to serve you, and you're very fortunate to be verbally acknowledged at ALL. Often the whole transaction takes place with no exchange of words. I feel like I've interrupted a bad day with "Shaniqua's" baby daddy. Sorry to bother you...geez. Why is the economy so bad? If you're a retail business owner, look at your customer service. I'm not kidding. I regularly pay higher prices at my ma'n'pa parmX because they cannot compete with the chain whores, but they DO give customer service. When I walk in it drives my wife crazy (who is a big chain store supporter for price sake) because it's like Cheers when Norm walks in..."Norm!"...but I'm hobbling into the pharmX and it's "Hi, John!" everytime, without fail.  Back to real time and the chain whore 75minute wait for two pain med refills. I actually left the store to accomplish other things, including take my daughter to a meeting, drop videos at the library, and grab a bite to eat. I returned 10minutes AFTER the 75minute estimate wait time, waited another 10minutes in line, only to be told that the prescriptions weren't ready! "Give me another 5minutes" she says. I informed her that I have to be somewhere, and please hurry, and I move to the side. My daughter will now be picked up late, in the dark, and in the cold. The pharmX worker takes the next guy in line, and that takes about 6minutes. Of COURSE there is only one functioning worker tending this counter on this busy day, which I have already been told is typical for this day of the year...are you catching my drift? This ace then proceeds to call the next person in line to the counter.  At this point it might be important to mention that my lungs were strengthened by award-winning Sousaphone playing in school. It stays with me. I let it be known at this point that I was still waiting in that 60 to 75 minute prescription that was now going on 2hours and I had somewhere to be. I know..."me,me,me." Well this is the year of ME AND VINNIE and God be with anyone who gets in our way. You got a problem with that? You're in my sights Obama and minions!