groceries – TheTimeDok

Considering that roughly 216 million people shop at Walmart, one might ponder the sheer number of stores. The number of stores hovers near 4,500.

I don’t need to tell you that Walmart is responsible for the death of many mom-and-pop shops in small town america. Now Amazon is killing what is left. Do you remember the friendly face behind the counter the one that might ask you about your family or even know your name?

Not that long ago, I’d pull up to the filling station and, before I could even step out of my car, an attendant would be at my window with a friendly smile. They’d fill my tank for me, and if I asked, they’d wash my windows until they sparkled, check the air in my tires, and even pop the hood to make sure my oil was topped off. It felt like a small ritual of care, when someone else looked after both me and my car.

I still remember the little extras that made stopping at the gas station feel special. Not only would they fill my tank and check my tires, but I’d also collect S&H Green Stamps with every purchase. I’d save them, sticking them into those little booklets, dreaming of what I could redeem them for. Some stations even had promotional giveaways—maybe a glass, a bowl, or some other small treasure to take home. It felt like they truly valued my business.

And honestly, when you think about it, gas stations make money on every gallon sold. So why not have someone there to give you that little something extra? It wasn’t just about the gas—it was about the experience, the care, and the feeling that you mattered as a customer.

I’ve learned that the federal tax on gasoline has been stuck at 18.4 cents per gallon since 1993—unchanged for over three decades. For diesel, it’s higher at 24.4 cents per gallon. It’s strange to think about how much has changed since then, yet this tax has stayed the same, even as inflation has chipped away at its real value.

When it comes to gas stations, I was surprised to find out that they only make about 10 to 15 cents per gallon in profit after covering all their expenses—things like credit card fees, utilities, and employee wages. Sure, the markup on gas might be around 30 cents per gallon, but most of that gets eaten up by operating costs. In the end, the station itself is left with just a small slice of the pie. Of course, this can vary depending on where the station is, how much competition it has, and other factors.

And then there’s the total tax burden on gas. When you combine the federal tax with state taxes, it adds up. On average, state gas taxes are around 32.26 cents per gallon, which means the total tax—federal and state combined—comes out to about 50.66 cents per gallon as of mid-2023. It’s wild to think that over 50 cents of every gallon I pump goes straight to taxes!

As of July 1, 2025, I’m paying 61.2 cents per gallon in state gas taxes here in California. That’s the highest in the entire country, and it’s not just the excise tax—though that alone went up by 1.6 cents from the previous 59.6 cents per gallon. On top of that, there are all these other fees, like sales tax and underground storage tank fees, which push the total tax burden on every gallon of gas to over $1.15. It’s mind-blowing when you think about it.

Honestly, I can’t help but wonder how California hasn’t turned into a ghost state by now. With gas prices this high, it feels like only the Hollywood elite could afford to stick around. Meanwhile, the rest of us are left shaking our heads at the pump, wondering where all this money is going.

These days, I do it all at the gas station. I’m pumping my own gas, washing my own windows, and if I decide to step into the store, there’s a good chance I might not even understand the person behind the counter. It’s a far cry from the days when someone would come out, take care of everything for me, and maybe even throw in a smile or a little conversation. Now, it feels like I’m on my own, just another part of the self-service world we’ve all grown used to.

After finishing my transaction, I think what irritates me the most is that cold, robotic “THANK YOU” that comes from some computer chip with absolutely zero agency. It’s not a person expressing gratitude—it’s just a programmed response, a hollow echo of politeness designed to mimic human interaction. I know it’s just a chip running instructions, processing inputs, and spitting out outputs, but it feels so empty. It’s like the machine is trying to replace the human touch, and instead, it just reminds me how far we’ve drifted from real, meaningful interactions.

I can still remember a time when going to the grocery store felt like a completely unique experience. Back then, I’d push my cart through the aisles, and when I was done, someone would take it from me and handle everything. They’d ring up my order, carefully bag or sack the groceries, and then, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, someone would carry them out to my car. They’d even ask where I wanted them placed—trunk, backseat, wherever—and do it with a smile.

It wasn’t just about the service; it was the warmth of the interactions. There were genuine “pleases” and “thank you’s,” and as I drove away, I felt appreciated, like my business actually mattered. It wasn’t just a transaction—it was a moment of connection, a small but meaningful exchange that made the whole experience feel human. Now, I can’t help but miss those days, when customer service wasn’t just a buzzword but something you could feel in every interaction.

Today, things couldn’t be more different. Now, there’s an app for everything—even grocery shopping. I’m expected to pull out my phone, open the app, and start scanning my groceries as I pick them out. I place them in my cart myself, and when I’m ready to leave, I just show the machine a barcode on my phone. And Voila—transaction complete. It feels a lot like shopping at Aldi or one of those other stores where you’re left to bag, box, or otherwise pack your own groceries for the ride home.

As I glance around, I see several employees standing around, not ringing people up or bagging groceries, but instead directing traffic or helping someone with an item that refuses to scan properly. Is it quicker? Sure, sometimes it is. But can it be slower? Oh, absolutely. The entire process feels so detached. What used to be a personal, interactive experience now feels like I’m just another cog in a self-service system, where the human touch has been replaced by machines and apps.

Here’s the bottom line: H-E-B and Tom Thumb are the only places around here that still have full-service stores. So, I’ve decided to run a brief experiment. I’m going to visit each one and rate them on three things: price, availability of products, and the overall customer experience. Because let’s face it, prices are already way too high, and shrinkflation is everywhere. If I’m going to get screwed over, I’d at least like a little courtesy to go along with it—give me a kiss afterward, you know?

What I mean is, when I leave the store, I don’t want to walk out feeling frazzled, pissed off, and frustrated by the total incompetence of the people they hire. I just want a real person to look me in the eye, maybe smile, and say, “Thank you, have a great day.” Is that too much to ask? What do you think? Let me know your thoughts—because at this point, I’m starting to wonder if I’m expecting too much, or if the world’s just forgotten how to care.

Customer Service

Throughout my history as a business professional, one of the things that I have to offer consistently is superior customer service. Think about this; when someone calls me they are in a fix as something is broken. There are a myriad of emotions in play from anxiety to anger.

As the guy who is going to take care of all of their problems the first thing that I have to do is understand where they are coming from. Then listen to them and take notes. This helps me to remember the points of the discussion and if in front of the customer, it helps them to calm down as they see me doing something.

These are some of the things that I would make sure my technicians carried with them into the field.

I truly believe that we as a country are drifting away from giving a damn about clients. It is almost like we are the post office or the phone company; we are all that there is so we just don’t care about your problems. But wait! We are not all that there is. The phone company has competition as does the USPS. Granted e-mail, FedX and UPS, are not the end all of competition, but it is a start. Vonage and Magic Jack to name two, are good alternatives and much less expensive then the phone company, not to mention the cell phone.

Competition drives us to be good at what we do, and that includes customer service.

Exploring new shopping places as I like to do from time to time, I had occasion to shop at a place called Central Market. http://www.centralmarket.com The layout of the store was well thought out. There were people who came up from time to time to see if I needed any help and here is the biggie; they not only bagged my groceries but they carried them out to the car and put them into the car for me. When I tried to give the guy a tip, he refused it politely! While their prices are a little higher than that of Wal-Mart, or Kroger, the service was excellent and the choices were fresh and plentiful. With people offering help that cut down on my time in the store and time is money!

A lot of you are most likely not old enough to have ever purchased gasoline where it was pumped for you by a friendly attendant. While they were filling your car up, they would wash your windshield, check your oil, and other fluids and check the air in your tires. At the end of the transaction you might get “green stamps” or even a dish or other some such give-away as a token of their appreciation for doing business with them. While I too am not old enough for this to have happened to me; I do remember vividly this very transaction process with my parents. I also remember how nice they were and how they really seemed to appreciate the business.

In stark contrast today, if you do need anything other than what you can do outside at the pump, there is a strong likelihood that the person behind the counter will speak limited English and really wont give a damn if you like the product or not.

I was in a Kroger a few years ago when they first put in the self-checkout machine. I was appalled by this for several reasons. First, I want that little bit of customer service when I patronize a store. Secondly, those kiosks hardly ever work flawlessly and unless you are only buying a handful of items, they are a pain the rear. Lastly and this is the part that I really wanted to drive home, these things are taking jobs away. I remember that night vibrantly as not one checker was at his post. When I found someone he directed me to the self-checkout. I told him that either he checked me out or he could put all of the groceries in my cart back from where they came! Begrudgingly he went to his register and checked me out! What an idiot, a lazy star-studded blazing example of the entitled society that we have raised! Not only did he not want to do his job, he was trying his best for me to do his job and was incensed when I called him on his attitude.

I think we need to vote with our feet or in this case, with your pocket-book. I will happily pay a little more for a little extra service. I actually like to be told to have a nice day! Do you really feel appreciated when a machine says thank you on the screen?

The world in which we live changes daily; some of those changes are for the better; and some not so much. Society needs to dictate to the business world, what is acceptable and what is not. Like sheep we all too often simply roll with it. We forget however that we are the boss. I have to provide superior customer service to keep my customers coming back time after time. We the consumer should expect that and demand that from the different vendors that we frequent. You do that in a myriad of different ways but the best way; the way that they will listen to, is to spend your money where you get the best value for it, including customer service.

If there are places that you like to shop because of the customer service, send a message and I will post it. Consumers need a bill of rights, not only when they are flying but when they are spending their hard-earned money on anything from products, service or otherwise.

-Best to you and those that you care about.