I recently spent a few days in Rancho Mirage, California, which is second only to the Carolina Lowcountry as my favorite place on earth. But things were different this time. For the first time in a half-dozen trips to the Palms Springs area, I experienced a level of customer service that was, well, non-existent.

Let me say right up front that I am a service fanatic. I will choose a motel off the interstate over a name-brand hotel if it offers better service (and there aren’t roaches in the shower). In Rancho Mirage, I stayed at a well-known resort in the “luxury” category. I won’t name names, but it’s a Starwood property, with which I have always had positive experiences. Not this time. From the front desk personnel to the wait staff to the pool attendants, the service level ranged from general ambivalence to flat-out meanness. The resort concierge was extremely affable and attentive until I realized she was trying to get me on a timeshare tour. Once I said no, she wouldn’t give me the time of day … let alone directions to the hot new Mexican restaurant. The only real exception was the repairman who came by to fix the villa’s garbage disposal, and he was just a nice guy.Now, I’ve been accused of being a little slow, but I just don’t get this. In economic times like these, with high gas prices and bad airline service and competitors who would whack their grandmothers to get more business, why wouldn’t you treat guests like you’re happy … grateful … to serve them? Customer service should be the one aspect of your business that is unwavering, in good times or bad. That brings me back to the Lowcountry. I have always felt that our golf courses, hotels and restaurants offer a consistently high level of service. There are exceptions, of course; some days are better than others, and there’s always a high level of turnover in the service industry. But whether it’s corporate culture or Southern hospitality or whatever … we just seem to get it here. I couldn’t wait to get home.