There’s a scene in “Back to the Future” where Marty McFly watches gas station attendants rushing out to pump the gas, check the tires and clean the windshield on a vehicle.

That’s known as customer service, and, these days, it’s in short supply.

I called a medical office to make an appointment to address some sunspots on my face. I checked references online, researched different clinics and decided on a place affiliated with a major hospital.

The first question the person answering the phone asked was if I had insurance. This was before she asked my name, age, or why I was coming in.

I said I did and then provided all the numbers and information she asked for.

Next, she asked if I had an appointment preference. When we agreed on a date and time, that’s when she asked for my name, email address and phone number.

There was never a question about whether the dermatologist could take care of my issue. Never a question about what I needed.

But lots of time spent on whether or not they’d get paid and filling out an electronic form.

My sister-in-law provided context in that she’d been to a doctor’s office that didn’t ask about the insurance.

When the visit was over, they informed her they didn’t take her insurance, and she was liable for the whole bill.

I’ll give the place I called the benefit of the doubt, but it’s the placement of the question that bothered me.

I went back and called the second place on my list. The person on the phone asked my name and why I was coming in.

When I told her, she said they could handle what I needed. That’s when she asked for my insurance information.

I provided the information, concluded the call and then called the first place back. I cancelled the first appointment and told the person who answered the phone, the same one I’d talked to earlier, why I was cancelling.

She didn’t care and hung up without an apology or an attempt to retain my business. That’s poor customer service.

I don’t shop in stores where the lines are long and there’s a shortage of cashiers.

I spend my money where the company hires people to make my wait in line – sometimes at 5 p.m. after working all day – as short as possible.

I’m not rude to the people who work in understaffed stores or businesses because they’re simply following the directives of the company.

Most of them will go the extra mile to make the customer or client feel comfortable.

Those are the places that get my money because customer satisfaction doesn’t cost a dime.

That intangible requires the owner of the company to ensure customers are treated with dignity and respect no matter if they spend one dollar or a thousand dollars.

Quality customer service requires the employee to remember without the customer’s money, they don’t have a job.

Small-town businesses remember that unwritten rule. So many local places know you by name.

In restaurants, a servicer will put an iced tea on the table when you sit down because they know that’s what you order.

They smile when talking to you, respect your time and thank you for making the decision to give them your business.

I had both ends of the spectrum today.

I chose the company that asked my name and what I needed before they asked for my money.

In my book, that’s quality customer service.

This column was originally published in The Fort Bend Herald.