Customer service. They all say they have it, but few really do.

Ritz Camera recently impressed me with its customer service. Granted, the store didn’t give me anything I didn’t pay for, but I was impressed nonetheless.

Last summer, I bought a small digital camera, with an eye on eventually dressing this column up with pictures. I also purchased the extended warranty on the camera.

So a week ago Friday, I loaded the kayak on the car, and went to Chassowitzka Springs down in Citrus County. It’s a lazy, sprawling spring-fed river that wanders out to the Gulf.

I think you see where this leads.

As the girlfriend and I were embarking, I dropped the camera into about an inch of water covering the cement of the boat staging area. Panicked, I scooped it up within a fraction of a second, but the damage was done: Not only was the camera water-logged, it had a slight indent running across the middle from the impact.

Its days as a functional bit of technology ended in that moment. At best, it could serve as a stylish paperweight.

At Ritz the next day, I sheepishly handed the device to the clerk, an 40-something man with a borderline Mennonite beard.

“I think I killed it,” I admitted.

“Can I use you as an example?” he asked. At that, the clerk took the camera down the counter, and told a prospective customer, a young European-looking teen, about my misfortune, and how he should buy the warranty if he didn’t want to end up in my sorry situation.

Then, I filled out my paperwork, and that was it. The camera will get repaired (doubtful), I’ll get a refurb or new camera of the same model (not likely; it’s discontinued), or I’ll receive store credit for the purchase price (likely). The cool thing: at that price, I get much more camera now than eight months ago.

Now, like I said, I paid for the warranty — about $40. But, there’s nothing that says the warrantee has to cover acts of dumbness. I doubt I’d get a similar agreement from big-boxers like Circuit City or Best Buy.

Bottom line: Ritz acts like it wants to build a customer relationship with me, and not sell me a camera, get my money and get me out the door. That makes me a happy customer.

Customer service. They all say they have it, but few really do.

Ritz Camera recently impressed me with its customer service. Granted, the store didn’t give me anything I didn’t pay for, but I was impressed nonetheless.

Last summer, I bought a small digital camera, with an eye on eventually dressing this column up with pictures. I also purchased the extended warranty on the camera.

So a week ago Friday, I loaded the kayak on the car, and went to Chassowitzka Springs down in Citrus County. It’s a lazy, sprawling spring-fed river that wanders out to the Gulf.

I think you see where this leads.

As the girlfriend and I were embarking, I dropped the camera into about an inch of water covering the cement of the boat staging area. Panicked, I scooped it up within a fraction of a second, but the damage was done: Not only was the camera water-logged, it had a slight indent running across the middle from the impact.

Its days as a functional bit of technology ended in that moment. At best, it could serve as a stylish paperweight.

At Ritz the next day, I sheepishly handed the device to the clerk, an 40-something man with a borderline Mennonite beard.

“I think I killed it,” I admitted.

“Can I use you as an example?” he asked. At that, the clerk took the camera down the counter, and told a prospective customer, a young European-looking teen, about my misfortune, and how he should buy the warranty if he didn’t want to end up in my sorry situation.

Then, I filled out my paperwork, and that was it. The camera will get repaired (doubtful), I’ll get a refurb or new camera of the same model (not likely; it’s discontinued), or I’ll receive store credit for the purchase price (likely). The cool thing: at that price, I get much more camera now than eight months ago.

Now, like I said, I paid for the warranty - about $40. But, there’s nothing that says the warrantee has to cover acts of dumbness. I doubt I’d get a similar agreement from big-boxers like Circuit City or Best Buy.

Bottom line: Ritz acts like it wants to build a customer relationship with me, and not sell me a camera, get my money and get me out the door. That makes me a happy customer.