A little humility is called for. Admit you can't afford to give expensive gifts but make it clear you still care for or love the people you would like to give gifts to. If you are ashamed of your lack of wealth shame on you. It is the rich who probably should be ashamed. What harm did they cause to gain their wealth.

What does need have to do with it, "buying people stuff they don’t need." Certainly if someone on your list needs something and you can afford to fill that need then by all means. What most people need is not something you can give as a Christmas gift.

On your other issue, customer service. WTF. Are we supposed to just accept poor customer service? I guess we can just use the formal complaint process but expecting any satisfaction there is faint hope.

That said, I have not seen a reduction in the quality of customer service here. We do have longer lines but the staff seems to handle the load and they have adopted new practices that make them able to handle the rush. A decade ago, actually a bit longer than that it did seem that one in five drive thru orders had errors but I don't see that today.