Can good customer service be bad (or am I a true, blue bitch?)

We took a trip to my husband's hometown yesterday. His mom's house finally sold - knock wood till closing day - after three frustrating years on the market. While he dealt with business, I did a little shopping at the local mall, which is a depressing half-vacant shadow of its former self, but still has a Bath & Body Works. I was once a fan of B&BW but, nowadays, it's an assault on my mature senses. Too many crazy colors and patterns and fruity smells. That said, I do like their True Blue spa line, especially the margarita scented body scrub. (When it comes to fruit, I make exceptions for liquor-soaked limes.)

Unfortunately, they keep these products way in the back and, yesterday - being the only person in the store - I had to negotiate not one, but three, overly enthusiastic salespeople who really wanted to chat me up. I was not in the mood to talk, so I smiled and said my usual: "Just looking, thanks." Well! It's as if I had thrown down the gauntlet. They huddled at the cash register, then proceeded to tag-team me for the next five minutes: "It's Buy 2 Get the 3rd Free' today, one said when I paused to look at lotion. "Have you tried Malibu, the new fragrance? It's my favorite," said another. A few minutes later, the third popped around an end cap and made me gasp in fright: "These lip balms are so amazing. Buy 2, get 1 free!" That was it. I grabbed what I needed from the back corner, presented my credit card and declined to give my zip code or email address. As I high-tailed it out of there, I heard one of them say, "Whatever, ma'm."
     Call me an old fuddy-duddy, but when did "Just looking, thanks," stop working? And what do you say now to make them leave you alone when all you want to do is shop in peace?