Quote Originally Posted by BBatesokc View Post
I know this thread has been about the restaurant industry - but the title seems to invite a broader scope - I personally see more laxed or outright terrible service within the retail market, as opposed to when going out to eat. Trying to find someone to ask where something is or if they have more in the back at Walmart is near impossible. You used to could walk into a place like a Radio Shack and find extremely knowable staff to pick their brain. I find most retail employees simply don't give a sh*t and maybe that's because there is no incentive like a tip. Or, is it because of the extremely low wages? Or, is it just a reflection of our current society?
Mostly the last one. Also, retailers - especially corporate stores - have discovered over the past few decades that they can save huge amounts on labor by letting customers fend for themselves, and if they pass a part of that savings on to the consumer they’ll get the business anyway. Americans as a rule have proven they care way more about getting stuff as cheaply as possible and way less about things like sevice and quality.

Great service is on the wane, in general. Other than a few outliers, it’s mostly only found in high-end environments these days.