What has happened to customer service?

I have been witness to many disturbing trends in customer service recently. I know that the economy is taking a beating right now, but do we really have to be subjected to this kind of poor customer service?

Wal-Mart this week:

I was there intending to purchase some Christmas presents in the electronics department. A pretty hefty purchase total overall. I spent nearly 20 minutes talking to an elderly couple explaining the ins and outs of flatscreen TV's and HD quality to the point that they decided on the TV they wanted. Wait a second, I don't work here! Where are the Wal-Mart salepeople?

When I finally break away from helping this couple to make my purchases, I am told by one of the two workers in the department,

"I'm sorry, I can't help you right now. I have two customers ahead of you!".

My response, "I know what I want, I'm on my work break, all you have to do is unlock the cabinets, get them out and ring them up."

(The other customers were #1 perusing cell phones, #2 the elderly couple picked out a TV, it wasn't in stock so now they had to call all Wal-Marts in the state to find the one they wanted, after I sold them on that particular model!) I found a manager who told me he couldn't help me because he was getting ready to audit a cash drawer. I watched him proceed to stand there for 5 minutes with the other two workers waiting to do this, after I asked for my items.

I walked out and went to Target!

The movie theatre tonight:

A group of teenagers kept going in and out of our movie (the first time 25 minutes after the movie started), running around the theatre making noise and talking on their cell phones. We were trying to watch the new James Bond movie. I seriously doubt any of these kids really were there to watch this movie. My guess is they didn't even purchase tickets to it. I complained to management who did nothing. I finally walked up to the group and told them to knock it off or I would make sure they were ejected. I knew they probably wouldn't be given the theatre staff had already done nothing, but they didn't know that. They promptly left and never returned!

I spent over 10 years working at this theatre in the 80's and 90's. I have watched the customer service here deteriorate to a point of total shame. We rarely have a truly pleasant movie experience here anymore. But given this is the only theatre in town, we have little choice. The big movies we really anticipate seeing, we generally go to Wichita to a Warren Theatre, which is a truly awesome experience. They are the Rolls Royce of movie theatres compared to this theaters beat up old Yugo.

As a consumer, I am really disturbed that these workers can't seem to service customers in a competent, courteous way. They are lazy, ignorant, and just plain don't care. In this day and age when just having a job is a blessing, they seem to be doing everything they can to get fired, or are they? Management doesn't seem to care anymore either. I guess I just need to lower my expectations.