There's little pressure to be polite, just businesslike and efficient. Sadly, it soon becomes the rule rather than the exception. Sooner or later, you have no other choice than to put up with it. As customers do business farther away from home, the likelihood that your next door neighbor is also your banker or grocer or school principal lessens. We lose some of the sense of community that helps us behave civilly even when we are disappointed.
Customer loyalty is at an all-time low.
Consumers are shopping wherever it's convenient, in part because the same products are available at many outlets, but also because the stores aren't enticing them to come back. They can always zip over to the net. Well, business may have changed, but people haven't. They still have feelings, and they'd like a little consideration. The best part is that it's sooooo easy to do.