2. Most people working these jobs are upset/miserable/hate their lives due to "America problems". If you make less than $60k/yr, chances are your life is very unfulfilling. You are constantly stressed about money, you might be in debt/behind on your bills. You have to work at least 32-40 hours a week at a job you wish you didn't. Your soul is beat down. You hate your co-workers + manager. You can't afford to own anything. You use social media/sports to escape the monotony of your life. You probably don't have great health care. You are probably not in great shape statistically and a victim of the high fat, high calorie, high sugar, low nutritional content American diet. You trade your sanity and freedom for a paycheck that can barely buy you anything. So what do you do? Take it out on customers. Why? Because you can get away with it, because your company/manager is desperate for employees (which is weird, you think this would lead to higher wages supply/demand wise)
We probably have an oversupply of people who can do customer-service level work, so you can be rude without fear of your manager caring.
In the past week I've picked up food multiple times. Wasn't greeted, no smile, was barely acknowledged, if employees do say "thank you" as we leave a restaurant, they're looking down at their phone while scrolling TikTok/Instagram. Nothing wrong with, just not the "glory days" of customer service.
It all depends on the company/management. If management tolerates rude employees and empowers their employees to be rude to customers/be on their phone, it's a "top-down" decision.