[jla]

I've noticed something about dept. stores, (tell me if you haven't had the same experience), but a lot of their clerks are acting very similar to fast-food workers. Rude, apathetic, and disinterested in the customer.
Now, this attitude isn't as prevalent in dept stores as it is in fast-food places (which I rarely patronize), but I have seen a shift towards the negative.

[durasell]

depends on the store. very upscale stores have maintained high quality staff. mid to lower end stores, like macy’s, have let things slip a bit.

[shadeaud]

The apathy began when dept. stores began to cut back on floor employees. At first it was the associates policing the racks and floors, then came the centralized checkout and no overtime, mostly part time( cut the benefits and you cut incentives for a higher class of worker to apply). Notice how Walmart is still high with customer service