I don't know about other countries, but in the UK we all seem to have caught this disease which makes us want to spend the minimum amount on everything. Folk walk into a shop to look at a product but then buy whatever it is on-line instead, so the shops suffer and cannot pay for good staff. This trickles through to worse customer service, since most companies think it is a corner that can be cut, and they don't realise the consequences.
I have just come back from Saudi as a pax and the locals at the airport were polite, helpful, and smiled and said "welcome" etc. Contrast that to Heathrow where most staff were sour faced and looked as if they did not want to be there. A sweeping statement, I know but that's what I saw.