'Ain't life grand' gripe- service

Today, I have had one bad or rude service after another. It does happen in days.
Sales staff, pharmacy staff, each shrugging in offhand manner at requests or being our of stock, downright rude until coffee shop counter staff tear me off a strip for asking if they had newspapers.
At which stage, very politely, I bite back.
10 minutes later, the rude one actually came over and apologized.
Wowee. That's a result. Cheered me for the day.