Customer Service Unsatisfactory

OK, so I realize that working as a customer service representative of any kind probably doesn't pay all that well in comparison to educated careers like being a doctor or a lawyer or an accountant, but customer service is customer service darn it! I do it everytime I work. I have to go to work, deal with my patients in a respectful and mature way and make sure that their visit with me is pleasant enough that they want to return and that word of mouth spreads about their care and needs being met. So what's the difference in any other aspect of customer service then??

I mean, I realize there are different types of service and different pay scales to it, but does it really come down to money? Regardless of how much a person makes or doesn't make, the money still pays some of the bills if not all of them, right? I mean, the person still needs a job I'm guessing to live and pay for their life's expenses. So why do some people take it more seriously than others?

Here's my example: My husband and I try to rent a movie on the pay per view lastnight. Sounds easy enough, we're in our own home, bothering no one, figuring the stupid directv is going to let us down as its been in the recent past, and knowing that my husband will go on a rampage about how much he hates it and how we're getting comcast for the umteenth time in the past 3 months. So I go online after we view our options on the tv, and lo and behold the movie we want is "coming soon". How is that possible when it's on the channel to come on at 9pm? So I call... well, I'm greeted to find out that I have to pay a fee since a HUMAN has to do the ordering for us. But it's not our fault I explain and I want the fee waived. The woman refuses but states she can charge me less if I do the automated option (mind you I already tried that but it said the movie wasn't playing either) and when I tell her that doesn't work either she just argues with me. Why? What is this going to accomplish? I tell her I want her supervisor. She won't get him and says she can do it and we hang up... she didn't do it.
I call Ralph, my new customer service rep. He orders the movie and waives the fee in less than a minute. He then says a supervisor is going to get on the line. I get put on hold. I'm missing my stinking movie by being on hold for over 5 minutes so I hang up. Ugh! What the heck is wrong with people???