very very true - i treat service people with a ton of respect - i grew up with a mother who would make me cringe in restaurants because she treated waiters and waitresses like they were beneath her. so i guess i'm supposed to be a great candidate for a CEO position with a Fortune 500 company - damn something went HORRIBLY wrong!
a rude waitress gets the same treatment as Jack Nicholson gave the bitchy waitress in the classic scene from Five Easy Pieces.
the Golden Rule really is golden and wise - treat people the way you would want them to treat you if the tables were turned.