Or maybe working in customer service is just conducive to bad attitudes?

Seems like I run into this more and more so I've come to expect a certain level of meanness, rudeness and/or indifference, but what sucks even more is when the customer service representative is just plain incompetent and/or intellectually challenged and can do nothing but spout the company line about what they can't do for you. It's like hitting your head against a brick wall.

Hey, if I was being paid $5.25 per/hr to deal with lame as*holes like me all day, I'd be pretty dragged out too...

Depending on my mood I sometimes try to kill those people with kindness. Some of them haven't heard a kind word all day themselves so they take it out on whoever comes next. A little sympathy sent their way can be disarming and work wonders. Doesn't always work, of course. If they persist in being unpleasant you need to walk off, ask for their supervisor, or (if you're so inclined) just give it right back.

Some personal experiences of bad customer service.
*I ordered two burgers from Burger King, and the worker replies, "TWO BURGERS!? YOU WANT TWO BURGERS!?
Me~Yeah...two burgers...with cheese
Worker1~WITH CHEESE!?
Worker2~What he want?
Worker1~HE WANT TWO BURGERS...WITH CHEESE!
*I never went to that Burger King again dudes, as you can see, Worker#1 clearly had an attitude problem.

*I got a late fee charge on one of my credit cards, so I call to complain, and I speak to this redneck customer service rep.
Me~I'm calling to complain about a late fee I received. I sent payment 2 weeks before my bill was due.
Rep: Um...sir we sent a bill, you didn't respond.
Me~Check out the date on the money order, it's clearly 2 weeks before my bill was due.
Rep~We sent a bill, you didn't respond!
Me~No that's not...
Rep~No need to yell at me sir, we sent a bill, you didn't respond.
*The argument continued for another 5 minutes. I got screwed over, and I was forced to pay a late fee of $38.50!