I think that the real problem is that people are losing their ability to interact with other people.  How long does it take when you call a bank or a store before you really talk to a live person after pounding 1, 2, 6, #...
So much business is done over the phone, Email, etc.  that you lose sight that there's a real person behind the voice you're talking to.  As more impersonal methods of transacting with businesses and running your life have increased over the past ten years, so has our individual demands to have things done now, done right, and at someone else's expense when things screw up.
Or, maybe we're all just selfish, rude, boorish a$$holes at heart and we're not afraid to show it anymore.
jonnyGURU, save your Emails.  Record your calls.  Do whatever it takes to protect yourself from these idiots who make life insufferable for the rest of us.  Documentation is at the heart of my profession.  If I didn't write everything down, I'd have my butt handed to me in court if the s**t ever hits the fan.