[quote=Shadowfax] There is no sense of “pride” in workers at a Walmart (that would encourage them to straighten up shelves, etc.) because they get the merest of compensation. If you pay at the bottom of the market and give no other incentives to workers (benefits), then they will do the bare minimum to get that paycheck. Ask for help? Are you kidding–they don’t want to talk to another rude, demanding, self-interested customer. There’s nothing in it for them…
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You’re describing an expectations disconnect. These are not “head-of-household jobs”. Are you suggesting there is pay and benefit equality for a stock-boy when compared, for example, to a skilled machinist?

My 12 year old son can competently perform 80%+ of the tasks at any Wal-Mart retail location. With little training, I pay him $10 a week to do similar tasks in our household (taking out the trash, putting dishes on shelves, making his bed, etc.). By contrast, it would take him years to become accomplished running a lathe turning a high purity alloy.

This does not seem to be a question or issue of “pride”, rather, unjustified expectations affecting attitude.