I cannot imagine holding a job where you are don't feel appreciated or rewarded for your efforts. A job should not just be a paycheck. By gosh, you spend more time working than you do "having a life".
But then again, we have ourselves to blame as well. Everytime I interned in a retail setting, it felt like everyone was just for themselves and they were just there to clock in the hours, get a paycheck on friday, repeat. Very impersonal and lifeless.
Heck, a random floater would just walk in and with a minimal or no hi's, set up shop and carry on like s/hes been there for years. I still maintain that I would rather work for $45/hr with 3-well paid techs than $60/hr with 0.5 disgruntled-$9/hr tech.