People are always complaining that customer service is dead. This isn't really true, it's just that people don't realize that getting better customer service is a two way street and always has been.

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[edit] Steps

Always treat retail and customer service employees with the respect with which you wish to be treated. A common complaint among older customers is that "back in the day, employees knew how to treat customers", but they forget about the fact that back in the day, customers knew how to behave in a store or public setting, and how to treat the people who work there. Be nice to people.
Refrain from saying things like "the customer is always right." This statement is not always correct.
Never call someone stupid or incompetent, even if you think they are. Don't verbally abuse an employee, this can cause the employee to panic or become upset.
Never, ever physically strike or assault a retail worker or service employee, no matter how mad you are. You can go to prison for up to five years for assaulting a retail employee, especially a cashier. If you try to blackmail them after assaulting them, it could be even longer. Don't think you can get away with it because they will fear for their jobs if they press charges against a customer. No retail store can legally fire an employee for having an assaultive customer arrested.
Don't use shopping carts as your car's personal wastebasket and don't leave things with your name and address in them.
Don't tell the employee how to do their job. Employees hate when customers do that. They wouldn't be working if they didn't know what they were doing.
ALWAYS REMEMBER THE FOLLOWING WITH CASHIERS:
Always hand money to cashiers. They appreciate this. It is a sign that you respect them as a person. Don't just throw the money on the counter and expect them to pick it up for you. (EXCEPTION - Don't hand money to bank tellers or casino cashiers or croupiers. They can get in trouble for taking money from your hand.)
Don't waste several minutes trying to dig the exact change out of your purse at the checkout or trying to find the credit card or store card you need to use.
At stores where handbaskets are used, always unload the basket onto the conveyor belt or counter.
Don't yell at a cashier for being rude if she didn't say or do anything. That is not only rude but also insulting.
Don't ever be rude to Lowe's cashiers if you are paying with your Lowe's card. Their computer system can look up your name and address, and trust me, every cashier knows how to do it.
WHEN YOU HAVE A COMPLAINT:
If you are complaining about a person, don't make the person get the manager for you. When you do this, you are giving the person at least 90 to 120 seconds to get their story straight, or accuse you of threatening them, in which case the store cannot so much as write him/her up legally.
Only state the facts. Don't elaborate to try to cause someone trouble.
Don't complain about a person right in front of them. When you do this, they will know everything you said. Then, they can deny everything, and in most cases, no action will ever be taken.
When asking for the manager by telephone, know his or her name. Don't just ask for "the manager" because you will be asked what it is regarding, and if it is a complaint about an associate, you will be put on indefinite hold. Retail employees look out for each other because they are usually caught between a rock and a hard place, with customers who outright lie to cause them trouble, and managers who will automatically believe the customer (sometimes).

[edit] Tips

NEVER SAY ANY OF THE FOLLOWING TO A RETAIL EMPLOYEE:
"I pay your salary"
"You are incompetent"
"You're worthless" (not even in jest)

[edit] Warnings

Some retail employees will be rude no matter what. Remember that this is not the majority. Also remember that someone might just be having a bad day.
Though it is rare, sometimes a retail employee will seek revenge on a customer who causes them trouble if they find out who the customer is.
Don't be rude to Lowe's employees if you are using your Lowe's credit card. They can easily track down your name and address based on the time of the transaction (and a lot of them keep a close eye on the time registered on the computer for just that reason).