My feeling was bad.

I don't know if it has to do with the weather. But it's true that different cultures tend to put emphasis on different aspects of life. Japanese culture is very much built around respect and honor, that's why you would probably get an apology from the staff if it was a Japanese company.

That's one of the major things that attracts many people to Japan, including myself. In America, there are respectful people, but in my experience most people are actually very rude in nature, even the staff of stores and companies. But, I generally avoid doing business with companies and corporations as much as possible, instead preferring to deal with local farmers and craftsmen. They seem to care much more about their products and services than some giant corporate conglomerate that only cares about turning profits for their shareholders.

I'm sorry to hear about your bad experience, though.