They don't see their job as making someone else's day better or more convenient; instead, they think that it's the customer's job to make their days better by leaving larger tips or by not coming into a shop at 9:50 when it closes at 10. This reverse mentality really doesn't make any logical sense to me and I'm wondering why this is the case.

I feel like if you asked the majority of Americans if going into a shop/restaurant 10 minutes before it closes is a dick move, they would say yes. I feel like a lot of the issues you're having here are simple cultural differences.

Yet when eating even at hole-in-the-wall type restaurants, servers always bow to you and seem happy, walk you out the door as you leave (then bow to you once more as you step out the door), and use the most respectful sentence for a phrase possible (if you're not familiar with the Japanese language, just think of it as the longer the sentence, the more respectful. E.g. "thank you very much for your visit" is much more respectful than "thanks for coming"). Same with shops: they'll package it nicely for you, tape it up, hold your purchase for you as you leave, then hand it to you once you step out the door, bowing in the process. Similar things can be said about China/Taiwan/Malaysia.

It seems to me you much prefer the Asian style of service where they act like your servants and bend over backwards to kiss your ass. That's simply not what's going to happen in American because it isn't our culture. Our service industry is more based around making you feel like a friend, not bowing endlessly and spouting off obtuse honorifics. I'm sorry if you've had a negative experience, it could just be the mood in the country isn't super great right now and a lot of low wage workers are even more worried than most.