The collision of inflation and pandemic-era trends has changed the way we shop.

Why it matters: Customers are frustrated by sky-high prices and accustomed to pandemic perks like at-home delivery, curbside pick-up and quick, remote appointments, according to Gallup polling of workers in retail, health care and beyond.

By the numbers: 43% of workers said post-pandemic customers are more demanding.

• 28% said they expect remote service.
• 11% said their interactions with customers are more emotional these days.

"Consumers feel like they are spending more money on things, and the expectation is almost that they will receive better service as compensation," Neil Saunders, managing director of GlobalData Retail, tells Axios.

• "All of this means retail staff have a much harder time keeping up with what customers want, especially in cases where labor hours or staffing numbers have been cut."

Go deeper: Why stores are shrinking product options