It's also setting expectations according to carriers as well. My expectations are entirely different depending on the carrier because the carriers' cultural backgrounds differ.

I guess what I'm saying is that BA did not forget to wish the OP a happy birthday. BA generally do not wish anyone happy birthday unless the fact it's the passenger's birthday is staring at their face for some reason and it happens to get noticed.

I think what some of us are saying is that if you don't adjust your expectations according to the carrier's cultural background, you end up setting yourself up for disappointment. A bit like I wouldn't expect alcohol to be served on Royal Brunei and I wouldn't be disappointed when they don't, but if someone expected it to be served, then that person would be disappointed. On the other hand I wouldn't expect to converse totally fluently in English on a JL domestic flight but someone who expects to be able to do so may find it disappointing that they can't.

It's not to say that the OP was wrong to expect it. However, not meeting an expectation that was not according to the norm of the country does not make that carrier a 'bad' or inferior one in general.