I’m a guy and I’m in a very customer facing line of work and I don’t have that issue at all.
As others have said, maybe it’s an age thing (I’m middle aged) or maybe it’s a tone thing. If I’m complimenting them, it’s usually on something specific; “Oh hey, those are really cool glasses” or “I love what you’ve done with your hair.”, etc…
It’s never “You’ve got pretty hair, lady.” or “Gosh yer’ beautiful.”
The line between platonic comment and creepy sex weirdo (in my mind) is if you’re complimenting them on something they actively did that you think is cool (hairstyle, choice of glasses, etc…) it’s fine. Complimenting them on features that they have no control over, like saying “Hey, I just wanted to, completely randomly tell you how attractive you are” is creepy.
“I think” is the operative statement there. What you think is pointless. Facts are what matter. And without evidence that it IS the majority doing it, automatically lumping them all into that group makes us no better than them in terms of their rhetoric and divisiveness.
Every damn side needs to stop painting the other with broad strokes and then complaining when they do it back. It’s not helpful. Questions that are worded like this are not helpful.