Visited a Store and was shunned

This is major problem for the audio industry.  It is my repeated experience that I get below-average customer treatment in audio stores until I tell them my current system or level of interest, then the experience changes.  I am not one to go in talking about me, my stuff, or bragging, so it took me awhile to figure this out.  After I share my system, I go from being somewhat ignored (not treated rudely, but often not acknowledged) to actively shown the products and invited to listen in the private or back room.  

The problem is that new people getting into the hobby or younger people don't have the existing system or know how to get attention, and often leave with a sour experience.  This stunts the growth of the hobby.  I believe that if dealers gave more people a taste of an amazing audio system, more people would be willing to drop the 10k to 50k to get started.  That is why car dealerships promote test drives and home builders spend so much on model homes.  

I bought my current car from a specific dealer because of how we were treated over the course of years when buying my daughter’s car, and then my wife’s car (which is an Audi btw). Both sales and service have been outstanding. The dealer was at least as big an influence on my choice as the brand.

Back to home audio, if a dealer wants to focus on installations, sales to new home builders, or auditions by appointment only, then fine, but why operate a walk-in store if you don’t want walk-in customers?  Having two guys standing around doing not much and then refusing to help you sounds like a Monty Python skit:

Customer: “Could I have an audition please.”
Sales 1: “Harrumph! An audition, did he say an audition?” 
Sales 2: “I believe he did…cheeky bastard! Does he have an appointment?”  
Customer: “No, but I am the only one here.”  
Sales 1: “Ok then, go stand in line.”  
Customer: “There is no line, I am the only customer here!” 
Sales 2: “Line’s over there, please wait your turn.”

To the OP, I do not have the kind of restraint you have and I would have given them a few choice cuss words.  Then, I would have gone on here, stated the name of the store and exactly what happened and watch what happened next.  With so few audio stores left, they should do everything the customer wants  within reason for the sale. 
 

I sold audio from 1972 through 1987.  I never turned a customer away and would happily swap speakers in our high end room to accommodate the customers needs.  Many of my customers were repeat customers and word of mouth travels fast.  Not to brag but I was the stores most knowledgeable salesman and the store folded 5 years after I left.   When my former customers came back to audition something and I was no longer there, they left.  Quite a few of the customers told the store owner that I was the only reason they kept coming back.  Too bad the owner didn’t realize it and pay me accordingly, because I loved my job but I had a growing family. 

Well, I don't know if this has already been mentioned, but in todays high tech world where you have online shopping and a global marketplace, so many brick and mortar, high-end audio store sales persons have gotten to the point where they immediately suspect/assume that customers will make them go through all the trouble (in their minds) of setting up an audition in the store, only to have the customer purchase the same product he/she auditioned at the dealers online, and at a much cheaper price than the dealer could offer it for.  Heck, I know of a shop in SF that charges a fee if a customer wants to audition anything in the store.  Attitude, is nothing new.  But the high tech global marketplace has given them a reason to have even more attitude.  That's the world we live in today.  Happy listening.

I disagree that callimg ahead is common courtesy, but also, if that was the problem the conversation should have gone differently. 

"I'm sorry, were not set up for demos right now,can we schedule one for you?"