Visited a Store and was shunned

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?"

This has been going on since the beginning of time

They need to do better.  You are the customer, your potential business was a walk-in opportunity that cost them nothing.  Your original post was fair and balanced.  The tiny universe of us in the hobby need to both look out for each other and police ourselves. 

Why not share where you had your negative experience so maybe word gets back to the shop and they have the opportunity to sharpen their pencil?  Possibly turn something negative into a positive