At the AES location here in Vegas, I have to admit that the very first time I stopped in well over 1.5 years ago, I met a guy there that shared similar interests with me and we chatted for nearly an hour before I finally left. In all that time I was the only "customer" in the place, I only saw 3 other people, and none of them looked to be in good spirits for whatever reason.
I recently returned to pick up a Diamond antenna and unfortunately that person I spoke with in the past is no longer with them (on to bigger and better things, I hope), and the gentlemen that were in the business at the time - two sitting on stools at the front counter and one in the office to the side - didn't even flinch as I came in. I asked where the Diamond antennas are not once but twice before receiving only an outstretched arm with a finger pointing to the far back corner.
So, while they weren't outright rude, certainly I got the impression that they were dismissive to some degree. I found what I was looking for, took it to the counter, tried to make polite conversation about several things - the Scanner Book and when the next one would be coming out, if they still stocked the 330T, other antennas that might be good for handheld usage, etc - and the guy simply refused to get involved with my attempts.
I paid for the antenna, took the receipt, said thanks and left. I buy products from them because they're the only place in Vegas that carries such items - I haven't been over to the place in Henderson yet, maybe someday, Radio World I think is the name of the establishment - but if I can find another source here in town I would most definitely make the effort.
It's not that I don't like the place, or the people, it's that I didn't feel for a second that they gave a rat's ass about me being there at all. Definitely didn't feel welcome, definitely didn't feel appreciated at all, just "Hey, just what you see pal" kind of feelings. Doesn't bode well for a company or its employees to be that way, but what can you do.
Oh, I forgot: you can choose to do business with someone that does make you feel appreciated. Yeah... free markets... gotta love 'em.
