Found this... interesting thoughts from a blog...

9 Rules for Consumers

"Hello. How may I assist you today?" This is the start of many conversations in a retail store. A customer comes into a store and is greeted by a friendly, helpful associate. As a retail salesperson, I act differently when I go into a store to make a purchase, because I know how customers react to us, and how we react to customers. Here are a few rules to remember when you are buying.

1. "You, the customer, are the most important thing in our lives... for that transaction." While you are in the store, you are the most important thing that is occurring. When that transaction is finished (whether or not you buy), the next person we talk to is the most important. We love repeat business, but throughout the course of a day we talk to hundreds of people and cannot be expected to remember or distinguish Person A from Person B when many people may be looking at the very same item you looked at. We sell hundreds of items, and many of them identical (printers, for example), so saying, "Remember I was looking at a printer, " or "Remember I bought a printer last week, " does a sales person little good. Point out things that were significant during the transaction, something that might hit an emotional key. This will help greatly.

2. "Please don't shop over the phone." While many times it is possible for us to look up an item to see if we stock it, and maybe tell you a little about the item, we do have customers in the store who do need attention. Much of the information many people ask for over the phone is available on retailer's or manufacturer's website. When you are ready to purchase, or if you have more questions, come to the store where we can take that time to help you more efficiently.

3. "Don't expect negotiation." Big box retailers have low profit margins on big-ticket items. Do not expect them to negotiate prices, no matter what articles on Yahoo! or elsewhere may tell you. Asking for a manager does little for your pocketbook. Many will tell you exactly what you don't want to hear, which is "no."

4. "Do not insult any associate or bring an attitude." It is a turn off, and makes salespeople less likely to want to help you later. For many people, the people we work with are our family for eight hours a day. Since they are "family, " if you tick one off, you will tick many off. While a corporate office will tell you that "the customer is always right, " like many truisms, it is not always true. Insult an employee and find out how untrue it is.

5. "When purchasing, don't brush off the suggestions for add-ons." Personally, I will not offer anything I would not buy myself. If I suggest a replacement plan, it isn't because it is lining my pockets, it is because I buy them because I see what happens when a printer doesn't last longer than a year. Consumers expect way too much for what they buy. A printer that lasts 5 years, lasted 4 years longer than it should. Spend the extra money upfront so you can save later on. The same hold true for other add-ons: ink, paper, cables, surge protectors, etc. Again, it isn't because it is lining my pockets, it is because I would rather not see my customer who spent a thousand dollars come back in angry because the new printer only had a small amount of ink, or they ran out of paper, and so on. Spend the money up front so you can save gas and frustration later.

6. "If it sounds like a good deal on Sunday morning, someone else thinks so, too." It is a never fail situation that we have a fantastic deal on an item on Sunday and by Thursday or Friday, we are out of the item. Unfortunately, we don't have unlimited stock on merchandise. We will do our best to get you taken care of, but again, you waited and now will probably have to wait a little longer.

7. "Don't think we don't understand, or that we don't know what we are talking about." Many customers take for granted that many employees have worked with the products for many years. Any salesperson worth their salt, will know current product sometimes better than you could possibly imagine. In addition, don't expect us to know the intricacies of a machine that is, by most standards, ancient. Our knowledge of certain products lasts only shortly past the end-of-life stage of the product.

8. "Just because it is on the website, doesn't mean we have it in store." We have limited space in the store. If we carried every item in the catalog or on the website we would need stores the size of small cities, and nothing would be found. Also, many items are being "put to pasture" because of technology. It may have been found easily 3 years ago, but it may no longer be in store or possibly made. Don't get frustrated with the associate, it is out of their control, but ask for alternatives.

9. "Enjoy your shopping experience." You will get a ton of information from the employees you talk to, sometimes more than you wanted to know. A good salesperson will tell you the upsides of whatever it is you are looking at and compare it to other machines upsides. A GREAT salesperson will tell you the upsides AND the downsides of the various machines, such as future costs, or potential problems. A good salesperson's highlight is having fun with the customer while making sure they are well informed before making a purchase. A GREAT salesperson also makes sure that you won't be needing to come back in too soon by making sure that you have the opportunity to purchase every possible accessory you may need for that purchase. Let us try to take care of you and you will enjoy your experience.