Not sure its a New York thing, I work with a Manhattan dealer who I really like, he has a great deal of expertise, takes plenty of time to answer my questions, tries to understand what I'm hoping to accomplish, gives me options, and is a fun guy to be around. Of course I buy stuff from him, so that should be part of the deal.
A tough thing about running a business is that, for lots of potential customers, whoever answers the phone or greets you at the door IS the business. Hiring and training the frontline people is critical.