What's your experience with snooty HiFi salesmen?

@hilde45 "But given (a) the scarcity of audio stores and (b) the importance of hearing a system in person, many people don’t have the luxury of moving on, right? "

I think you've drilled down to the crux of the matter.  Whether one values the assets on hand at a dealer, or not.  If not, it's a mute point. But, even if you don't like dealers in general, they do put a lot good gear in people's homes, generate revenue, keep some quality manufactuers in business, and often launch new products/technologies.  If you value the dealer, it can be an ackward, sometimes frustrating, experience.  

Not to sound snobby here, but I'm going to present the premise that most of you contributors here have reached a level of success in life a bit higher than the "average" sales guy they you're going to encounter at an audio store.  Instead of looking down on them, we have skiills and talent (and, motivation) to try to navigate our way through to a good outcome.  

I can't tell you how many times I've had to "coach" salepeoplle how to sell to ME.  Cars, homes, commercial properties, tires, motorhomes, etc.  Give them the opportunity to "humanize" the relationship by asking them personal questions, etc. And, yes, you will often know more about THEIR product, than they do.

That being said, as an old, retired dealer, the dealers have to reinvent themselves.  But, they also have to make "the numbers" work.  Reinventing also means reinvesting.  Your business matters to them.  Whether those representing the company make it apparent.  Or, not.

First experience as a lad going into a Hifi salon looking for blown 12" woofer for my Sansui speaker: "Those aren’t worth the postage to send them over here from Japan."

Second experience presenting my little 25wpc Pioneer receiver to a "tech" at a Kenwood amp clinic. Me" "Is this amp any good?" Tech (snarky, dismissive): "I think you’re about to find out!"

Years later, life pointed me towards a career in audio. I went in for an interview with David Beatty in Kansas City. Mr. Beatty was "the goto guy" for quality audio in the region. The interview was conducted in the "mad scientist area" of the facility. It was at the exact moment that David first fired up an new Nakamichi cassette deck, which he messed with during the entire interview. The interview was interrupted with David’s comments (asking surprised): "This thing is good! This thing is REALLY good!" His enthusiasm was contagious and may have helped push me along into a making my hobby my career for 43 years.