I used to work at WSS Calgary.
And let me tell you, customers suck.
Really.
Look at it this way:
Some customer comes in and all he is concerned with is long range precision shooting. If you don't know anything about it, but offer some well meaning suggestions...
There is a post on CGN the next day about what a retard you are. (And thanks for not posting that by the way Colin

)
Some customer comes in and all he is concerned about is shooting handguns. If you are working behind the counter and have spent the last decade shooting four and a half million rounds of shotshells at clays but can't strip a Glock...
There is a post on CGN the next day about what a retard you are.
Some customer comes in and he is a fool who decides to mount his own scope and then ask
you why he can't sight it in properly...
There is a post on CGN the next day about what a retard you are.
Now I don't know Ardent personally and have never met him. But, having had words with him here on CGN, I suspect I would be less than enthused having to deal with him face to face. We don't hit it off online and I don't think we would in person.
There are two sides to every story. The reality is, and I know this from having been on both sides of the fence, you get what you give. And if you get poor service, well... consider what your own demeanor was.
Aside from that, the shooting sports is a very large field. Just because the guy behind the counter is not interested in what you are interested in does not mean that he/she doesn't know
anything about firearms or shooting. Because I guarantee that for every
one story a gun store customer has about the staff, the staff has
ten about customers.
And consider this: Most of the people working behind the gun counter don't have that as their primary employment. They do it because they like it. For clowns to condescend to them as "clerks" who "can't do anything but retail for $12 an hour" is offensive. If you take that attitude, I can pretty much assure you that you will not receive the best service.