This may or may not apply to many here but... when people walk into stores with no intention to actually buy a watch, or think that being able to afford a 20/30k watch entitles them to first-class service, they will be utterly disappointed or sometimes surprised.
Being salespeople, I'm sure they've seen their fair share of people who actually come ready to buy, just viewing or those who want to try every watch on. Sometimes I wonder if they have a sixth sense to detect that.
I must admit I've had a few sour encounters with salespeople and unless I really need something, I just smile and walk away.
Take the instance when I went to the AP boutique at Starhill. I was there to get a rubber strap. The initial encounter was lukewarm when I was just browsing and asked about the Royal Oak range, and this was with my Offshore on the wrist. Getting bored, I just asked if they had a rubber strap in stock and when they said yes, I asked them to mount it on. From then on, they were more friendly and asked my wife to try on a few pieces.
I was also at the PP boutique in KLCC at least twice and both times, they were very nice. I got to try on a Nautilus. They were also trying to recommend some Annual Calendars to me but I told them I had no interest in those. Was given catalogs to take home but refused them the second time and told them I already had one.
Rolex ADs were hit-n-miss. Some good and some completely cold. At one AD, a fellow who looked like the owner even told me "..standard 10% off the Datejust range but if you're going to buy now, we can work out a great deal for you". At some other places, no one even bothered to attend to me so I just walked off.
Now in Singapore, I had a nice conversation with a PP salesperson. When he asked what I was looking for, I gave him a model number and he directed me to a nice seat and took out a similar model since they didn't have the actual one. We talked about the movement, price and he offered a discount and GST rebate at the airport. Again offered catalogs but refused. Same in the Lange AD. Was given a very long "lecture" about origins, how they were made etc. Impressive!
But the Breitling AD was terrible. Spent nearly 10 mins looking through the whole range but the 3 salesmen did not even ask if we needed help. You could feel they were trying hard to keep their distance.
So in summary, don't put down our own ADs and praise those elsewhere. It's all the same.
Some tips for visiting ADs..
1. Put yourself in their shoes. They've been on their feet all day trying to make a sale to all kinds of visitors. Be nice and smile.
2. Have a target and go straight for it when asked. This shows you are looking for something, not just looking around. An "uh.. err.. just looking" is not a good conversation starter.
3. Don't ask to try on every single watch you have the slightest interest in. Those are NEW watches and the risks of damage increases when it comes out of the case into your hands.
4. Be confident in yourself. It will make you feel less intimidated by their attitude and will project a positive image of yourself as well.
5. Be realistic. Don't immediately ask to try on the solid gold tourbillon if it's way out of your budget. You could try your luck later if the conversation is going well and the salesperson is friendly enough.
Hope this helps.
