I also had a less than satisfactory experience the one and only time I went into their London shop, and I won't be returning there, even if I had no other option.
There was a particular lens I was interested in, which they had in stock (and I was seriously looking to buy - it was a Sigma 120-300 f2.8 non IS several years ago). The guy in the shop basically said that I could not try it unless I bought it. He also didn't have a pleasant manner about him. Needless to say, I went elsewhere.
How do you try the lens before you buy it when shopping on the internet then? I can't see any logic in this outlook.
Perhaps it was a similar experience to the one I had years ago when I went to buy my first 'proper' camera. Roll back to the winter of 1980, I'd been saving up and finally had enough money to buy my dream camera (a Canon A1 with 50mm f/1.8 lens). I chose to go to Comet in my local town, due to their price-matching promise at the time. I'd even taken the Monday morning off work from my first job to go and buy it. I'll never forget, it was a really cold and frosty morning (an extremely cold winter that year) and when I asked to see the demonstration camera I found it didn't work, as the battery was completely flat.
This was a 16 year-old lad that had been saving for round 18 months, had the cash in notes there in his pocket to buy the thing, and was keen to do so, but wanted to make sure that a camera costing around £220 (a lot of money in those days) was going to suit him. The shop assistant wasn't keen on replacing the battery (which must have cost all of £2 in those days!) and called the manager over, and he initially flatly refused to change the battery! "Not unless you're going to buy it?" or words to that effect.
My Dad had driven me to the shop and was looking round the showroom while I looked at the camera; seeing there was an issue he came over and told the manager that there was no way he'd let me part with over £200 without a demonstration of the camera. At which point the manager very reluctantly replaced the battery. On trying the camera it appeared to be everything I'd hoped for, and a price-matched deal was done for a brand new, boxed, camera and lens and I left the shop with the camera I wanted (and I still own it to this day).
However, what should have been a memorable buying experience turned out to be unforgettable for the wrong reason, due to uncooperative, reluctant and seemingly indifferent sales staff. Perhaps this is where some high-street chain stores went wrong?
Why did I go to a chain store like Comet instead of my local camera shop? Well, I tried to get a price from my local camera shop and it went something like this:
"I'm interested in a Canon A1 with 50mm f/1.8, what would your best price be for a cash sale please?". Assistant (looking at me with some doubt): "Is it for you?" Me: "Yes, it's for me". Assistant (looking at me somewhat disbelievingly): "I'll go and ask".
Assistant arrives back: "Our best price for a Canon AE 1 would be....". I'd
clearly asked the price for a Canon A1. He'd obviously misheard (due, I believe, to him forming an opinion about the spending power of a 16 year old lad) and had given me the price for a different and significantly cheaper model. After being made to feel uncomfortable, and rather than face the mutual embarrassment of pointing out his mistake (and risk even greater looks of disbelief) I thanked him and left the shop.
Perhaps that's also where some high-street shops went wrong?