I have had several bike shops bend over backwards for me. That seems to be the norm for the folks who work in them. Bike shops seem to be the last place left on earth where people don't seem to care as much about making a buck as they do helping me.
BUT...
It's obvious to me that cycling is considered a sport that well-to-do people spend their spare cash on, rather than a necessary means of transportation. Anyone who can afford a $1000 bike, $100 helmet, $300 in clothing, etc. and rides only half the year can also afford the prices. More power to them, I wish I could, but that's not me. In fact, I am probably in the minority on these forums in the respect that I can barely afford to cycle at all.
I had a friend go looking for a bike. The LBS rep treated him like he didn't matter. To the bike shop, he probably didn't, because he couldn't afford the prices (yet.) So there are two sides to the coin.