I haven't ridden a drop bar bike with skinny tires in like 25 years, but I think that sales chick doesn't have a clue. If the roads are utter crap, you'll want wider tires and the stock wheels may not hold up for long, but if the pro riders can race on cobblestones in France, then you can commute on a road bike.

The trick will be to find one that will allow you to use a rack (if that is your thing) and fenders (if you're into those). Just took a peek at the Specialized site and it doesn't look like the Secteur or Allez readily accepts rack(s) or fenders.

Something that may be of interest, if your LBS can order it, is the Tricross Triple. This should endure abuse a bit better than the other road orientated offerings.