The problem with bike shops is that many don't have a very good employee education program on sales and customer support. They hire somebody because they have an interest in bikes or whatever and then don't educate them on retail sales.

My LBS is excellent in taking young people and grooming them in business. The owner has an MBA and trains his employees well. He generally has a staff meeting before opening the doors everyday and I've seen him frequently giving his employees instructions on new products and on serving the customer.

The point is, not all shops are bad. You just have to find one that you're comfortable with.