Being a sell and service retailer in the past, I can say it is nice when people who want service purchase products from you.
I got some really good help from a Honda person on this website. I was trying to get an old Honda tiller running. It turns out that we really didn't need the larger older tiller so he directed me to a smaller tiller. I found that they carried them at Home Depot and another local dealer.
The Home Depot dealer is near so it was our first stop. The person we talked to knew nothing about them. I then went to my local dealer. His knowledge about the product was just what I needed. In addition, he summoned a mechanic from the shop who gave me troubleshooting tips.
We are going to get the old Honda running and donate it to a local non-profit arboretum. We are going to buy the new Honda tiller from our local Honda dealer. By the way, the price was the same.
Jim