retail etiquette? for both sides...

Okay. I try to not bring business stuff into the mix on this blog- mostly because this is my own ranting shit. But I'm gonna do it- and I'll probably pay for it later.
If you go into a store, any store, and an employee says "Hi, how's it goin'?" and you just stand there and don't say anything, don't expect that employee to query you or engage you again until it's a bit more obvious that you're wanting some assistance.
This just happened to me- I'm sitting on the sofa with my lunch, notice a customer come in and walk toward me. I greet him and he just stares at me and then looks away. I assume he just wants to poke around or is waiting to speak directly with another employee at the store. He stands there a few more seconds and then simply walks out. I get up and try to catch him as he's heading down the street but he just disappeared. (Maybe he was just a ghostly apparition?)
So now I'm sure that I'll get some nasty e-mail about how he was ignored for a millisecond and will never, ever shop here again and he's gonna tell all of his friends to fire bomb the store and then make sure that all future generations know about this injustice.
To be fair, there are many places where a customer, with money in hand, literally, can stand around, waiting for someone, anyone, to simply complete the transaction. And it simply doesn't happen.
However, that is not what happened here today. So clearly, there is a middle ground here- a give and take that must happen in order for the transaction to take place. On the flip side, how many times does a gentle customer come in, we greet him with a friendly "How're you doing today?" and they immediately defend, "I'M JUST LOOKING! JUST LOOKING!"
It's rough, because I know exactly what inspires that kind of defense. Being attacked and followed and hounded and pushed by an aggressive salesperson absolutely blows. I hate it. It's like when Safeway enacted their new policy of sucking up to their customers until everyone's freaking heads exploded. "Did you find everything that you were looking for today, Mr. Bragstad? Thank you so much for your your patronage today. Can we help you paint your house or do some laundry for you today, Mr. Bragstad? How's the family today, everyone healthy? Did I tell you how much we love you and yours today, Mr. Bragstad? Thank you so much, Mr. Bragstad." You just want to run.
Is there no meeting some people halfway? Is it futile to try to please everyone? Are some people just looking for some conflict to justify their position? I may never know. But please, if you have a bad experience with a business, please, please make professional, civil contact with the manager or owner and let them know what happened. And do so with an open mind. It's entirely possible that you misunderstood what happened. It's entirely possible that you will be heard and the situation can be corrected.


Or you may have to go home and start making your Molotov Cocktails.