your sales relationship

Flavorite, my wife and I have developed a similar relationship with our Diptyque rep. During a release bash last year one of the Diptyque execs visited and our rep set up a personal meeting for us with him. She calls us every so often and while it is, of course, a bit of a sales call, it's also personal and friendly. We've never had a sales relationship like this in any other retail venue. It's very pleasant.
BTW, Volutes is a great amber for men; one of my favorites

Oooohh, I wish I had an actual perfume counter near me (and enough disposable income to actually form a relationship with the people there). I get most of my samples from different eBay sellers and I have my favourites saved up for later reference when I'm looking for something they might have. With some, I talk, but mostly I don't.

I had one very brief but mutually beneficial bit of rapport with an SA at a boutique..After about a minute of listening to my sincere and enthusiastic rambling about a few of their perfumes, she could tell I was on the brink of purchasing something and so she loaded me up with a slew of sample vials. I had not asked her for anything but a paper strip to spray on. I rewarded her generosity a few weeks later with a significant purchase.

No such "relationship" for me.

I have increasingly purchased online as I have made rather bad experiences with sales personnel in general. Sometimes you get a lot of "goodies", another time (with a similar purchase value) you get nothing. This is why I tend to buy online at my favourite addresses (one offers 3 samples of your own choice with your full size purchse) - no hazzle, no disappointed expectations.

Here in Germany I find sales staff in stores quite difficult and I avoid them whenever I can.

That is a shame you have a bad experience with sales attendants. Lately in my new town they mostly ignore me...which is fine by me.

It all depends who you are dealing with. The sales staff in the department stores are not very educated. In the fine boutiques, like Aedes de Venustas, MIN, Osswald, BergdorfGoodman, Hermes, you get trained personnel happy to help and make a sale, of course. The difference is the level of perfume knowledge, and the fine boutiques have trained people. Osswald was a fine perfume experience.

Don't think that all are alike. Venting here, well ...

Just go with a written List and do the best you can. Be polite, talk shop and don't appear only to hunt for samples.

This weekend I did a lot of sniffing and exploring in a variety of department stores and boutiques. A few towns over there is a fantastic cluster of perfume-heavy establishments where the gamut from high-end niche to designer may be tested freely and, where samples have been offered to me over and over again, without my asking for them.

The SA's I encountered were very bright and on the ball, and made suggestions based on my taste. Because the holiday shopping frenzy is over, they had more time to listen to me. These particular boutiques and department stores obviously have a selective hiring process, because the SA's who work there (for the most part) seem genuinely glad to be there, are very professional and eager to help a perfume nerd like myself to explore and have fun.

I am sorry to hear that, PontNeuf. And I am pleased to report this is not always the case in Germany.

A few weeks ago, I realised I actually am in a sales relationship. Went back to a city I used to live in, visiting a friend of mine. Of course, with time at hand I stopped by at the finest perfumery in town, which happens to be Essenza Nobile's HQ. I hadn't been in there for well over a year but the sales rep I used to interact with the most still remembered me - by name, nota bene, and preference (and no, it's not down to having been a regular spendthrift). Anyway, we sampled a few fragrances I was curious about and some other ones she thought might interest me, discussing their merit or lack thereof. Amongst them Le Sillage Blanc, which she put in front of me, remarking that this might be right up my alley - which it is indeed! Bought it. Love it.
They always fill up three samples of any fragrance one fancies to explore and gift them if you buy, and occasionally also if you don't.
I so enjoy to do perfume shopping/discovering like this!