Greg, have you viisited more than one Apple Store, or visited more than one time? Your experience is markedly different from mine. As a former computer store manager, I've "rated" all of the Apple stores in the area - and in each case, I was given one, or at most two, friendly greetings - then left alone to explore. Exactly as it should be.
Chalk me up as one who WILL NOT use the new Finder as it stands, with the metal look and especially the "Places" sidebar. If there's no hack available to kill that stuff, I'll stay with 10.2
The Apple Store: Bad Customer Service at Your Local Mall
What Panther Has Fixed