I visited Moda Fina this past weekend, and everyone in the store was pleasant and helpful. I really like the selection there, especially the retro georgette dresses. I will be back.
In my experience, service in Ptown can vary widely with the season. The town is packed all summer and by September, restaurant staff and sales persons can be pretty tired out and snappish. Interestingly, service seems generally much friendlier in October and early in the season. If the reviews above are typical, some customers can be pretty entitled about what they feel their shopping experience ought to be.
After all, these are small privately owned businesses, not big corporations. Margins are small and staffers work long hours during high season. Wear and tear, spills and lots of handling can reduce the saleability of their stock. Many shops do have a "no food/drink" policy posted, and others have spots to leave your food/drink near the door. I think it's a great idea. I wouldn't dream of browsing through a store while eating or drinking, but that's probably a factor of my generation.
Bottom line: pleasantness goes both ways. It's in the merchants' best interest to be welcoming. In a perfect world, an owner or staff member who can't be nice could take a break or just stay home, but it's not practical. As customers, our behavior is directly connected to how we are treated by the other humans who deal with us day in and day out. I am rarely treated with anything less than friendliness because I'm friendly. Pretty easy, really. read more