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With few exceptions, I see no difference between the customer service associated with buying something in a store versus online. I can usually find better information by reading online reviews or message boards than I can by asking a part time sales person.
A few examples:
The other day, I went to Best Buy to buy a monitor and made the mistake of asking questions that couldn't be answered by reading the 5 bullet point product tag. Big mistake.
Similar situation with the guy in the Cabelas REEL DEPARTMENT and a Shimano Spheros reel - never heard of it.
I just saved $200 on a camera between Ritz and Amazon. They would not price match an "online" retailer and cautioned me to make sure I was buying the same thing. He said it as if I had found some obscure grey market internet site from which to buy this (as does exist in the world of camera buying) and that somehow my price wasn't legit even though I had the print out. I actually wanted to buy it from Ritz since unlike Circuit City, Home Depot, etc., they actually tend to know what they're talking about. So I bought it online and use an internet site to get help using the thing. It's probably more convenient than driving to the store with quetions anyway.
Anyway, unless you know that a given shop will give you something more than the stated warranty, or the shop gives you some other kind of appreciated assitance, I don't see a difference.
It's interesting you posted this, because one of my French colleagues was just saying how US stores tend to be filled with employees who know nothing or next to nothing about what they're selling - which for me is the one thing that could make me pay more to buy from a brick and mortar. After thinking about it a little, I agreed completely.
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