I won't waste a salesperson's time if I have no intent to buy.
But there is a difference between "wasting a salespersons' time" and trying basses.
The problem is you guys need to learn how to "shop like a woman". When man wants to buy something, usually they just walk onto the whatever store. Grab a salesperson. Go pick out something they like. Play for it and leave. They often won't even ask the price, if it's on sale, compare with other stores or anything like that which they consider a pain and waste of time.
A woman on the other hand will circle the item like a predator ready to attack. They will check all the stores that carry like things. They will ponder and compare and when the salesperson first comes over they will drive them away with a "just looking" comment. And then when they do decide all conditions are just right they will strike like a cobra. No, not full price, but pull out discount coupons, ask about discounts, or for that matter if they aren't really dying to have it, they'll just saunter off to return other days, all the while watching the price tag on the item of interest for a price drop. When you finally see it, you strike! Remembering the rule: Ya snooze, ya lose!
Hence there is no embarrassment simply trying basses. There is no embarrassment in asking them to haul down a host of them from the wall for you to try one after the other. Didn't you ever see what happens when a woman buys shoes? And often as not she doesn't buy ANY of them. "Not what I wanted", she sniffs. The key words to drive off any salesperson who is bugging the daylights out of you hoping for a commission is: "Just looking!". There is a difference between shopping for things you love (like basses) and things you actually "need" like food. Bass-shopping is "fun-shopping". Food-shopping is a pain in the rear for anyone who has to do it. Get the difference.
And another thing is to not get involved in the Saturday "contests" which in the bass room are usually slap fests. You are not there to be in a contest with anyone. You are there to look at basses. So I'll sit there trying high notes and low notes with controls set various ways to get the range of the bass. I'll simply be playing EVERY note on the neck one after the other looking for dead spots. I'll be holding the bass up eyeballing the action, Pushing strings down at first and 12th fret to see the neck curvature, I'll be playing it unplugged to listen to the body resonances, but I WON'T be trying to blow some kid away in a slap or any other playing "contest". Hey, I love to show off, but usually you have to pay me to see it! I'm there to check out basses not get gigs!
And lastly, when you do decide to buy, put your "manlyness" aside and ALWAYS ask: "What is the best price you can give me on (name the entire package you are interested in)". No you don't always get a discount. But you'll be surprised how often you do. Often stores give salespeople some discount authority like 10% or 15% to "clinch" sales. Often all you have to do is ask which can often cover the sales tax if nothing else! Even better is if you can pressure the manager who can give you a much better price. Works best on things that have been hanging around the store forever that he'd like to see out of there without losing his butt. Hence if he can get what it cost the store, he figures he's "won". And guess what? If it's something that you know is cool but most people don't, you "win" too. They call that "win-win".
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