Demos - To Charge a Fee or to Not Charge a Fee?

I support charging a fee for a home demo. In this case the dealer should deliver the product and set it up. The fee is refundable if you buy the component. Problem is that you must charge a fee that may, by some standards, be considerable. 

I would pay 50 an hour to demo. I’m sure there are many looky lous who have no intention of buying new which I am one of. 
I don’t normally demo  it but I am always gonna buy used. So for that demo on what I’m buying I would pay fitty. 

I’m sure there are more than a few of us who’ve used the dealers gear & facility only to purchase elsewhere. It’s hard enough to stay in business these days, particularly with this modality. So if dealers can make themselves a little coin and keep the lights on by charging for custom listening sessions or renting equipment out for you to try at home, that would be ideal in this day and age. Judging by the number of gear stores that aren’t there anymore, how can you argue with dealers thinking of new ways to keep the roof over his head?

I’m with danager.
I think that talking about a fee is really dope.
It’s the quickest way to go out of biz.
There are too many places that offer free returns a price matching now days to set up as a nickel dimer. If you can’t keep the lights on get out.

And there were way too many places that went out of business being nice guys to 'tire kickers' who come in armed with dreams and promises.
Only the guy who's not serious about buying would really bellyache about helping the guy who pays rent, lights, goes to trade shows, reads the trades, buys & finances stock and pays employees only to be the last guy paid when you finally buy the speakers after 12 visits.
The reason he can't keep the lights on has plenty to do with the entitled little mindsets of sneaky little non-buyers who need their wives permission to buy a CD, using his store, his time and his merch.
That said, I do think the $10 an hour thing is a little cheesy. I'd rather rent you the equipment.

"Sorry- but the dealer mark up includes the cost of doing business and that includes marketing."
This is where it gets sometimes gets messy.
The often beleaguered dealer can find themselves between a rock and a hard place
What to do then?  
Relationship break up leading to any or all of the following?
Exaggerated mark-ups?
Increasingly fancy cabling and accessories suggested?
Suggestive language and smooth persuasive sales techniques?
Prejudice and rudeness towards certain customers viewed as 'timewasters'?

In the meantime the customer might begin to see the dealer as a stuck up mercenary with both eyes on the monthly sales chart who is only out there to exploit.  

I'm sorry, but have you ever said to the place where you get your paychecks, 'no boss, I don't want this $1,200. Gas for the car only cost me 20 bucks this week and I'm just happy to do the work to provide service with integrity and see to it that customers are happy. Give me $600'?
Of course he's a mercenary! Do you think he took a second mortgage out on the house and came to work in the morning to stroke you?
You bet I'm going to kick out the time wasting tire kickers. It doesn't take long to qualify a punk who ain't buying and I don't waste time and pay my bills with time wasters.
No one does. You want someone to be nice to you?
Call your grandmother.