I agree, my recent experience when I was purchasing a Sherpa was also excellent. Very few places will let you test ride the bikes, but they just hand you a map and away you go for an hour or so. I got to ride a Raven too, because they don't test ride the Sherpas. Frame and ride very similar though, it's just the Rohloff that's different. Whether this is a marketing ploy in the hope that you will come back and upgrade to Rohloff I don't know, but I couldn't afford to even if I wanted to. Same again when I went back to collect my finished bike. Nothing was too much trouble and as you say they explain everything as they go along, even down to how to do the regular maintenance. Didn't feel I was treated any differently because I am a woman either. Top marks from me.
Welcome to the forum by the way.
Jackie