TL;DR: For both of my bags, I knew exact specs in advance (purchased from the same SA), but how I came to know them were different from bag purchase to bag purchase. For more details, read on!
A little bit of background for context. My home store is a five-hour plane ride away. I purchase in store one to two times per year. I buy the occasional smaller ticket item between visits from other stores when on vacation, or online if I see something I have to have. My SA has ordered a handful of items for me, either by sourcing them from another boutique or by placing an online order at the end of my appointment. I generally don’t purchase from her between visits. I send her a list in advance of my appointments, noting that I understand stock may not be available and encouraging her to select other items she thinks I might like. She has said she likes my approach and has even helped me find a last-minute add to my shopping list at a different boutique in the same city, letting me know it was fine to just stop in and purchase the item from an SA at that boutique.
I am up front about bag requests. I do not seek the purchase limit year after year, but when I want a bag, I am serious about it. For the first bag, I asked in person during ann appointment. She took some specs and said she would get back to me; however, there were no bags for me that trip. This gave me time to do some extra research and what I really wanted was not what I asked for the first time around, so I consider the delay in my favor. I sent her a list in advance of my next visit and, at the end of that message, reminded her of my bag wish. I was specific about B30 Togo PHW and let her know that. I sent a list of colors I liked and said I wanted something “along those lines”. She let me know in advance a B30 Togo Etain PHW had come in and that I had been approved for it. Etain was on my list, so I was thrilled! That was 3.5 years ago.
This summer I was ready to add a second bag. I wanted a lighter color, but still preferred B30 Togo PHW, so sent her a list of colors to give her an idea of what I was looking for. She brought up my bag wish near the end of my appointment. She didn’t have anything that came close to what I requested, but shared with me what was available in a B30. Unfortunately no combo made my heart sing. She asked if I had considered a B35, B25, or even a K28, offering to let me try on sample bags so I could get a sense of proportion. We ran through several options and I found a combination I liked, even though half the specs were not what I originally asked for. The boutique was not allowing same-day purchases, so she said now we keep our fingers crossed and wait to see if the SM approves. B25 is popular and my spend is only OK (maybe an average of $5K per visit; I really don’t keep track), so I was nervous. She let me know I was approved and I loved it when I saw it, so took it home.