Maintaining a H relationship

[papertiger]

Please focus on the title of this thread rather than each other, TY

If you find it very hard to ignore certain people, please feel free in adding them to your 'Ignore' list.

For advice on how to obtain a B/K/C please go to the reading room in the Reading Room The Newbie's HOW DO I GET A BIRKIN (or other bag) Reading Room

For advice on how to shop at your local store please do a search in Hermes Shopping sub-forum and look for your store/region/country.

 

[olibelli]

hi everyone - newbie here... I would like to ask if there is a general etiquette on bringing up your wishlist to your SA. I don't want to come off as rude or pushy, especially since I'm not sure if they are currently furloughed or working or on paid time off... I am, however, looking for a few things and would like his help when he comes back to work. Would it be better to 1) text/email right now and ask if he would be able to help when he comes back or 2) text/email when the stores reopen?

thank you for all your help in advance!

I've had frequent contact with my SA (about once a week since lockdowns began in March) and she's checked in with me regarding wish list changes / updates, and new items expected to come in when stores re-open (SLGs, apparel) so she can put my name down for anything I might be interested in.

I believe Hermes announced it would maintain salaries for all 15K+ of its employees, and I know mine has been attending digital workshops and whatnot daily. I think it depends on your relationship with your SA, but it doesn't hurt to check how he is doing, and determine whether to bring it up based on the natural flow of your conversation. That said, we speak quite regularly about non-Hermes related things as well (show recommendations during quarantine, how are pets are doing, etc.) Just say hi and see what's up

 

[Daosabao]

hi everyone - newbie here... I would like to ask if there is a general etiquette on bringing up your wishlist to your SA. I don't want to come off as rude or pushy, especially since I'm not sure if they are currently furloughed or working or on paid time off... I am, however, looking for a few things and would like his help when he comes back to work. Would it be better to 1) text/email right now and ask if he would be able to help when he comes back or 2) text/email when the stores reopen?

thank you for all your help in advance!

I think your questions are fine, nothing demanding going on so I don't think your Sa would or should mind a general question from a customer. I have a Sa from another brand telling me she is very happy to receive enquiries now because that means she has work to do when she returns to work when the stores reopen.

 

[Cat.A]

Hi, I’m Italian from Florence and at the age of 44 I’m considering, for the first time in my life, to get a Birkin or a Kelly, hopefully both! I’m joking.
By the way, I’m a bag lover, I own some luxury bags, mainly from Chanel and LV, but I’ve always been scared by H world. Why? Because of the price, of course, and the H game: you have to spend a lot on goodies that you don’t want and need just to get, if you are lucky, a B or a K in the size and the colour they offer you.
In these days I heard that it’s not always this difficult to get a Birkin or a Kelly and there are also waiting lists. How does it work? Waiting two years or more is fine, if you get the bag you want at the end.
What do you suggest me to do to create a link with my local store? Any advice? Thanks for helping me.

 

[Love Of My Life]

Hi, I’m Italian from Florence and at the age of 44 I’m considering, for the first time in my life, to get a Birkin or a Kelly, hopefully both! I’m joking.
By the way, I’m a bag lover, I own some luxury bags, mainly from Chanel and LV, but I’ve always been scared by H world. Why? Because of the price, of course, and the H game: you have to spend a lot on goodies that you don’t want and need just to get, if you are lucky, a B or a K in the size and the colour they offer you.
In these days I heard that it’s not always this difficult to get a Birkin or a Kelly and there are also waiting lists. How does it work? Waiting two years or more is fine, if you get the bag you want at the end.
What do you suggest me to do to create a link with my local store? Any advice? Thanks for helping me.

You mention that you are Italian & from Florence. Do you live in Italy or are you here in the US?
There have been some occasions where someone can walk into H & find the bag of their dreams, but for many
yes there is a waiting list & for the most part a prerequisite amount needed to be spent before a SO can be placed
or a B or K to be offered.
So my suggestion to you, if you are not interested in spending money at H on items that may not have appeal to you,
a good place for you to start is the secondary market.
Have fun doing some due diligence...

 

[momoc]

Hi, I’m Italian from Florence and at the age of 44 I’m considering, for the first time in my life, to get a Birkin or a Kelly, hopefully both! I’m joking.
By the way, I’m a bag lover, I own some luxury bags, mainly from Chanel and LV, but I’ve always been scared by H world. Why? Because of the price, of course, and the H game: you have to spend a lot on goodies that you don’t want and need just to get, if you are lucky, a B or a K in the size and the colour they offer you.
In these days I heard that it’s not always this difficult to get a Birkin or a Kelly and there are also waiting lists. How does it work? Waiting two years or more is fine, if you get the bag you want at the end.
What do you suggest me to do to create a link with my local store? Any advice? Thanks for helping me.

By "waiting list" do you mean you put your name down, and then without doing anything else just wait?

If so...I think unfortunately the general answer is no, that is not possible. When people say "wait list" they may mean they tell their SA what bags they want (i.e. start a wishlist), then they will keep shopping with the SA while waiting for that bag to appear.

You definitely need to buy other stuff besides the bag like 99.99% of the time. Buying just a bag without anything else ever is either a miracle (which does happen, but you know what "miracle" means...) or FSH appointment luck (you can check out the Paris thread for the system specific to that store). But in either of those cases you are not really guaranteed a specific color/leather/size/hardware. If you have one specific bag combo you want, you probably need to build relationship with an SA (and yes, that means shopping with them by spending money on things), or go reseller. More touristy stores tend to work with a "drop 1:1 on the spot and a bag will appear" method, whereas less touristy places tend to value long-term customers who come by frequently. There is a reason reseller prices for H bags - the desirable sizes/colors - are higher than retail. It's because getting them at retail is not for everyone.

If anything, I feel that getting a bag has only been becoming harder in recent years. I don't know how COVID might affect this (I don't know if anyone knows), but while it probably has some impact I don't think it's changed anything drastically.

In conclusion, if you are against buying anything other than the bag you want & have a specific bag in mind, reseller would be your best option. If you are open to develop an H relationship or only want directly from boutique purchases, then start with your local store & find an SA you enjoy working with. Good luck!

 

[Cat.A]

You mention that you are Italian & from Florence. Do you live in Italy or are you here in the US?
There have been some occasions where someone can walk into H & find the bag of their dreams, but for many
yes there is a waiting list & for the most part a prerequisite amount needed to be spent before a SO can be placed
or a B or K to be offered.
So my suggestion to you, if you are not interested in spending money at H on items that may not have appeal to you,
a good place for you to start is the secondary market.
Have fun doing some due diligence...

Thanks for your kind help, I really appreciate.
Answering to your question, I live in Italy so I would try to build a relationship with the H store in Florence, the town where I live.
Pre-loved market is not my cup of tea: I want to live the full shopping experience in the store and being the first to put wear and tear on my bags. Moreover, I don’t feel confident enough to buy such an expensive item online, without seeing the bag in person, if it does make sense.
I really think that the waiting list could be the right option for me but, of course, I can’t go in the store asking for that...

 

[H Ever After]

My recommendation is that you go to your local store with an open mind and genuine interest in learning about Hermes as a brand. With some luck, hopefully you’ll be able to hit it off with a lovely SA and build a relationship from there. Hermes seeks lifelong customers who appreciate the brand. I think that if you take the time to learn about Hermes, you will find that they are more than just about Bs and Ks, and you may be surprised to discover that there are plenty of other beautiful things that you can and hopefully would want to purchase while you wait for your dream Birkin or Kelly.

 

[Cat.A]

By "waiting list" do you mean you put your name down, and then without doing anything else just wait?

If so...I think unfortunately the general answer is no, that is not possible. When people say "wait list" they may mean they tell their SA what bags they want (i.e. start a wishlist), then they will keep shopping with the SA while waiting for that bag to appear.

You definitely need to buy other stuff besides the bag like 99.99% of the time. Buying just a bag without anything else ever is either a miracle (which does happen, but you know what "miracle" means...) or FSH appointment luck (you can check out the Paris thread for the system specific to that store). But in either of those cases you are not really guaranteed a specific color/leather/size/hardware. If you have one specific bag combo you want, you probably need to build relationship with an SA (and yes, that means shopping with them by spending money on things), or go reseller. More touristy stores tend to work with a "drop 1:1 on the spot and a bag will appear" method, whereas less touristy places tend to value long-term customers who come by frequently. There is a reason reseller prices for H bags - the desirable sizes/colors - are higher than retail. It's because getting them at retail is not for everyone.

If anything, I feel that getting a bag has only been becoming harder in recent years. I don't know how COVID might affect this (I don't know if anyone knows), but while it probably has some impact I don't think it's changed anything drastically.

In conclusion, if you are against buying anything other than the bag you want & have a specific bag in mind, reseller would be your best option. If you are open to develop an H relationship or only want directly from boutique purchases, then start with your local store & find an SA you enjoy working with. Good luck!

Thanks for this great suggestion.
As preloved market is not for me, I would definitely try to build a relationship with a SA in my local store but buying just the items I really want and need from Hermès, for example, right now, Bastia coin purse and a clic H bracelet. In this way, it would take long time for sure to be on a waiting list for a B or a K but, at least, this is a forever bag and, when you get what you want, you can use the rest of your life.

 

[Love Of My Life]

Thanks for your kind help, I really appreciate.
Answering to your question, I live in Italy so I would try to build a relationship with the H store in Florence, the town where I live.
Pre-loved market is not my cup of tea: I want to live the full shopping experience in the store and being the first to put wear and tear on my bags. Moreover, I don’t feel confident enough to buy such an expensive item online, without seeing the bag in person, if it does make sense.
I really think that the waiting list could be the right option for me but, of course, I can’t go in the store asking for that...

Understanding what you say, your chances are very slim in being offered a "bag" first go around.
It takes time, money & patience.. Be prepared for it all
And if you are not comfortable spending til your SA will ask for your wishlist, your chances of acquiring
a bag may not go in the direction you think it would or should.
And I might say, that H has some very wonderful items that may appeal to you..Take advantage of the opportunity
of the H experience

 

[Cat.A]

My recommendation is that you go to your local store with an open mind and genuine interest in learning about Hermes as a brand. With some luck, hopefully you’ll be able to hit it off with a lovely SA and build a relationship from there. Hermes seeks lifelong customers who appreciate the brand. I think that if you take the time to learn about Hermes, you will find that they are more than just about Bs and Ks, and you may be surprised to discover that there are plenty of other beautiful things that you can and hopefully would want to purchase while you wait for your dream Birkin or Kelly.

That’s exactly what I have to do, take the time to learn about the brand because I don’t know enough about it and there’s a lot to discover. Yes, we think Hermès is just Kelly or Birkin but it’s much more. I’ll take the time to learn, I’ll promise. It’s my aim.

 

[Love Of My Life]

That’s exactly what I have to do, take the time to learn about the brand because I don’t know enough about it and there’s a lot to discover. Yes, we think Hermès is just Kelly or Birkin but it’s much more. I’ll take the time to learn, I’ll promise. It’s my aim.

Take the time to learn as that may be the turning point for your SA to offer you an item..

 

[eckw]

One additional tip is that even when exploring H smaller items, take your time. Myself, I loved H double-tour leather bracelets when I first started and accumulated a lot of them in different colors and styles and now I barely wear them. So even if you find a style of accessories/SLGs etc you like, don’t go all out (so easy to be tempted in H!) as these can really add up. Have fun, the initial stage of H shopping may seem intimidating but can also be very exhilarating. Also take your time finding a good SA that clicks with you as that can make all the difference.

 

[bagsandbeach]

Great, thread! I had a question in the same direction - I don't have an H boutique in my city, does anyone have tips for someone like me? I have the following options, I think:

1. Try Paris FSH - have to be really lucky there, from what I understand

2. Build a relationship with an SA at a location where I travel frequently - but I don't know how feasible is this. Anyone have any experience with something like this, or have any opinions/thoughts to share? I feel like this will take me years, which I'm prepared for, but not sure how effective will this be.

 

[heifer]

Hi, I’m Italian from Florence and at the age of 44 I’m considering, for the first time in my life, to get a Birkin or a Kelly, hopefully both! I’m joking.
By the way, I’m a bag lover, I own some luxury bags, mainly from Chanel and LV, but I’ve always been scared by H world. Why? Because of the price, of course, and the H game: you have to spend a lot on goodies that you don’t want and need just to get, if you are lucky, a B or a K in the size and the colour they offer you.
In these days I heard that it’s not always this difficult to get a Birkin or a Kelly and there are also waiting lists. How does it work? Waiting two years or more is fine, if you get the bag you want at the end.
What do you suggest me to do to create a link with my local store? Any advice? Thanks for helping me.

Dear Cat.A,

what can I say, apart from being jealous that you live in Tuscany. Florence has one of the most beautiful Hermès Boutiques worldwide. The store is very spacious, even though you wouldn't tell form the outside, on the ceilings they have affreschi with the god Hermés. The staff is very friendly there and I have friends of mine, who were able to acquire Birkin's with no pre spending - they do prefer locals. Unfortunately I do not know anyone in particular there, I was once served by the store manager but I can't remember her name. I'd say, pop in an have a look.

 

[periogirl28]

Dear Cat.A,

what can I say, apart from being jealous that you live in Tuscany. Florence has one of the most beautiful Hermès Boutiques worldwide. The store is very spacious, even though you wouldn't tell form the outside, on the ceilings they have affreschi with the god Hermés. The staff is very friendly there and I have friends of mine, who were able to acquire Birkin's with no pre spending - they do prefer locals. Unfortunately I do not know anyone in particular there, I was once served by the store manager but I can't remember her name. I'd say, pop in an have a look.

I agree. It’s one of the most beautiful H
stores I have ever seen and I have seen a few. They are also very friendly there. OP is very lucky and I wish her the very best in her quest.