I honestly don’t understand how people can be raised to behave so badly in a store without feeling embarrassed…
Overheard Hermès
- Thread starter hermesgeek
- Start date
haha I have not checked this site for so long and surprised to see your question
They kept walking around until I noticed a different SA came up to them and served them (not knowing what happened). But then, shortly, I saw them walking out (SA did not have what they wanted).
I do wonder if that young couple will have a fun story to tell their friends that day. As they were quite convincing in saying 'let's just get both if you can't choose' LOL...I wish we can all say that and get offered bags.
I had a colleague, a pleasant stylish woman, and she was one of the few people in my huge department who liked Hermes. We went to different boutiques. One day, I mentioned that I'd dropped by to chat with my SA and we ended up giggling together for 2 hours (slow day in the boutique and off-peak timing). She was shocked and stated that SAs are just "servants" and she is never friendly with the ones who assist her. It was an eye-opener for me, and made me wonder if she was pleasant to me because I outranked her.
But back on topic, I met a slightly frazzled lady trying to decide between two maxi twillies. She told me that she had a time crunch because she left her DH wrangling two small children. They told the kids that Mummy had to go out for a while to buy "oranges"
That’s an eye opener for me as well…
I’m not close friends with my SA. I see it as a business relationship with mutual respect and understanding.
I do have a confession that I did raise my voice in store, not to any SA but to my phone banking service that placed a double security block on my debit card when I was paying for my K25
My excuse was that I was on the phone for over 30 min trying to unblock my card, being told it was unblocked then having the transaction failed again. In the end I had to go into a nearby branch with my driving license to find out that my card was double blocked…
1 hour getting the bag and 1.5 hour trying to make payment
I hope the bag became a favourite of yoursI do have a confession that I did raise my voice in store, not to any SA but to my phone banking service that placed a double security block on my debit card when I was paying for my K25
My excuse was that I was on the phone for over 30 min trying to unblock my card, being told it was unblocked then having the transaction failed again. In the end I had to go into a nearby branch with my driving license to find out that my card was double blocked…
1 hour getting the bag and 1.5 hour trying to make payment
I met an Indonesian lady in the leather department about 3 years ago. I wasn't there to buy anything, just chatting with my SA who happened to be serving this lady (the H boutique is 2 floors down from my favourite bookstore, so I go to that neighbourhood quite often). She was drinking her second cup of green tea while waiting for her bank to clear her credit card payment. She said she was in town to see her gynae and her DH had told her to buy herself a present to celebrate her pregnancy. She dropped by H in the morning, saw a bag she liked but not enough to buy it, then went for her medical appointment. All the way through the check-up and lunch, she kept thinking about the bag. So she came back to buy it, only for a credit card snafu to happen. I ended up chatting with her while she waited. No idea what she bought, it was already wrapped and waiting at the cashier.
That’s an eye opener for me as well…
I’m not close friends with my SA. I see it as a business relationship with mutual respect and understanding.
I do have a confession that I did raise my voice in store, not to any SA but to my phone banking service that placed a double security block on my debit card when I was paying for my K25
My excuse was that I was on the phone for over 30 min trying to unblock my card, being told it was unblocked then having the transaction failed again. In the end I had to go into a nearby branch with my driving license to find out that my card was double blocked…
1 hour getting the bag and 1.5 hour trying to make payment
Happens very frequently. I don't know how many times I see a woman chatting with an SA holding a box while there are men walking around on a cell phone in the basement of Madison Ave. I've been the one pacing once and I can guarantee most are calls to banks to get past the security fraud detection.
I appreciate the service. Normally, my bank will text me to inform me that $X was charged to my card. Last week, I spent a few hundred dollars above my norm in a single payment, and the bank flagged the transaction, someone phoned me within 10 minutes, verified the transaction and verified my identity, then authorized the payment.
At my local boutique: A young female customer with a BIG pile of cash counting it at a table, like she was at a gambling den or something. I have also experienced another customer very openly taking pictures of me as I tried on scarves like it was a photo shoot. Lastly, two women very rudely demanded champagne, and asked repeatedly where it was. The SA kept assuring them it was on its way. I rarely go to the boutique and never stay long. The SAs are always very courteous, but the customers are something else.
That’s an eye opener for me as well…
I’m not close friends with my SA. I see it as a business relationship with mutual respect and understanding.
I do have a confession that I did raise my voice in store, not to any SA but to my phone banking service that placed a double security block on my debit card when I was paying for my K25
My excuse was that I was on the phone for over 30 min trying to unblock my card, being told it was unblocked then having the transaction failed again. In the end I had to go into a nearby branch with my driving license to find out that my card was double blocked…
1 hour getting the bag and 1.5 hour trying to make payment
Seems frustrating for you but it’s such a good layer of security to have. I wish my bank does the same for me. I’ve had my card compromised without any warning other than the time the bank felt suspicious because I had just purchased a cup of matcha in LA where I’m at, followed by a transaction in New York 30 minutes later by someone who went on a shopping spree at target for 20,000 dollars. Apparently “I” went shopping for tv’s, washers, and dryers lol if the thief were just smart enough to have shopped at LA the bank wouldn’t have cared and I wouldn’t have known.
back on the overheard topic, I was in the Hermès store yesterday and overheard this woman talking to her son kneeling in front of him while he sat on the couch by the shoe section saying:
“It’s mommy’s fun time okay? It wouldn’t take long I promise but you have to be patient. I had to endure Aunt Victoria for your 2 hour play date with Sabrina and I didn’t make a scene. Can you do this for mommy?”
Victoria must be horrible for someone to need retail therapy after lol
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That's interesting. I'm the opposite with my Madison SA. We always start by chatting/catching up, and probably spend at least half of my appointment time doing so, then I scramble to shop when I realize how much time we've taken!
Saw some crazy people at Madison today....waiting at checkout one gentleman kept asking all these questions, like whether Hermès was going to sell his personal information.
He was completely rude to the SA. But it was brisk and busy there. Saw another man purchasing a large shopping bag's worth of scarves and a super-stylish tall man with a C18 worn short crossbody (was awesome on him!).The best part was running into a friend in the parking garage. She lives down the block from me and we never see each other. We decided that it was a sign!
It’s all very good until it takes an hour to pay for a bag/ some RTW every time I shop…
No notice just decline…
Then there’s no direct line to the fraud prevention team for efficient ID verification so you have to go through phone banking waiting for 30+ min then getting transferred between departments verifying details after details…
Then on Tuesday after all that my card still declined because there was a second, even higher level block that the first person didn’t remove…(I had already been transferred from general fraud prevention to high level fraud prevention…)
In the end I dragged my 8 year old who was already close to breaking point to a near by branch in person to have this block removed…♀️
Very frustrating! Is there a way to notify the bank in advance ? (Like i know ppl sometimes notify cc or bank in advance of travel so things don't get declined)
Isn't it awful, so embarrassing.
This story qualifies, but more because other could hear me - and I was whispering.
It was hard to find a quiet corner at NBS. My bank really didn't want me to buy my GP. They kept telling me my card should work now (a-ha
). It didn't 
. I kept having to call them again, and again. They asked me more questions about what I was buying and where and how much and what else I had bought there than DH ever did.I remember speaking to my bank about it the first time it declined… they said they can’t do it as it’s automatically flagged and blocked
that truly is frustrating I’m sure! I would bank with another company if that keeps on happening.
I think banks do this to avoid their out of pocket reimbursements for fraud. One friend told me that it took her months and months of proving to her bank that her card was compromised before they reimbursed the compromised amount which was a pretty good amount. Everyone must be careful, it’s such a sad phenomenon that keeps on happening everywhere.