Chanel and Hermes prioritize clients who visit the store in person to shop. The new, more restrictive bag policies demonstrate a lack of care towards longtime bag clients, especially those who may also use multiple SAs and/or boutique locations. The large premier luxury brands seem more likely to cultivate those clients who also purchase FJ or RTW in one location. Especially after Covid SIP, when the profits from luxury branded goods sky rocketed, these luxury houses have reimagined what they would like their ideal client to be.
An SA should not say that a client is too picky. However, that SA may also realize that the chances of such a client finding an acceptable bag is extremely low. I also believe that it will become harder to find bags with matching leather panels bc these bags are made by assembly line. So the front, back, and side panels are unlikely to come from the same hide. Due to enormous sales goals the SA is required to meet, they have to monetize their time and effort. Processing a return is lost time, and it may also make it less likely that they will be able to sell that particular bag to another. Another TPFer (a different thread, months ago) spoke of the disdain she felt when she asked an SA for a specific bag seen on social media. Her experience also reinforces my belief that the SAs are pushed to sell what is on the floor. None of this is right or fair, but it seems to be the direction of luxury big business today.