I have seen a SA behave cold ONCE. Story time!
I have a former friend that lives above her means and spent months consigning shoes and clothes to save for her first Chanel purchase. We used to be shopping friends, we would take an entire afternoon, drive to the city for shopping and lunch.
One afternoon we visited a boutique and I think she tried on every pair of shoes they had. Our patient, accommodating SA spent an hour with her answering questions, finding the perfect size, etc.
She left without buying a thing. She said she expected the shoes to be more comfortable for the price...
A few months later we went to a different boutique and she again planned to purchase a small piece. She decided on a gorgeous wallet and again the SA was very professional, friendly and SO patient with all of the questions she had.
A few months later, with daily use and minimal care, the corners of the wallet had started to dull - minimal, normal wear and tear.
Another six months had passed and we were nearby for lunch (we’re talking almost a year with the wallet) so she asked if we could pop into the boutique because she was disappointed and wanted to show them the issues. I agreed and pretended to browse because I wasnt sure I wanted to be involved but was tired of hearing about it and wanted to put the issue to rest. The SAs who had gathered to hear her story said the same thing I had, if you toss it into your bag a few times a day every day it will show wear. SA told her that most of her clients avoid this issue by having several wallets of different sizes/utilities. Friend found this answer offensive and started to get loud. She made it plain that she would not be happy unless she walked out of there with a brand new wallet.
The SA looked directly at her and said, “Ma’am when you buy a wallet at Chanel you are paying for the privilege of carrying something beautiful not something indestructible”. We left, she was furious and claimed she felt robbed.
I was happy SA didn't give in. Friend travels for work and tried this nonsense at every Chanel boutique she could find until someone took pity on her and sent it to be repaired for free, as you may have guessed, she was not happy with the repair.
After that, seeing a Chanel became a triggering event and she would make comments about how the brand is overrated, their sales people are rude, their quality is low - there are some people who set their expectations so high that they simply cannot be met.
I usually buy an item to use it, so I do expect wear but durability, I recently had my
Prada Saraffino wallet nicked, that lasted me what? 18 years and yes, the corners did show light signs of wear, but again, using it for close to 2 decades several times a day, carrying it in the backpocket of my jeans or tossing it into a handbag, any other wallet would have disintegrated. I the darned pick pocket wouldn't have nicked it, I am sure I would have used it another 18 years, with some signs of wear, but that is patina.
If I buy silk evening shoes or a silk gown, I don't go hiking with them, if I do not want an item to show signs of use, I do not use it a lot...
I am not rich by Bill Gates or movie star measures, but I am doing OK, I work hard for my money and like certain things that are beautiful, as a principle, I never buy anything that would have me devastated if it gets damaged or stolen or where the purchase would get me into debt, it's just being a responsible adult and living within your means.
I could name you about 100 things I like and possibly could afford but I might not get the use out of it that justifies the price tag, so I admire them, there is no need to ***** about the price tag, a label has the right to ask for the price they want and I have the right to pay or not pay that price.
It has happened quite often that at one point a SA showed me a stunning item, but the price was just not for me, so I was upfront about it with "I am sure it is worth it, it is just not worth for me for the use I get out of it, mind if you show me something closer to my budget?" And none of them were snotty about it, they always appreciated that I didn't waste their time by looking at the super high end without planning to purchase.