Does Hermes Practice Sexism?

[qtpik8]

I used to sell men's shoes at an upscale shop (think Bloomingdales), and it was one of the most coveted departments. Men are much easier to satisfy as clients. They don't want to be shopping so the time investment is lower, they don't return what they buy so your commission check is safe, and they don't know what they want when they walk through the door. Guys would come in to the store and say things like, "do you have any brown shoes? I'm told I need brown ones." And if I tried to upsell ("we also have these shoes, which will be good for summer..."), they'd be like, "yeah, good thinking, I won't have to come back."

Women are, on the whole, more thoughtful shoppers, holding out for what they want, wanting things to be perfect, wanting more options, wanting to inspect the thing, etc etc. I would be surprised if a guy checked the stitching before purchase.

 

[papertiger]

I've recently been reading some disturbing comments in the comment section of some YouTube videos about Hermes. Several women have complained that when they go into an Hermes boutique looking for a Kelly or Birkin, they're told no. But when they go in with their husbands or boyfriends, HE'S offered a bag. And it doesn't seem like it's done in one country over another. There are complaints from women in the United States, Canada and Europe. Have any TPFers had this experience?

Yes, not in my home store(s) but in others. same happens in most stores TBH. DH gets offered things

Unfortunately, the world is a sexist place. Even the SAs for menswear are less defensive

I believe this, and hear me out.

I am man. I got both of my Birkins, pretty quickly, exact color, size, hardware I asked for...very quickly. I don't spend nearly as much as MANY other clients, only 1/3 of the price of a B or K per year. My first birkin I got in less than 10 days after I asked my SA, not a gift, a birkin for myself only. Second birkin, I was offered the following year one month after requesting one, I did not tell my SA I would gift the second Birkin to my mother until AFTER they showed it to me in the room.

I do have a great relationship with my SA, but I do think sexism plays a role for sure.

You are very honest for saying so Yoshi.

I have been treated very well by my home store and cannot complain. I see a lot of sexism in retail, not exclusively in H but sadly, at times, there too. DH was offered a bag with no spending history (that I know of) I'm sure it's not H policy. I don't know which bag though because he couldn't remember LOL.

 

[880]

My husband doesn't drink. Not at all. But whenever we order a beer and a cola at a restaurant, he always gets served the beer and me the cola

Okay, I had to reply to this I don’t drink, but sadly I do not eat like a girl. DH is pretty disciplined bc for years he had to travel on business, so he gets salad and fish; doesn’t eat sugar; and doesn’t even really look at menus. The waiter brings him the prime rib And the dessert

 

[papertiger]

My husband doesn't drink. Not at all. But whenever we order a beer and a cola at a restaurant, he always gets served the beer and me the cola

Sorry I've gone off topic. But yes, sexism exists, even in something as simple as a man should have the beer and the woman the non-alcoholic beverage. Everything that @momoc has said is accurate. Outdated gender roles still exist in today's societies, and it will take a few more generations before these assumptions die out.

Off-topic but this illustrates prevailing attitudes. Same as DH and I have to swap coffees 90% of the time. I want the expresso with no sugar and he wants the cappuccino with the chocolate sprinkles.

The world is a far more conservative that social media would have us believe. Assumptions are everywhere and H is part of that world.

It goes the other way too, SAs are so disappointed my (male) friend just wants fragrance.

 

[880]

DH would probably say he didn’t see any sexism or deference to the male the times he had accompanied me to shop for luxury retail. the SAs just focus on the client it didn’t matter if it was Hermes, chanel, bottega, 3x1, Edward Greene, Turnbull and Asser, Turnbull, or the Armoury. in our experience, SAs don’t focus or presume who is paying the bill, they just focus on whoever the customer is.
The only time DH has had to go through a tiny bit of what female H customers go through is, recently. He originally thought he wanted a particular Lange & Sohne with a sport metal band called the odysseus ( he has a small, preciseply curated collection of rolex, Cartier, JLC, breguet, IWC, ikepod. The Lange sales manager explained very tactfully that unfortunately due to limited supply beyond her control, the odysseus model is limited for purchase to current Lange customers only and while he could see this particular watch, it was already reserved for a specific client of the house. We ddnt see this as a game, Since she detailed how many were made and how many were allocated, but rather just Langes rewarding loyal customers who are going to come back. (As it turned out he didn’t like the Odysseus IRL and prefers something he thought he would hate called the zeitwork. Since the zeiteork comes with and without a date, we have to go back again bf he decides) any luxury sales manager would be careful would similarly treat a customer of any gender.

 

[haute okole]

I used to sell men's shoes at an upscale shop (think Bloomingdales), and it was one of the most coveted departments. Men are much easier to satisfy as clients. They don't want to be shopping so the time investment is lower, they don't return what they buy so your commission check is safe, and they don't know what they want when they walk through the door. Guys would come in to the store and say things like, "do you have any brown shoes? I'm told I need brown ones." And if I tried to upsell ("we also have these shoes, which will be good for summer..."), they'd be like, "yeah, good thinking, I won't have to come back."

Women are, on the whole, more thoughtful shoppers, holding out for what they want, wanting things to be perfect, wanting more options, wanting to inspect the thing, etc etc. I would be surprised if a guy checked the stitching before purchase.

OMG! Your post brought back memories of the days that I worked retail in my college days in Hawaii. Working in the Mens department was SO EASY. Men describe what they want, I would bring something out based on their description and they would buy it. No try on, no looking it over for defects, just "I want 5 of those" and I would ring it up! With women, sometimes I would even have to try it on for them, model it, including a feather bikini! We were told, in no uncertain terms, that the customer is always right. If they wanted to return a used, stained smelly bathing suit, we would say, "Yes Ma'am, How would your like your return?" For those of us who can now afford an Hermes, please never forget, the person on the other side of the transaction could be your beloved daughter or you....should your fortunes change.... Hermes does not take returns, if your SA does not treat you like gold, move on and go to Beverly Hills, because based on my experience, they will treat you like gold, man, woman and child.

 

[lorihmatthews]

I think sexist attitudes exist in all areas, not just retail. The automotive industry is rampant. When I was in my 20s buying my first car the finance guy tried to rip me off big time. We had agreed on a rate prior to me signing the paperwork and he figured I wouldn't read the contract before signing it. He jacked up the interest rate on the contract. When I told him I wouldn't sign it he brought a second contract and it was lower but still wasn't the rate we agreed on. I told him if he didn't bring back the contract with the right rate the next time I'd go with another lender. He asked how long that would take, trying to insinuate that I couldn't buy the car if I went with another lender. Thankfully I had done my homework and I already had an approved loan for the same interest rate with my bank. Finally, he brought me a contract with the correct interest rate and I officially bought the car.

That evening I told my dad what had happened and he was LIVID. I didn't tell the dealer that it was an employee purchase. My dad was a marketing exec at the car company. He had a chat with the dealership the next day. My dad also told me that this kind of treatment is what gives car dealerships a bad name. So .... I can see a similarity due to the fact that I was a young woman at the time.

 

[tonkamama]

Lol... me too but I always get served with the smaller piece of the steak

Okay, I had to reply to this I don’t drink, but sadly I do not eat like a girl. DH is pretty disciplined bc for years he had to travel on business, so he gets salad and fish; doesn’t eat sugar; and doesn’t even really look at menus. The waiter brings him the prime rib And the dessert

 

[slyeee]

My experiences may be one-off. My fiance and I went to FSH with an appointment (after several attempts), the SA offered me a Lindy even though I told her the list of H bags I have and informed her that I was looking for a B or a K as an engagement gift (he proposed a week before the trip). I have heard that going with a family or bringing your significant other increases my chance, but I didn't score. On our last day, while he was back at the hotel packing, I went into George V (across the street from the hotel) by myself, close to closing hour, looking scrubby af with no makeup and in sweats to pick up few things and I was offered a B35.

At my local boutique, I have great relationship with my SA and I purchased B30 in end of Feb, right before the lock down (SIP). My fiance prefers Nike store than H, he's gone into the store before by himself to browse for a present for me and gets ignored. He dresses casual with jeans and Nike's, he says he is not into "fancy" stuff, which is totally fine, except he can probably sell his watch for at least two Bs.

I do think that there is sexism going on, I also think there is age, race, dress code/appearance bias too. It makes me sad that he doesn't enjoy H as much as I do, I hope my SA can change his mind.

 

[dooneybaby]

My experiences may be one-off. My fiance and I went to FSH with an appointment (after several attempts), the SA offered me a Lindy even though I told her the list of H bags I have and informed her that I was looking for a B or a K as an engagement gift (he proposed a week before the trip). I have heard that going with a family or bringing your significant other increases my chance, but I didn't score. On our last day, while he was back at the hotel packing, I went into George V (across the street from the hotel) by myself, close to closing hour, looking scrubby af with no makeup and in sweats to pick up few things and I was offered a B35.

At my local boutique, I have great relationship with my SA and I purchased B30 in end of Feb, right before the lock down (SIP). My fiance prefers Nike store than H, he's gone into the store before by himself to browse for a present for me and gets ignored. He dresses casual with jeans and Nike's, he says he is not into "fancy" stuff, which is totally fine, except he can probably sell his watch for at least two Bs.

I do think that there is sexism going on, I also think there is age, race, dress code/appearance bias too. It makes me sad that he doesn't enjoy H as much as I do, I hope my SA can change his mind.

I will say that the first couple of times I walked into an Hermes boutique and wasn't wearing or carrying any Hermes, I was completely ignored. Now when I walk in an unfamiliar store, but have an H bag, shoes, belt or a scarf on, it's all smiles.

 

[lorihmatthews]

I will say that the first couple of times I walked into an Hermes boutique and wasn't wearing or carrying any Hermes, I was completely ignored. Now when I walk in an unfamiliar store, but have an H bag, shoes, belt or a scarf on, it's all smiles.

This I believe. Although I think more people are familiar with the name now due to media, many may not realize the high price points. If you already have some items you're aware of what your budget would need to be. So the SA knows they won't be wasting their time showing you things you won't buy because of price.

 

[Tonimichelle]

Lol... me too but I always get served with the smaller piece of the steak

Me too! I’m small but I eat loads.. drives me nuts!!

 

[sooyang]

It is probably beneficial to give the quota bags to men because they will probably buy men’s items which are harder to sell than women’s. And if he has a significant other, it means that he is ok with his partner spending at Hermes. On the other hand, many husbands would not be 100% thrilled to see his wife spend money on Hermes goods and they will never wear anything from Hermes.

 

[880]

Lol... me too but I always get served with the smaller piece of the steak

This THIS is discrimination!

 

[880]

On the other hand, many husbands would not be 100% thrilled to see his wife spend money on Hermes goods and they will never wear anything from Hermes.

Sooyang, respectfully disagree My DH would rather I spend in the boutique than buy from a reseller (I think he thinks I would buy less . DH has tried to buy RTW and shoes but he’s a bit hard to fit, so we’ve gone elsewhere for him. (Edward Green for shoes and various for the other)