**Hermes Chat**

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My wife wants a Birkin, and it’s all she’s been talking about…

So here’s the deal: my wife Jess has been going on about this Hermès Birkin bag she’s absolutely fallen in love with. She’s shown me every color, every size, the whole story behind it. I get that the Birkin is more than a bag—it’s a statement, something she’s been dreaming about for years. But it’s not just about the purse; it’s a symbol of the life she really wants, the life we’re both working hard to build.

Things have been a little rough for us financially. Groceries, gas, and bills seem to keep piling up, and my job is demanding but doesn’t really cover everything we’d like. We’ve had some long nights talking about what we’re missing and what we want. I know that Birkin means a lot to her; she deserves a win, something to feel proud of. But I’m also worried it’s not realistic right now.

Last Friday, we went out to one of our usual bars, trying to unwind, and Jess was a little more down than usual. She drank a bit, laughed, danced, then got quiet on the way home, telling me she worries we’ll never get where we want to be. I know she’s carrying more than she lets on. I told her she’s more than enough, but I feel like it’s going to take more than words to help her feel secure.

Any advice on how to make her feel appreciated or supported when we can’t swing her dream bag right now? Or has anyone found other ways to show their partner they’re enough, even when life feels like a constant uphill climb?
I too wanted a Birkin since my 20's, which was decades ago. My husband heard all about the Birkin....history, value, appreciation etc. We too were certainly not in a position for me to spend that kind of $ as we were raising our family, saving and buying a larger homes. However, the Birkin was always my grail. I was lucky in that this was a time without social media. That truly drives quite a bit of feeling like you are falling behind and/or missing out, IMO. I agree with above members saying to stay off social media. You are at a time in your lives where paying off monthly debt and living within your means will pay bigger dividends in the present and down the road, than acquiring luxury goods. What about setting up an account where a predetermined amount that you can afford can be set aside for the eventual Birkin purchase? That way your wife sees that you are working toward acquiring the bag but you aren't endangering your financial situation by buying something out of your means currently? I will say, in 99.9% of the cases you have to establish a relationship with an SA at your local Hermes store and then spend quite a bit to be offered a Birkin. You can also go the reseller route, but that will be much more than retail. The current Birkin price is only part of the actual cost when you add in establishing "a relationship" or purchasing from a reseller. Ultimately, the most important thing you can do is reassure your wife of how much you love and appreciate her. No bag can equal that. Good luck in your future.
 
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A storm in a teacup in Hermes Zürich. A star chef was upset he was made to wait at H ZH. And he wasn’t happy he had to give his name for the queue.

English version:

https://www.bluewin.ch/en/entertain...served-in-zurich-luxury-boutique-2400934.html

A German version that has the screen shot of the letter from H. 🤓

https://www.bluewin.ch/de/leben/lif...tandardentschuldigung-abgespeist-2402237.html

ETA: news, even gossip and lifestyle, can be slow in this part of the world.

It’s quite interesting. Unfortunately what he thinks is poor customer service is actually what makes Hermes.
(Not being able to get what you want when you want it).

Now I’m starting to wonder if they do it on purpose (make you wait 20 min even though staff is waiting around seemingly doing nothing) to weed out impatient and quick to anger clients.
 
It’s quite interesting. Unfortunately what he thinks is poor customer service is actually what makes Hermes.
(Not being able to get what you want when you want it).

Now I’m starting to wonder if they do it on purpose (make you wait 20 min even though staff is waiting around seemingly doing nothing) to weed out impatient and quick to anger clients.
It is poor customer service.

"After I went into the Hermès store, I stood there for 10 or 15 minutes and was not served". Is that normal in any store?

I am always greeted when I walk in. I am able to let them know my intentions for the day. Just browsing, interested in an item, or a specific gift so I may be in and out quickly.

Even if the employees are busy, a simple acknowledgment (sorry, we're busy, would you like some water? it's a 20-minute wait, please browse) when you're about to spend $x,000+ on mass-produced items goes a long way. Clearly, this gentleman was ignored and offended enough he went to the media about it.

This was not a normal interaction at Hermes. Embarrassing. Even more embarrassing to turn your nose up at his experience. Why yes, I love being ignored before opening my wallet for a Birkin. Hehe its so common silly people don't understand Hermes.
 
Even more embarrassing to turn your nose up at his experience.

If you re read what I wrote, I meant what makes Hermes popular is the scarcity of their products.

And if you’re referring to my suggestion that they make people wait 10-20 min on purpose to weed out inpatient clients, does it seem unreasonable? Someone that can’t wait 10-15 min obviously can’t wait 4-6 months for a bag.

Also, just bc a sa is standing around not helping someone doesn’t mean they are free. They could be waiting for a clients appt that’s coming up in 10 min?

Honestly not bothered if I have to wait 10-15 min for someone to help me. If I’m busy I would have just left and shopped else where. If I wasn’t rushed, I don’t see the big deal. Def not enough to write a review about it.
 
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After I went into the Hermès store, I stood there for 10 or 15 minutes and was not served". Is that normal in any store?

I’ve been in Hermes stores where the ipad person was away and I had to wait until one was ready to take my name. Particularly for Zürich, it is not a big store in comparison to other flagships and it can get very busy. Not a big deal at all, considering the line after could take an hour or more.

I was once waiting in H ZH with a very entitled gentleman carrying a beautiful Berluti bag who was upset he had to wait to get service. All he wanted was a shawl his wife asked him to get. As I complimented his bag, he proceeded to tell me about his mistress in town, his wife at home and criticized men who were in the shop looking for bracelets. ZH has some very entitled and strange customers….

Not defending H and my experience is an anecdote, but reading this particular case, I feel it’s an exaggeration. My guess, he was upset to be asked his name (which is common to be in the queue). I wonder if he was upset because they didn’t recognize him.
 
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I do think this is poor client service (if there is no time for even a simple greeting)

However, I do think with H SAs there is a certain reticence to approach bc one does not always know if a person already has an SA or if they are a newcomer with unrealistic expectations re a bag
 
I expect an SA to be gracious and informative; I would like to feel welcomed upon entering the boutique, and informed about the process with enough detail to allow me to make a choice of whether to stay and wait for an SA to be free or choose to return another time. If I choose to wait, I would like an update on the expected time frame after waiting as requested. It’s a service business.
 
One thing I’ve observed most recently due to this being pointed out to me by another tpfr - if you ingratiate yourself to the brand and super brown nose with posting multiple reviews gushing over your SA and boutique and go into details about all your amazing quota bag offers with multiple photographs of yourself with your offers and of you beaming with joy on YELP, you may be more likely to get an offer. It seems to work even if you just post a five star review on Google and gush over your sa and boutique.

Edit: Of course you need to spend and these clients seem to hit the Rtw and jewelry categories with at least 2:1 for coveted offers but that brown nosing seems to get you extra brownie points.
Hi, responding in the Chat thread to not go off topic in the BKC thread... I actually posted about this before, but several months into shopping with my SA, he asked me if I would mind writing a Google review for him because apparently corporate looks at these and it factors into their annual performance reviews. Since I had received nothing but excellent service from him and we have a great working relationship, I was more than happy to do so! This was after I had already received my first QB from him as well, so this was not a quid pro quo kind of situation at all. I actually didn't say anything about the bag I had received, but wrote about his responsiveness, helpfulness, and knowledge about the brand as well as the inviting atmosphere of the boutique.

Interesting. I have a stupid question: how does Hermes follow this? Do you let your SA know you've posted a review?
Since my SA was the one who asked me if I would mind writing a review I texted him after it posted to let him know. I also don't use my full name on public sites so I wanted him to know. Also the SAs themselves check their own reviews because he was very upset and stressed out one time when someone write a nasty review about him that was not true. I felt terrible for him. By the way, I wonder if more companies are doing this because my Goyard SA who I have only worked with a couple times recently asked me to write him a Google review as well!

Hmmmm, well I am old and have posted on Yelp and Google glowing reviews because I have had consistently superlative experiences. Although I have posted pictures, my profiles do not reveal my full name, or any pictures of myself.
Totally agree with you! I have always received excellent service from my SA and have consistently had a good shopping experience with my SA, SM, and the store in general. They have always treated me with kindness, gone out of their way to source hard to find items I asked for, and thought of me for special events and pieces, so I have no problems telling the whole world about my experience. If my SA asked me to write a letter to the CEO I would do it because he deserves it! I know you feel the same way about your SA! :heart:
 
Hi, responding in the Chat thread to not go off topic in the BKC thread... I actually posted about this before, but several months into shopping with my SA, he asked me if I would mind writing a Google review for him because apparently corporate looks at these and it factors into their annual performance reviews. Since I had received nothing but excellent service from him and we have a great working relationship, I was more than happy to do so! This was after I had already received my first QB from him as well, so this was not a quid pro quo kind of situation at all. I actually didn't say anything about the bag I had received, but wrote about his responsiveness, helpfulness, and knowledge about the brand as well as the inviting atmosphere of the boutique.


Since my SA was the one who asked me if I would mind writing a review I texted him after it posted to let him know. I also don't use my full name on public sites so I wanted him to know. Also the SAs themselves check their own reviews because he was very upset and stressed out one time when someone write a nasty review about him that was not true. I felt terrible for him. By the way, I wonder if more companies are doing this because my Goyard SA who I have only worked with a couple times recently asked me to write him a Google review as well!


Totally agree with you! I have always received excellent service from my SA and have consistently had a good shopping experience with my SA, SM, and the store in general. They have always treated me with kindness, gone out of their way to source hard to find items I asked for, and thought of me for special events and pieces, so I have no problems telling the whole world about my experience. If my SA asked me to write a letter to the CEO I would do it because he deserves it! I know you feel the same way about your SA! :heart:
An SA that I met in Liat Singapore asked me to do the same. I think he was relatively well established as he was on a few buying trips to Paris on subsequent visits) i was happy to do it, but I’m not a regular client, just a couple of times a year when I visit family). I only buy a couple of pieces of RTW, and do not expect bags.

It means a lot to my Dior SA as well, and there is some kind of formula of reviews and how they factor into performance. Not sure they can get bonuses without a certain number of them
 
Hi all, today I heard something interesting about the date stamps and wanted to get your thoughts / see if anyone has heard similar:

Some time ago a friend received a k28 from the boutique. When she later checked the date stamp, it appeared that it corresponded to the stamp code for 3 years ago. When she asked her SA whether she was given an “old” bag, the SA said that for “seasonal colours” the date stamp does not necessarily denote the year of manufacture but might sometimes be the year the colour was introduced and the stamping methodology might depend on the habit of the craftsman.

Now this sounds like bs to me, but as it came from a SA, it would also be shocking if they blatantly misinform clients about a product and the manufacturing process.

I do know that bag offers sometimes carry dare stamps that are from a year ago because they withhold stock and engineer which client gets what and when, and that’s just how Hermes operates.

However three years seems pretty long for a k28 to be sitting around though!
 
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Now this sounds like bs to me, but as it came from a SA, it would also be shocking if they blatantly misinform clients about a product and the manufacturing process.
Would it really though? SAs have to lie to clients hundreds of times a day. I'm guessing eventually it gets pretty easy to just make up stuff and present it as fact.

Regardless, "old" year bags wouldn't be sitting around a store's back room for three years; rather they are held in Paris at the manufacturing/warehousing sites as corporate does whatever calculations they do to keep their financials where they want them. If they want to restrict bag sales, they will hold back bag deliveries by not shipping them to the stores and spin down future manufacturing. Eventually these bags get delivered and sold much later when the financials support doing so.
 
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