Hermes etiquette 101 - "greasing the wheels"?

A

Addict's Hubby

Member
Nov 13, 2007
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#1
Hello! I'm still looking for my wife's first Birkin, (now narrowed down to a Thalassa, sapphire, or blue jean 35cm in some form of non-reptile skin... I'm slowly learning!;)) and have unsuccessfully visited a few stores in my quest. The SA's seemed earnest and helpful, but... I was just wondering if it is encouraged, accepted, tacky, or just plain illegal to tip the SA a few hundred dollars to, um, make the process a little smoother? I suppose it might set a bad precedence and lead to uncomfortable situations with the SA and other customers. Some of the very helpful PF members also suggested buying some other items over time to establish a relationship with the SA, but my travel time over this year will be extremely restricted, and I don't know if this will be a reasonable option. I would greatly appreciate some lessons in the finer aspects of Hermes/Birkin etiquette!
 
#4
Addict's Hubby said:
Hello! I'm still looking for my wife's first Birkin, (now narrowed down to a Thalassa, sapphire, or blue jean 35cm in some form of non-reptile skin... I'm slowly learning!;)) and have unsuccessfully visited a few stores in my quest. The SA's seemed earnest and helpful, but... I was just wondering if it is encouraged, accepted, tacky, or just plain illegal to tip the SA a few hundred dollars to, um, make the process a little smoother? I suppose it might set a bad precedence and lead to uncomfortable situations with the SA and other customers. Some of the very helpful PF members also suggested buying some other items over time to establish a relationship with the SA, but my travel time over this year will be extremely restricted, and I don't know if this will be a reasonable option. I would greatly appreciate some lessons in the finer aspects of Hermes/Birkin etiquette!
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It is not acceptable to grease their palms. In fact, I know some SAs who would alert their store manager of such a suggestion.

Christmas is around the corner, bigger stores might have 1 or 2 sitting on the shelves, but might not be the size/color of your choice.
 
#5
Sus said:
SAs at my store are only allowed to accept small gifts or a gift of food to the whole store.
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Yes. Anything more that is out of the ordinary may appear to be an unsavory bribe.

[edit] What's more, if done, it will only likely prove to work against you in the future.
 
#6
Buy a scarf, cashmere/silk wrap, tie or wallet for X-Mas and tell the SA you really would love to get your wife the Birkin for her upcoming birthday. SA will get you the bag. No need to "grease".
 
#7
Sigh, my DH just told me: 'Look, he's just trying to get his wife a bag, float him a bone.'

My suggestion:
As you obviously don't mind paying a premium, try a reseller, the girls here are very knowledgeable and will be able to tell you if the reseller is a go or no go, I think we might even have threads that identify the good ones and the ones to avoid.

Good Luck!
 
#8
Many thanks for the help! I certainly don't want to do anything unsavory to secure the bag, I'm just interested in learning about how this works (I'm still amazed that Hermes is able to have us wait in line to pay $8,000+. It's genius, really.) I think my wife would really enjoy the whole "ceremony" of going to an Hermes boutique and picking up her new Birkin herself, but if that proves impossible, I will certainly go with a reseller. Thanks again!
 
#9
Take her to Paris for her birthday! You can probably get her one there - or just haunt the stores. They do pop up on the shelves more these days. or try the reseller route - some do not charge an arm and a leg on top of retail...just an arm LOL
 
#10
^^ That's a great idea! If you can squeeze it into your schedule, taking a trip to Paris and birkin shopping would make the present even more special (and may even end up less costly than going through a reseller). The ambience of Hermes shopping in Paris can be a great experience, especially for a first birkin.

Good luck!
 
#11
Paris would be a perfect option, but my schedule doesn't really allow non-work related travel for the next year or so... the Chicago and Southern California stores are probably the only ones I'll be able to visit more than a couple times this year. Too bad... my french definitely needs work! :smile:
 
#12
I would definitely buy a few accessories. Once you've been in the store and they have your info and a copy of your credit card, they'll ship to you. So, I recommend ordering a few things to establish that you're a "customer" not just looking for one bag.
 
#13
Kallie Girl said:
I would definitely buy a few accessories. Once you've been in the store and they have your info and a copy of your credit card, they'll ship to you. So, I recommend ordering a few things to establish that you're a "customer" not just looking for one bag.
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I definitely will. I hate to admit it, but I'm becoming more and more fascinated by the whole Hermes brand. I just read their Vanity Fair article, and was impressed by the level of care and craftsmanship that goes into each piece they produce. It makes me feel much better that I'm paying for an object of very high quality requiring highly skilled artisans rather than some over-hyped designer piece of plastic. I might even pick a little something up for myself, as well :shame:
 
#15
Addict's Hubby said:
I definitely will. I hate to admit it, but I'm becoming more and more fascinated by the whole Hermes brand. I just read their Vanity Fair article, and was impressed by the level of care and craftsmanship that goes into each piece they produce. It makes me feel much better that I'm paying for an object of very high quality requiring highly skilled artisans rather than some over-hyped designer piece of plastic. I might even pick a little something up for myself, as well :shame:
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Oh I LIKE this guy!! :heart: You sound like the ideal H client, with a sincere appreciation for quality over faddishness.

BTW some stores will ship once they have an imprint of your credit card, but many will not. Just wanted to clarify that because it seems kind of random as to which ones will and which ones won't.
 
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