Hermès New York City Stores

[acrowcounted]

Just wondering, how do you think my Madison SA would find out? He’s a busy guy with lots of clients. Do we really think he has nothing better to do but to look up my profile and read the notes?

Also, are you sure I’d be penalized for shopping at another store? Kinda crazy to believe in this day and age when people travel a lot and live in multiple cities. Are we saying that everyone sticks to one store? Maybe I’m being naive.

My Madison SA told me many times if I see something online I like that I should grab it because the Madison inventory is so low. So he’s ok with me shopping online for better inventory but not at another store? Ugh it’s just so confusing to me!

Hermes works on single store loyalty. Every store is its own little kingdom with sales goals from corporate and they are all competing with one another to be the top selling store. If your priority is to be a valued client in order to receive offers for coveted items and bags, it’s important to show your store and SA loyalty. In other words, I helped you build your sales numbers now you help me by providing the items I want to buy. If a store/SA sees that you are willing to shop “with a competitor“ to get items there is less motivation for them to make you a priority over other clients who are strictly loyal. It’s still possible to be successful but imho the risk is not worth the limited reward. The online store is also technically a separate store (and for 2022 was the top selling “individual Hermes store”) and while SAs sometimes say “if you see something, grab it” I would caution that it’s still a risk.

As for the notes on your profile, the next time he pulls up your info, whether to confirm an appointment for you or to nominate you for approval of a bag offer, he will see the notes and wonder what happened. Last year I went in a store on vacation and tried on a pair of sandals that my store didn’t have to see if I liked them enough to order them through my home SA. I did like them and mentioned to the vacation SA that they were nice but I’d have to think about. Unbeknownst to me, that SA noted it on my profile and a week later I got a call from my home SA saying “hmmm I see you ordered the xyz sandals in vacation town? I can get those for you if you just tell me you want them…”

As for St Barts, currently profiles are unique to a country so I don’t believe your USA profile will be visible to St Barts and vice Versa.

 

[Bagzzonly]

This is so reassuring and exactly what I needed to hear

Time will only tell; please do report back, if and when you get quota bag(s) from either store

 

[jimmyshoogirl]

So how this plays out is that my Madison SA eventually offers me a bag, goes to check me out, and at that point sees that I spoke to someone else (which could have been months or years ago) and then would rescind the bag offer while I’m hypothetically buying it? Just seems so far fetched. If I’m on vacation in Courchevel or St. Barts am I not allowed to walk into those stores anymore?

I don’t have the answer you are looking for. I was commenting on the bolded and how it’s easy to see and is not far fetched. At the end of the day shop how you want to shop. No one here will be able to exactly tell you how this will play out (as youve seen you’ve gotten different *opinions*). Comparing the US stores, in competition, around the corner from each other to stores in other countries (which is why I gave Paris as an example earlier) is not the same. Most of us around here travel to other countries and shop. Good luck.

 

[Daydrmer]

I don’t have the answer you are looking for. I was commenting on the bolded and how it’s easy to see and is not far fetched. At the end of the day shop how you want to shop. No one here will be able to exactly tell you how this will play out (as youve seen you’ve gotten different *opinions*). Comparing the US stores, in competition, around the corner from each other to stores in other countries (which is why I gave Paris as an example earlier) is not the same. Most of us around here travel to other countries and shop. Good luck.

This. It's one thing to shop at other boutiques when youre traveling but to shop at another boutique in your home city is a different story. As stated above different people, and their experiences, will offer different opinions on the matter.

And as someone pointed out in a recent post elsewhere, those with significant spending potential play by different rules. I think you should keep that into consideration when taking in advice given to you here.

 

[jbeans]

So how this plays out is that my Madison SA eventually offers me a bag, goes to check me out, and at that point sees that I spoke to someone else (which could have been months or years ago) and then would rescind the bag offer while I’m hypothetically buying it? Just seems so far fetched. If I’m on vacation in Courchevel or St. Barts am I not allowed to walk into those stores anymore?

Check-out definitely will not be the next time your profile is looked at. As soon as your Madison SA considers you for a bag, he will pull up your profile to see your history, confirm your desired specs, or whatever else he wants to remind himself of. Assuming he's ok with it and wants to go ahead with your offer, the SM will get another look at your profile for the final approval.

Of course you're allowed to shop anywhere you want, all we're saying is that if you're focused on QBs it helps immensely to show store loyalty. There are always exceptions for different circumstances, like if you already have a very high spend at your home store then it's likely your SA and SM will overlook spending you've made elsewhere.

 

[jimmyshoogirl]

This. It's one thing to shop at other boutiques when youre traveling but to shop at another boutique in your home city is a different story. As stated above different people, and their experiences, will offer different opinions on the matter.

And as someone pointed out in a recent post elsewhere, those with significant spending potential play by different rules. I think you should keep that into consideration when taking in advice given to you here.

And let’s not forget longtime purchasing history! These two things are almost always forgotten for some reason lol

 

[bb28]

Check-out definitely will not be the next time your profile is looked at. As soon as your Madison SA considers you for a bag, he will pull up your profile to see your history, confirm your desired specs, or whatever else he wants to remind himself of. Assuming he's ok with it and wants to go ahead with your offer, the SM will get another look at your profile for the final approval.

Of course you're allowed to shop anywhere you want, all we're saying is that if you're focused on QBs it helps immensely to show store loyalty. There are always exceptions for different circumstances, like if you already have a very high spend at your home store then it's likely your SA and SM will overlook spending you've made elsewhere.

So I suppose I can continue to follow up with both SAs from time to time regarding my requested bags…and hopefully the fact that I requested a bag in two stores doesn’t hurt me (I haven’t spent money with the new SA yet) but when does it come time to shop for something I will have to pick the SA who I want to continue my future with. That’ll be a difficult choice :/

 

[880]

the the SA says of course, as long as I want to shop with him instead of shopping with my Madison SA.

The meatpacking SA actually told you how to do this. He did tell you directly to shop with him instead of

k my Madison SA would find out? He’s a busy guy with lots of clients. Do we really think he has nothing better to do but to

The manager may have to look at profiles to determine whose client gets bags. When that happens, it’s likely that other bag requests will pop up bc otherwise clients would hop from store to store to maximize their chances. At the end of the day, generally the coveted bags go to solid clients. It’s not entirely up to the SA. By the way, it also makes a difference if your SA is in Leather.

Because their end motivation is to succeed at their job, meet their sales goals, and earn commission and bonuses to put food on the table. Sure, having happy fulfilled customers is a nice extra feel good bonus but at the expense of my paycheck when I’m working a high stress job?

I find it helpful to follow @acrowcounted advice in general, but YMMV. I do think it is better to err on the side of caution post Covid, when demand skyrocketed and supply is still a bit low. Certainly for clients of longer standing, like @QuelleFromage, who has already established relationships, the rules might be somewhat different. My own madison SA doesn’t mind that I shop two time yearly with my FSH SA. But my local spend is relativsly healthy. This is of course JMO

Of course you're allowed to shop anywhere you want, all we're saying is that if you're focused on QBs it helps immensely to show store loyalty. There are always exceptions for different circumstances, like if you already have a very high spend at your home store then it's likely your SA and SM will overlook spending you've made elsewhere.

totally agree with this

So I suppose I can continue to follow up with both SAs from time to time regarding my requested bags…and hopefully the fact that I requested a bag in two stores doesn’t hurt me (I haven’t spent money with the new SA yet) but when does it come time to shop for something I will have to pick the SA

I might try this only if my spend was so healthy that I could support two stores in one location. But honestly, it would still hurt the feelings of my Madison SA, even if one location had a leather sofa that the other could not get. (If that were the case, my madison SA would offer to travel to that location to close a six figure sale, and yes this is currently done for RTW and other things smaller than a sofa).

In 2009, I shopped both Madison and Wallstreet. Madison bc it was local. wall St bc it was friendly. I ended up getting an offer at Wall st Bc I ended up shopping more at the friendlier location. if your main focus is QB, throw your main spend where you would like your offer to come from. Personally, I ended up at Wall st. Years ago, bc I enjoyed my SA there more. When she left, I stopped shopping the boutique. It was no longer fun. Years later, I restarted at Madison bc I clicked with an SA via a kind referral. Last year, I accepted one offer 25B sellier gold from Madison (but I received other madison offers for 30B). I got this offer in between two QBs at FSH (25K and 28K quadrille) even though many members told me that the global quota would not allow for more than 2 total. So exceptions do happen, but it’s best not to count on them.

IMO You’ve received advice as to what is commonly considered best practice in the US as well as anecdotal advice that may suggest otherwise. My Madison SA will make world searches; do transfers; order stuff for me online and send pay links, but I’ve heard otherwise from other members. I think it unlikely that you will get a QB from each local store in close proximity, and unlikely unless you can demonstrate via dollar amount and frequency that you are a staunch client. I would be very interested to hear otherwise though

Good luck

ETA: I wish very much that I had the good fortune and experience of @QuelleFromage in my H shopping excursions But, I accept that clients of long tenure who have cultivated solid relationships (that I have not) will get better offers. I think it’s also important to just be happy for others, but accept ones own situation may be very different lol

ETA: my SA has told me to ask him for whatever I need, saying he can transfer it in or order it for me on line
but this may vary depending on the SA and how much of a time drain this is.

 

[Gal4Dior]

This is so reassuring and exactly what I needed to hear

I would also not overthink this. Shop with whatever SA treats you well. If your Madison SA has not been putting you as a priority, find another SA that will. Yes, Hermes is a game, but you choose how much you want to invest in the game. It should not be that hard to spend your money. If you're an easy customer and polite to your SAs, there should be no reason why they won't want to help you.

 

[jimmyshoogirl]

I would also not overthink this. Shop with whatever SA treats you well. If your Madison SA has not been putting you as a priority, find another SA that will. Yes, Hermes is a game, but you choose how much you want to invest in the game. It should not be that hard to spend your money. If you're an easy customer and polite to your SAs, there should be no reason why they won't want to help you.

This is so important! Operative words being “with whatever SA” not both and expecting bags from both. Otherwise we’d all be doing this lol.

 

[momasaurus]

Because their end motivation is to succeed at their job, meet their sales goals, and earn commission and bonuses to put food on the table. Sure, having happy fulfilled customers is a nice extra feel good bonus but at the expense of my paycheck when I’m working a high stress job? Probably not.

I know. Sigh. It just makes me sad. Who makes it a high-stress job? Corporate? Demanding customers? Both, I guess.

 

[880]

I know. Sigh. It just makes me sad. Who makes it a high-stress job? Corporate? Demanding customers? Both, I guess.

Corporate. The SAs are squeezed by high sales goals; reduced stock; and increased competition. I think someone posted in LV subforum once that an SA had to make X amount in sales per shift to make her goals. The bags have become the reward to loyal clients

My SA at another premier designer put it this way: given all of the above, I cannot afford to exert myself to satisfy a client who isn’t exclusive. They cannot sell it to the SM. It’s not just Hermes

 

[bluekitty0914]

My SA in madison got promoted last Sept right before new store was opened, and she assigned another SA to help me out. But ever since then, the new SA never replied back to me, I asked for jacket, shoes, no responds. I also asked to make appointment with her, still no responds. But the messages showed as "Read". So what should I do now? I'm still waiting for my special order which submitted in 2021.

 

[Daydrmer]

My SA in madison got promoted last Sept right before new store was opened, and she assigned another SA to help me out. But ever since then, the new SA never replied back to me, I asked for jacket, shoes, no responds. I also asked to make appointment with her, still no responds. But the messages showed as "Read". So what should I do now? I'm still waiting for my special order which submitted in 2021.

Tell your old SA the person you were assigned to appears to have their hands full with their current clients and ask for another referral. Ask for someone who isn't as client heavy, who can get back to you when you inquire about items. I believe Madison hired new SA's for the reopening. Maybe your SA can suggest one of them.

I know people are wary of new SA's but I think since your spend is already at Madison working with someone new wouldn't hurt.

 

[excalibur]

It's this stuff that really irks me. We are trying to buy expensive stuff. Why should we also be mastermind psychologists? It's like dealing with toddlers. Why can't H salespeople play nicely together?

I agree! Most SAs working at H are full of attitude and think they’re superior. Annoying right?!