Hermès New York City Stores

[Bdbunny]

If I wanted to make a purchase, am I able to use my mom's profile?

From what my SAs have told me, the credit card has to match the name on the profile... unless the other person is standing right there and paying for you. So I would say the answer to this question would be no, unless your mom is there with you. Also I saw this weird interaction at Madison a little while ago. An older couple was checking out along with their adult daughter. I was also checking out at the same time and we were standing a foot apart from each other so I couldn't help but overhear/see. The dad swiped his card for over $50,000. Then the daughter went to check out her items under her profile, with her parents standing right there. The cashier asked to see her ID, not once but twice!! It was so odd and I don't really understand why. I'm assuming the cashier wanted to make sure the cc matched the ID matched the profile, but I've never been asked to show ID before and it just seemed really odd. Like this is Hermes, not TSA.

is it possible for SAs to merge his account with my mom's?

I would say the answer to this would be no. And why would you want to merge? I don't think it would make a difference.

should I just grow a pair and commit to Madison or would it be better for me to try Wall St/Meatpacking first?

I believe previous advice given has been to check out each one. Make small purchases and see how you feel about the vibe of each boutique. I have shopped at both MP and Madison. MP has a reputation for being friendly, and it is a more intimate store, less intimidating. However, I think Madison is friendly too. Honestly, I haven't had a negative experience at either location, and Madison is gorgeous and has the best stock.

Ah... just saw @acrowcounted 's post. Agree!

 

[bkdreaming]

@Crapples @acrowcounted @Bdbunny thank you all so much for the advice and insight! Much appreciated

 

[Amateurcouchpotato]

The cashier asked to see her ID, not once but twice!! It was so odd and I don't really understand why.

I think I may have that happened once when the order was over a certain amount. They wanted to make sure the credit card belongs to the payer and matches the name on profile. There are so many stolen credit cards going around and I assume the store doesn't want any chargebacks after merchandise has been sold. It was a problem for Lady M this year.

 

[QuelleFromage]

Hi all- I'm looking to restart me and mom's Hermes journey and would appreciate any advice or insight on how to best approach.

For background: I used to live in Chicago and just moved to NYC this year. When my mom would visit me in Chicago, we would go to the boutique there and she was fortunate enough to be offered/purchase a few quota and non-quota bags through the SA we worked with. Later on, my mom was offered a Birkin by the same SA and when she apologetically turned it down (it wasn't exactly the color she was looking for), he completely ghosted her and stopped responding to all of her texts and emails, which left her feeling super discouraged. Fast forward a year or two later, my mom visits me in Chicago again (her last visit before I moved to NYC) and we ended up working with a different SA to purchase some shoes and a Toile backpack. So all in all, we have a spend history but it's pretty spread out over the course of 3-5 years because all our spend would happen when she would fly in from out of town.

Now that I'm in NYC and only a few hours away from my mom by train, I've been getting the itch to start my Hermes journey here, but have a few questions:

- If I wanted to make a purchase, am I able to use my mom's profile? Although most of my mom's spend has been for herself, some purchases were for me and she wanted to put everything under her profile so I didn't have to start my own/build my spend from the ground up (yes, I realize I am very lucky in this regard 😅)
- At our last Chicago visit, my mom pre-ordered an Avalon blanket for my me and my husband- it was supposed to be linked to my mom's account but when my husband went to pick it up, they inadvertently put it under his name. Since he has no spend, is it possible for SAs to merge his account with my mom's?
- I know that Madison Ave has a much bigger stock than Wall St or Meatpacking since it's a maison, but I'm honestly a bit intimidated going in there, especially since I'm a peasant compared to the people who regularly shop at Madison... should I just grow a pair and commit to Madison or would it be better for me to try Wall St/Meatpacking first? And would it be stupid of me to try and find an SA this month when the boutiques are busy with holiday shoppers? My hope is to find an SA that I connect with and hopefully set up an appointment next month when my mom comes into town.

Any help or insight is greatly appreciated!!

If you are still a teenager, you can purchase under a parent's account, although she would need to come in with you at least once to make that happen. Otherwise, you would need her with you every time. (H btw doesn't check age on this in my experience, it's just kind of an understood family dynamic.)

The only times you can purchase as an adult under someone else's account without their presence, in my experience:
- You can use your spouse's account IF the SA knows both of you and allows it. All my SAs allow me and DH to mix and match which profile we use - but they know us very well. FWIW this is outside NYC (and outside the US) as well.
- You can use a corporate account if you have one and are an authorized user.
- You are an assistant shopping for your boss and it's been prearranged that you can do this. My assistant has shopped for me especially at the holidays.

My rec for NYC is to try all the stores until you find someone you want to work with. Oh, and don't worry about where one blanket went!

Edited because apparently the original phrase I used for "purchase under" is banned?! No idea LOL.

 

[Projectwork]

Help! SA got promoted, so happy for them but also sad that they won't be able to help me out at the store anymore. Was thinking to gift them something for their promotion. Would that be appropriate? And if so, since I will be working with a new SA, should I bring a gift for them too?

 

[Crapples]

Help! SA got promoted, so happy for them but also sad that they won't be able to help me out at the store anymore. Was thinking to gift them something for their promotion. Would that be appropriate? And if so, since I will be working with a new SA, should I bring a gift for them too?

Read above for the promoted SA question. Was asked within the last week. SAs can only accept shareable gifts. If you bring chocolates or something, they’ll accept them and share w the store but there’s absolutely no expectation.

 

[Projectwork]

Read above for the promoted SA question. Was asked within the last week. SAs can only accept shareable gifts. If you bring chocolates or something, they’ll accept them and share w the store but there’s absolutely no expectation.

Thank you! Agreed on bringing something edible that they can share. I tried looking all the way up to the beg of Nov threads but havent seen anything. Could you please ref to me?

 

[sunrise92]

Help! SA got promoted, so happy for them but also sad that they won't be able to help me out at the store anymore. Was thinking to gift them something for their promotion. Would that be appropriate? And if so, since I will be working with a new SA, should I bring a gift for them too?

What is their position now? Is your current SA introducing you to another SA? Thanks!

 

[Larky-Loo]

If it takes me around 1 year to spend $10K at the Madison Ave. boutique, should I kiss my chances of getting a birkin there goodbye? 😭 I am a casual shopper and do not have the funds to drop an insane amount of money per visit. I've been shopping since October this year with my new SA and have only (lol) spent around $3,300. I am not in a rush, but am I too 'casual/low-spender' for Madison?!
(Hopefully I am making sense!)

 

[cravin]

If it takes me around 1 year to spend $10K at the Madison Ave. boutique, should I kiss my chances of getting a birkin there goodbye? 😭 I am a casual shopper and do not have the funds to drop an insane amount of money per visit. I've been shopping since October this year with my new SA and have only (lol) spent around $3,300. I am not in a rush, but am I too 'casual/low-spender' for Madison?!
(Hopefully I am making sense!)

Just my experience. How you shop with the SA is more important than the amount that you spend. (The relationship matters and shopping across categories helps)

That being said, Madison is very competitive because of so many customers. If you visit your SA regularly, then your chances of getting a Birkin shouldn’t be an issue over time. Don’t expect the SA to proactively text you, but mention your wish every now and again when you visit. (By now and again, I mean like once every six months). Have a good time and have fun chatting with the SA and eventually it should happen.

 

[Projectwork]

What is their position now? Is your current SA introducing you to another SA? Thanks!

Yes, I have worked with the new SA in the past already and I had a wonderful experience with them as well.

 

[Larky-Loo]

Just my experience. How you shop with the SA is more important than the amount that you spend. (The relationship matters and shopping across categories helps)

That being said, Madison is very competitive because of so many customers. If you visit your SA regularly, then your chances of getting a Birkin shouldn’t be an issue over time. Don’t expect the SA to proactively text you, but mention your wish every now and again when you visit. (By now and again, I mean like once every six months). Have a good time and have fun chatting with the SA and eventually it should happen.

Thank you for this!
I do text him every few weeks with either things I want or just to show him cute hermes pieces I find on the internet for fun! I appreciate the tips and will continue to maintain a strong relationship regardless of spend : )

 

[cravin]

Thank you for this!
I do text him every few weeks with either things I want or just to show him cute hermes pieces I find on the internet for fun! I appreciate the tips and will continue to maintain a strong relationship regardless of spend : )

That I would recommend that you DO NOT do. They are inundated with text messages and don’t use their phones like we do. I once texted my SA five hours before showing up at the store. When I showed up, I joked that he hadn’t replied to my text. He had to scroll down through approximately 100 texts before finding mine. That’s in 5 hours and not at Madison.
Ever since then, I keep my texts to one text with all details in one. It isn’t
“Hey, good morning”
“This sweater looks great on the site”
“Can you tell me anything about it?”
In three separate texts.

It’s
“Morning. I’d like to come in on the 11th to look at this sweater, some Christmas presents, and wife wants this pair of shoes. Let me know if 1pm works”

Then he will reply with “perfect, see you then and I’ll have some stuff set aside for you to decide on”

Then when we get to the store, we talk about whatever and it’s a very pleasant experience. I would think that the SAs HATE their phones. They’re a digital ball and chain and they’re impersonal. NOTHING replaces being face to face. If you want to chat with your SA about a fun piece you saw on the web, go see them face to face and then show them a picture. Have the chat face to face and your chances for a bag will increase.

 

[880]

If I wanted to make a purchase, am I able to use my mom's profile?

The spend from Chicago or another location doesn’t transfer to a new store. So, since you will be starting fresh, and your mom visiting you, why not start in NY with your profile. It’s been my personal experience that either DH or I can pay, but I believe DH is the official client even though we have a shared profile. So for all invites to events and stuff, I am technically DH’s plus 1

Madison Ave has a much bigger stock than Wall St or Meatpacking since it's a maison, but I'm honestly a bit intimidated going in there

I would visit all of the stores and see if you like the atmosphere or people working there. The new Madison is extremely friendly. It’s best to go on a weekday if possible, as @cravin noted, Saturdays can be super crowded

If it takes me around 1 year to spend $10K at the Madison Ave. boutique, should I kiss my chances of getting a birkin there goodbye?

Nope, it may take a bit longer, but even my SA says they are trained that it’s loyalty and relationship that matters, not just USD spend.

Note: if you are starting out, (and even if you aren’t) don’t expect much text response. Even if you are direct about the specific items you want. An SA is expected to prioritize in store clients, and they may not be able to hold specifuc items for you until your appt.And don’t take it personally if you have to remind your SA when you get there.

 

[Larky-Loo]

That I would recommend that you DO NOT do. They are inundated with text messages and don’t use their phones like we do. I once texted my SA five hours before showing up at the store. When I showed up, I joked that he hadn’t replied to my text. He had to scroll down through approximately 100 texts before finding mine. That’s in 5 hours and not at Madison.
Ever since then, I keep my texts to one text with all details in one. It isn’t
“Hey, good morning”
“This sweater looks great on the site”
“Can you tell me anything about it?”
In three separate texts.

It’s
“Morning. I’d like to come in on the 11th to look at this sweater, some Christmas presents, and wife wants this pair of shoes. Let me know if 1pm works”

Then he will reply with “perfect, see you then and I’ll have some stuff set aside for you to decide on”

Then when we get to the store, we talk about whatever and it’s a very pleasant experience. I would think that the SAs HATE their phones. They’re a digital ball and chain and they’re impersonal. NOTHING replaces being face to face. If you want to chat with your SA about a fun piece you saw on the web, go see them face to face and then show them a picture. Have the chat face to face and your chances for a bag will increase.

Got it! My SA is always super quick with responses, usually within 15 minutes! I would say 99% of my texts are just about setting up appointments, but good to be reminded to keep it short and sweet! I appreciate the thoughtful response!