Hermes Phone Orders
- Thread starter palmbeachpink
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i have been looking for a fabulous watch. so far vc&a is the winner......
i'm not ready to plunge yet but i am close!!
I have had a very good and longstanding relationship with Hermes U.S. for the past 15+ years. I used to live where my boutique is located, however I moved away for family and now reside in Asia. Though there are many Hermes boutiques in the country I live in now, I have always remained loyal and shopped with the "original" store in the U.S. either by phone or email. Like many members, I have spent thousands of dollars at this particular Hermes store, by no means a small sum. I have also befriended many of the SA's, especially my SA, who I feel very dear and connected to, and I have a very pleasant relationship with the SM.
Recently my SA dropped the "no phone/email order" bomb. Puzzled, I asked her why it was so sudden and she only mentioned corporate Hermes wants to "change things around...so the resellers and their network can't get to the bags so easy." My SA sighed and dropped the second bomb: "international shipping is cancelled as well....you know how there are many resellers across the globe -- all connected". Next the SM took over the phone and addressed to me they had to clear everything out in the the storage room (things that were rung up and put in the back). Not only that, they had to ship everything out within 24 hours. "Urgent memo from the CEO" she stated.
Devastated, I began to ask my SA a bunch of questions that could not be answered. What about my pending SO's? They were already submitted and accepted by Paris. How am I ever going to buy scarves, shawls, twillys, SLGs, or bags from the store when the policy effectively takes place now?! I don't know what Hermes is thinking.. but I do know they are shutting down my business in my face.
Recently my SA dropped the "no phone/email order" bomb. Puzzled, I asked her why it was so sudden and she only mentioned corporate Hermes wants to "change things around...so the resellers and their network can't get to the bags so easy." My SA sighed and dropped the second bomb: "international shipping is cancelled as well....you know how there are many resellers across the globe -- all connected". Next the SM took over the phone and addressed to me they had to clear everything out in the the storage room (things that were rung up and put in the back). Not only that, they had to ship everything out within 24 hours. "Urgent memo from the CEO" she stated.
Devastated, I began to ask my SA a bunch of questions that could not be answered. What about my pending SO's? They were already submitted and accepted by Paris. How am I ever going to buy scarves, shawls, twillys, SLGs, or bags from the store when the policy effectively takes place now?! I don't know what Hermes is thinking.. but I do know they are shutting down my business in my face.
Twigz
This is heartbreaking. I heard the same thing. I had some things waiting in storage and they sent them ASAP. My heart goes out to you with your SO.
I don't know who this policy helps, but is it off putting to loyal clients.
It is heartbreaking to hear all the stories of long standing customers that are shut out due to this ridiculous policy. If they want to kill the resellers, they should just flood the store with more goods and make it easy for SO so no one will want to pay a premium. Instead, they are penalizing long term customers who happen not to have a local store around their address. Hermes executives or any online police, if you're reading this, you should pass this onto your Paris headquarters. This is contradicting their idea of 'building relationships' with stores and SAs. Instead, they are rewarding walk-in customers who will never return after they score what they want.
What are they planning to do next ? Cancel all SOs and keep raising prices ?? Seems like we're paying more but getting less nowadays.
What are they planning to do next ? Cancel all SOs and keep raising prices ?? Seems like we're paying more but getting less nowadays.
Hermes in between a rock and a hard place on this. They cannot flood the store with product without risking quality and possibly losing that "exclusive" image they have been cultivating for decades. IMO they should have never bred this culture of building relationships with SAs which only served to have uncontrollable manipulation of the system/stock for a very small customer base. Those of us who are far from a store and lacking the means to buy more then a scarf or a clic clac per year - so that we can save for a bag!- have been locked out of the bags (and slg) market (at the actual boutiques) for a very very long time. (unless you have very very good luck!)
That being said, they allowed this culture which bred the reseller market, so now they need to figure out how to continue servicing the loyal base and they are failing miserably. It's a business, so you need change your policies and processes to continue to provide the highest quality product and most luxurious shopping experience? Go right ahead. What they seem to not realize though is that coming down like guillotine on their (should be) prized clients is punishing the wrong group.
I cannot believe the marketing and seemingly scattered nature of this shift.
Call me a pessimistic, a skeptic, or just a realist but I think we all, including Hermes SAs, SMs are making the convenient excuse of let's thwart the resellers. Let's face it, money is as money does and I truly don't think the top brass give a rat's crap where the money comes from as long as it comes in. That's basic business.
So where does all this no ship, no phone orders, no transfers, no air for you come from? Lack of supply. You can't sell what you don't have. We all know inventory sucks, has sucked, and will continue to suck. By the time the additional plants are up in running in what 2 years (nothing ever happens on time except death), how many customers be they us, resellers, or whomever else are so thoroughly cheezed off over the song and dance that changes with each passing day, week, month and year that they just say enough of this horse pile.
If we're not happy, how thrilling it must be to be a H SA. They are getting reamed from every direction and how's this helping their salary (commissions)!
So where does all this no ship, no phone orders, no transfers, no air for you come from? Lack of supply. You can't sell what you don't have. We all know inventory sucks, has sucked, and will continue to suck. By the time the additional plants are up in running in what 2 years (nothing ever happens on time except death), how many customers be they us, resellers, or whomever else are so thoroughly cheezed off over the song and dance that changes with each passing day, week, month and year that they just say enough of this horse pile.
If we're not happy, how thrilling it must be to be a H SA. They are getting reamed from every direction and how's this helping their salary (commissions)!
^^ this, exactly.
limit purchasing and make it look planned ("ah oui, we're sooo exclusive") to CYA Hermes while you get your plants running and begin churning more product to up the supply. I do hate to think of quality issues resulting from this massive global expansion. not to mention the insult to and resulting exit of your loyal customer base, built over decades.
it's official - it's the end of an era, folks. if anyone wondered before (me), it's crystal clear now.
