How did you obtain your Birkin?

#46
hi
it was very difficult when i first started.
i'm in the fashion industry which gives me twice a year travel to Paris for the last 10 years.
every season i tended to buy other things (small leathers, bags, scarves and shoes) during my stay over there and i believe they must have kept a record of my shopping, it was last year when the manager of store came up to me and offer me to buy on spot or to place a special order of Birkin. so far i had ordered and got 3 birkins from them and if possible, i place 2 special orders per year:yahoo:
i kept thinking they prefer customer who loves their product in general (instead of focusing on nothing but Birkin) and they also like customer who knows so much bout their history, color name, leather type etc.
 
#47
i got both mine pretty much by luck. they happened to have the exact ones i wanted. the first one after a couple of weeks..the second one was just there when i only wanted to put my name down for it..

but yeah, often its whether they like your face or not...
specially in france. the Hermes sales girls and boys are famous for their attitude...
 
#48
i also recommend NOT to have a specific colour combo in mind and just ask if they are getting any birkins in.
then they usually (if they are friendly) bring out the birkin reservation bible and open it in front of you to see what you want.
i always just start by size and then let them do the talking.. they tell me all the ones they are getting and still havent been reserved.. thats when YOU come in and ask to have your name put down for that specific one ;)
 
#49
demicouture said:
i got both mine pretty much by luck. they happened to have the exact ones i wanted. the first one after a couple of weeks..the second one was just there when i only wanted to put my name down for it..

but yeah, often its whether they like your face or not...
specially in france. the Hermes sales girls and boys are famous for their attitude...
Click to expand...

Disappointing that you've had that experience, demicouture. I'm surpised to hear bad reports of any SA's in France. Every time I've been in the 24 Faubourg store the service from everyone has been 1st rate and very helpful.
 
#50
exquisite,

:smile: i never got that attitude from them. they know me and my family BUT they are rude people in general.. just when i observe them speak to random tourists.. blark
 
#51
^ It didn't happen to me but we saw one of the Asian SA giving 'attitude' to another Asian customer who bought a beautiful kelly. The SA wasn't even looking at the customer when he enquired about the size and leather etc.
 
#52
^^I think it's variable, like most situations. I did get a brusque answer from an SA once after patiently waiting for a turn to speak to one, but it was busy in the store. It was not my first trip to the store and all I asked was whether the SA was free to help me or not. The SAs were running all over the place, it was a madhouse. I'm not sure it excuses the behavior, and it was disheartening. At other times, before, and since, I've had very good service. I guess it's hard to generalize, and people are people.
 
#53
does the SA turn extra snotty if you don't speak french or towards an asian tourist?

i'm hoping to get a birkin when i make it to paris.....maybe end of the year....
 
#54
Queenie said:
^ It didn't happen to me but we saw one of the Asian SA giving 'attitude' to another Asian customer who bought a beautiful kelly. The SA wasn't even looking at the customer when he enquired about the size and leather etc.
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^ Sorry I need to rephrase what I had said. I mean the SA was not looking into the eyes (it's rude in my opinion) when she replied the customer's enquiries. The store was not busy at that time.

Perhaps it's that SA in particular because I received excellent service from that store.
 
#55
goofy said:
does the SA turn extra snotty if you don't speak french or towards an asian tourist?

i'm hoping to get a birkin when i make it to paris.....maybe end of the year....
Click to expand...
No, absolutely not. All the SA's in Paris speak good english and there are some who speak other languages as well. I have seen many Asian customers in there. Japan is supposedly Hermes' biggest market so there's no way the SAs would be rude to Asians (i'm not Asian, BTW).
 
#56
i usually have more attitude when someone shows me attitude and usually put them to shame..:supacool:
already bad enough when someone at H&M gives bad customer service so even worse when you are enquiring about a 5K EUROS bag!!
 
#57
http://forum.purseblog.com/member.php?u=4220
xquisite, thanks...my sister got snubbed at the paris store some years back, now she refuses to buy hermes anywhere else other than our local store

....but she may have asked the deadly question "do you have any birkins?" immediately upon entering the store..... now that i know better.....hopefully i'll have better luck!

demicouture, i know exactly what you mean....sometimes i think whether all this is worth it!.....reseller router may be a better idea afterall
 
#58
goofy said:
xquisite, thanks...my sister got snubbed at the paris store some years back, now she refuses to buy hermes anywhere else other than our local store

....but she may have asked the deadly question "do you have any birkins?" immediately upon entering the store..... now that i know better.....hopefully i'll have better luck!

demicouture, i know exactly what you mean....sometimes i think whether all this is worth it!.....reseller router may be a better idea afterall
Click to expand...
I'm very sorry to hear that about your sister. :sad: I'm sure you will have better luck! The only person I've seen get well & truly snubbed at the mothership waltzed in and said. "I want to buy a crocodile birkin" in a very loud voice. There was a series of events which I won't go into, but suffice it to say that the louder she got the more they snubbed her. We thought it was quite hilarious. This is also a French cultural thing. Most loud voices you hear in Paris will be speaking English!
 
#59
Hi..
I've read ur stories and they gave me an indication that I shouldn't be asking for a birkin on my first vist. However, I'm going to Hawaii and Vegas in May for holiday and since it will be my only visit and the time is limited, what should I do to get a chance at Birkin if I'm not allowed to ask for it and if theres none on the floor?

TIA
 
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