MrsS, I will have to answer quickly..
a) How often are you in contact with your SA/store? Be it via phone calls, emails, personal store visits.
Every couple of weeks. Usually phone. Emails are spotty, she sends me pics but does not always reply to emails as she is more junior and doesnt check email every day. I usually call to follow up on an email, or leave a message at H to ask her to check emails, as several SAs share it.
b) Do you feel like you need to keep your H relationship warm by keeping a constant and regular contact?
I need it for me, I need a fix. I like to be on the hunt for something, even if it is a small thing...But I do think it helps when I go there, they know I am enthusiastic about the brand, so they are enthusiastic to show me things, especially new things. I think there are two kinds of "good" customers, those who buy a lot, and those who love/appreciate a lot and buy what they can, even if it is not a lot (by VVIP standards).
Do you believe that it's a case of "out of sight, out of mind" with H staff; that time away from your store will affect your H relatioship?
No. But my store has many out of town clients from Asia and the islands, so they are accustomed to having long distance relationships.
c) if for whatever reason/s, you stop calling your store maybe because you were going through a busy period. Will your SA remember to call you?
Absolutely. Because I feel like she is always thinking of something I would like. For example, We have discovered that the same colorways of scarves flatter each of us, so when she tries on something that really pops on her, she sets it aside right away and calls me.
d) Suppose you asked your SA to do a global search for something for you. Do you get to hear back from your SA? Do you get regular updates about the status? We all know that global searches are manual, and responses can be as late as 6 weeks' later. Do you need to constantly remind your SA to ask about this?
I get regular updates. But sometimes the update is to say she hasnt really had time to start searching in earnest yet. This is in the case of things I tell her not to "rush" on. Otherwise, she usually turns things up within a couple of weeks. There is one thing she has been looking for for a while, and she does tell me she hasnt found it everytime I talk to her.
MrsS, I hope this helps. My relationship with my SA is also one where we laugh a lot, and I call her my "partner in crime." I know not all customers feel comfortable to have a relaxed and fun relationship such as we have, but in any case I hope there is information here to help you and your friend...