Maintaining an H relationship

[papertiger]

Please focus on the title of this thread rather than each other, TY

If you find it very hard to ignore certain people, please feel free in adding them to your 'Ignore' list.

For advice on how to obtain a B/K/C please go to the reading room in the Reading Room The Newbie's HOW DO I GET A BIRKIN (or other bag) Reading Room

For advice on how to shop at your local store please do a search in Hermes Shopping sub-forum and look for your store/region/country.

 

[odette57]

I think she’s pissed because she had spoken to her manager to get an approval to sell me a KP with a note that I’m buying a Kelly wallet. But in the end I did not get it because they only have the wallet in Epsom, and on 2nd thought I’d rather get a B/K 25 than a KP.

I don’t know whether it’s a good idea for me to keep continue buying from her.. looking at how pissed she was at me. Would it be possible that she’d make it harder for me to get a bag next time? But I am not sure how possible it is for me to change SA..

I think the next time you visit your SA you can mention to her that you are interested in a bag.. and then drop the K word. I’m sure your SA would keep you in mind.

I know it's not easy, but I would suggest changing SA.

 

[showgratitude]

I just got back from a 1.5month holiday and visited my local H store. Before I left for holiday my SA was offering me a KP provided I got a kelly wallet. although we were discussing about it and she sort of hold the wallet in the end I did not get it because I prefer box or chevre leather instead of epsom for a wallet, and I feel I would rather wait and get a B/K25 than a KP.
I did not think much about this whole thing but when I met my SA she was very cold towards me I could feel she was somehow pissed with me. Although I still bought small item from her I felt she was still not nice to me in terms of her demeanor even after the purchase. I was actually considering some things from the homewares too but since she was not nice I decided not to buy it.

Do you think I made a mistake and cross over her boundary in some ways? Should I fix this with her or can I change SA within the same store and not having to start over with my purchase history?

Otherwise I am thinking maybe I should make Paris my home store since everything is much cheaper there anyway so I am happy to hold purchases until Paris but I live far away so I can only go 2x a year. Not sure if an SA in Paris would consider me her client if I only go 2x a year.

You are doing your SA a favor by buying from her. That is her job. If she is cold and pissed with you because you did not buy the KP (which she could easily sell to others obviously) because you changed your mind, then I would suggest switching to a new SA. Buying luxury and spending a lot of money should be a happy and exciting experience. If she is making you feel that you cannot change your mind at all and you are supposed to buy everything that she shows you/holds for you/suggests, then what kind of client-SA relationship is that? If one can change her mind and divorce a spouse, you certainly can change your mind over a purse! Just my thoughts.

 

[Hopebirkin]

Thanks @odette57 & @showgratitude for assuring me that it’s OK to change SA given my circumstances.

Do you know how I can go about this? Do I need to speak to the SM? Or shall I go to the store when my SA is having a day off and start to build relationship with another SA? Just afraid my SA would get even more bitter and badmouth me to the new SA.
Or is it better if I move to a different store to avoid drama altogether (but I doubt they can transfer my balance to the other store).

 

[showgratitude]

Thanks @odette57 & @showgratitude for assuring me that it’s OK to change SA given my circumstances.

Do you know how I can go about this? Do I need to speak to the SM? Or shall I go to the store when my SA is having a day off and start to build relationship with another SA? Just afraid my SA would get even more bitter and badmouth me to the new SA.
Or is it better if I move to a different store to avoid drama altogether (but I doubt they can transfer my balance to the other store).

Not sure if there is a standard procedure when you switch SAs. But when I did it, SA1 coincidentally was off and I found SA2. We hit it off and I asked if she can be my SA moving forward. She said that it doesn’t work that way. She cannot just grab that account like that. But she said that in the succeeding visits of mine, if I look for her and buy from her, she can make the switch in the profile. And that is what happened. Mind you SA1 that worked with me before was a “top SA”. I see her name in the “recommended SA list” in the forum. In fairness to SA1 she was helpful and patient with me. However, I felt that our personalities just didn’t match and she was not going to show or offer me a highly coveted purse anytime soon. I know that she had a lot of other clients too..so I just had to move on. And voila, after a short period of time, SA2 offered me a coveted purse. It’s your money, think of yourself and what makes you happy. No reason to bad mouth SA1 to SA2. I said to her too that the days I go to the boutique have changed (which is true), so moving forward I would like to have SA2 as my SA. And of course, don’t forget to be polite always.

 

[Hopebirkin]

Thanks so much for your input @showgratitude and to share your experience. I would definitely try to go during my SA’s day off and start buying from a new SA that I can connect with whilst asking the new SA if I can change to her given my new schedule (can only go when my SA is off)

 

[disappeared]

My advise is the opposite, and maybe the unpopular opinion. I was in a similar predicament where I pissed of my SA by buying from a different boutique. Another TPFer told me, she’ll forget she’s mad if you just keep on buying from her... which I did. She’s still my SA to this day.

 

[Prufrock613]

My advise is the opposite, and maybe the unpopular opinion. I was in a similar predicament where I pissed of my SA buy buying from a different boutique. Another TPFer told me, she’ll forget she’s mad if you just keep on buying from her... which I did. She’s still my SA to this day.

I duly respect your choice, however (respectively) I would not want to give $ks to someone who didn’t respect my patronage.
Different strokes, for different folks. Whatever makes some happy, is what I’m all about.

 

[disappeared]

I duly respect your choice, however (respectively) I would not want to give $ks to someone who didn’t respect my patronage.
Different strokes, for different folks. Whatever makes some happy, is what I’m all about.

She was just annoyed and it did pass. I was a newbie and at that time, she already sold me a birkin and a kelly.

I didn’t know about the unspoken rule that you have to be loyal to your “home” boutique. Well, I decided to stick with her and stay loyal to the boutique despite her being “mad” at me. 2 birkins, 3 constance, 2 kelly, 1 kelly pochette and 2 special orders later... i think I made the right decision to make it up to her at that time. This happened in late 2016 and I’m pretty happy with the collection I built with her help.

@Hopebirkin We probably will have different outcomes, but just sharing my story.

 

[EmilyM111]

You may find that life is not that simple and there aren’t any simple YES or NO answers.
The post came across as a little rude which I am sure was not the intention.
It’s always worth a try but I can tell you that every time I am at the boutique someone in the background is asking for a kelly or Birkin. It’s like a background noise.
Do let us know how it goes.

Exactly. Last few weeks kept visiting the New Bond store in London and while waiting for my SA I kept seeing multiple people asking for B/K and being politely turned down each time. I even tried myself when collecting another bag (when my SA wasn't there) and guess what lol

 

[De sac]

Exactly. Last few weeks kept visiting the New Bond store in London and while waiting for my SA I kept seeing multiple people asking for B/K and being politely turned down each time. I even tried myself when collecting another bag (when my SA wasn't there) and guess what lol

I actually chuckle when I over hear these requests, only because the SAs are sooo polite but clearly on an auto-pilot response.

Did you happen to be offered a B or K lol?

I love NBS it just gets crazy busy.

 

[EmilyM111]

I actually chuckle when I over hear these requests, only because the SAs are sooo polite but clearly on an auto-pilot response.

Did you happen to be offered a B or K lol?

I love NBS it just gets crazy busy.

Guess never hurts trying - there are reports on this forums of walk-in purchases (including London).

Unfortunately I wasn't. I am 'wishlisted' for a K32 sellier (will see how this goes but approaching 1:1 spend) but as my husband was with me I did try my luck with another SA. I was offered K in the past as a walk-in but I didn't ask for it, did the opposite - said (being 100% certain) that they would never sell me a K

 

[DoggieBags]

Exactly. Last few weeks kept visiting the New Bond store in London and while waiting for my SA I kept seeing multiple people asking for B/K and being politely turned down each time. I even tried myself when collecting another bag (when my SA wasn't there) and guess what lol

A couple of months ago, I visited NBS for the first time. I had no intentions of buying a bag. I was curious to see what the selection was like in the different departments. My SA was very helpful and very efficient. For whatever reason my local H tends to carry bag straps mostly with phw and very little with ghw. NBS happened to have a great selection of straps with ghw and I came home with 2 While waiting for my SA to bring out the selection of bag straps, I happened to notice a 24/24 in a stunning yellow and asked my SA if I could see it and was told it was for display only. I saw a B and K on an upper shelf with for display only signs which wasn’t surprising. However, The 24/24 was on a bottom shelf with no for display only sign. That case also had an Evie and a Lindy also with no for display only signs and I was briefly tempted to ask if they were also for display only but decided to concentrate on the straps. I also found a lovely verso compact Bearn so was very happy with my first NBS experience. But for those of you who do shop at NBS are all bags, not just B/K/Cs, really not available to walk-ins?

 

[EmilyM111]

A couple of months ago, I visited NBS for the first time. I had no intentions of buying a bag. I was curious to see what the selection was like in the different departments. My SA was very helpful and very efficient. For whatever reason my local H tends to carry bag straps mostly with phw and very little with ghw. NBS happened to have a great selection of straps with ghw and I came home with 2 While waiting for my SA to bring out the selection of bag straps, I happened to notice a 24/24 in a stunning yellow and asked my SA if I could see it and was told it was for display only. I saw a B and K on an upper shelf with for display only signs which wasn’t surprising. However, The 24/24 was on a bottom shelf with no for display only sign. That case also had an Evie and a Lindy also with no for display only signs and I was briefly tempted to ask if they were also for display only but decided to concentrate on the straps. I also found a lovely verso compact Bearn so was very happy with my first NBS experience. But for those of you who do shop at NBS are all bags, not just B/K/Cs, really not available to walk-ins?

So I wouldn’t know as I’ve been shopping there for a few months. I was though told at Selfridges that Herbag was display only (despite mentioning I had my SA there as well and the NBS SA eventually sourced that bag for me). Also saw that NBS has zero bag inventory at som point in May (nothing, no Evie, Lindy etc.). It might be their shipments aren’t that good.

 

[ladysarah]

A couple of months ago, I visited NBS for the first time. I had no intentions of buying a bag. I was curious to see what the selection was like in the different departments. My SA was very helpful and very efficient. For whatever reason my local H tends to carry bag straps mostly with phw and very little with ghw. NBS happened to have a great selection of straps with ghw and I came home with 2 While waiting for my SA to bring out the selection of bag straps, I happened to notice a 24/24 in a stunning yellow and asked my SA if I could see it and was told it was for display only. I saw a B and K on an upper shelf with for display only signs which wasn’t surprising. However, The 24/24 was on a bottom shelf with no for display only sign. That case also had an Evie and a Lindy also with no for display only signs and I was briefly tempted to ask if they were also for display only but decided to concentrate on the straps. I also found a lovely verso compact Bearn so was very happy with my first NBS experience. But for those of you who do shop at NBS are all bags, not just B/K/Cs, really not available to walk-ins?

I’d say if you go at a busy time they will simply not show any bags. I’ve never seen them actually open the bag displays at peak hours. This is just an observation not sure if it’s a coincidence.

 

[luckylove]

A couple of months ago, I visited NBS for the first time. I had no intentions of buying a bag. I was curious to see what the selection was like in the different departments. My SA was very helpful and very efficient. For whatever reason my local H tends to carry bag straps mostly with phw and very little with ghw. NBS happened to have a great selection of straps with ghw and I came home with 2 While waiting for my SA to bring out the selection of bag straps, I happened to notice a 24/24 in a stunning yellow and asked my SA if I could see it and was told it was for display only. I saw a B and K on an upper shelf with for display only signs which wasn’t surprising. However, The 24/24 was on a bottom shelf with no for display only sign. That case also had an Evie and a Lindy also with no for display only signs and I was briefly tempted to ask if they were also for display only but decided to concentrate on the straps. I also found a lovely verso compact Bearn so was very happy with my first NBS experience. But for those of you who do shop at NBS are all bags, not just B/K/Cs, really not available to walk-ins?

I have found that the answer tends to vary. I have been offered bags from the display case at times, but at have also been told at times that they are display only. Ladysarah brings up a good point; I wonder if it has anything to do with how busy the store is at the time.... As a sales tactic to hold non quota bags hostage to a certain spend amount, well that would be a bit off putting. These days, I shop more at the Sloane street location for a more relaxed vibe.