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.

 

[acrowcounted]

What kind of specs are you asking for? Are you in the USA? Typically, the first bag offer is the most difficult. As long as you are buying things you love anyway, theres no harm continuing, imo.

 

[Love Of My Life]

3 yrs into the Hermes game.
I fell in love with a Constance and that is when it all started. My DH bought me one from a reputable reseller and I was thinking why do I have to pay more than retail for this bag. Then I started the frenzy of chasing the different bags going to Tokyo to line up for a walk in Birkin. No luck. Because someone was always there lining up before it opens. Went to FSH no luck there as well or maybe I am unlucky. ** I did get other bags and stuff on those visit**
After that, i decided to work my way up contacting my local store and working with a SA. It has been 8 months. Still nothing although I have spent almost the equivalent of a birkin or from what they say of my local store. My SA is nice when I see her but she never replies my emails. I feel just a little defeated. Maybe I should call it quits.. does anyone feel the same?

I personally don't feel defeated although at times, my patience will get tested especially when I am
waiting for a SO that was placed over a year ago.. it will come in due time..
Unfortunately, the H game continues for many in spite of spending big bucks.
It is hard to to work your way up that H client ladder to acquire the "dream bag".
I don't know how badly you want a Birkin, but since you had luck the first go around with a reseller , why
not try that same route.
Why your SA doesn't respond to your e-mails is perplexing.. Why not introduce yourself to another SA if there
is another H store in your area & go from there.
Securing an appointing at FSH can be disappointing, but if you don't succeed the first go around, keep trying!

 

[peonies13]

3 yrs into the Hermes game.
I fell in love with a Constance and that is when it all started. My DH bought me one from a reputable reseller and I was thinking why do I have to pay more than retail for this bag. Then I started the frenzy of chasing the different bags going to Tokyo to line up for a walk in Birkin. No luck. Because someone was always there lining up before it opens. Went to FSH no luck there as well or maybe I am unlucky. ** I did get other bags and stuff on those visit**
After that, i decided to work my way up contacting my local store and working with a SA. It has been 8 months. Still nothing although I have spent almost the equivalent of a birkin or from what they say of my local store. My SA is nice when I see her but she never replies my emails. I feel just a little defeated. Maybe I should call it quits.. does anyone feel the same?

Aw man this bites! I can't comment on the game, but re. the SA / email thing: I tried working with a couple SA prior to the one I''m "with" and those people didn't reply to emails (which for me is totally critical since that's my main form of business communication). When I met this current SA I was super up front that I didn't want to trouble her unless she was comfortable being super responsive via email (I think I said something polite like "I wouldn't be a good fit for you unless...")- and she seemed to appreciate my clearly communicated need and she has kept to her word. Might be worth finding someone else who will communicate with you as you prefer.

Hi, honestly I’d suggest you stop overthinking this and beating yourself up about it. What happened happened! If you’re comfortable with your original SA, just ignore everything that happened with this second SA and carry on as usual. Then follow everyone else’s advice and just keep in touch with your original SA and move on. If the second SA miraculously finds a bag for you, bonus, and perhaps this is the time to politely thank her but say you have a long-standing SA who wasn’t in when they assisted you, but otherwise just continue with number one as normal. One moment of ‘weakness’ is unlikely to be held against you forever more if you continue to just be a regular customer.

Thank you - this "leave it be" mentality is hard but you're probably right. Thanks for gut checking me

 

[DB8]

@peonies13 I think you need to step back and re-read everything you have posted. You are over analyzing every past and potential future interaction. You spoke to another SA - not the end of the world. No need to throw retail common sense out the window just because it's Hermes.

While the 'game' to get coveted bags seems complicated, it's really no different from shopping elsewhere - stick with whomever you're comfortable with (loyalty counts in retail), buy whatever makes you happy (through the same SA - if they are away just make note of what you want and pass it on to them via email/text/carrier pigeon), be pleasant and polite, and don't ever feel like you're entitled to something just because you've spent x.

That's how I've done it all these years and I have no problem getting quota bags. It'll be raining B/K/C's soon enough for you.

 

[peonies13]

@peonies13 I think you need to step back and re-read everything you have posted. You are over analyzing every past and potential future interaction. You spoke to another SA - not the end of the world. No need to throw retail common sense out the window just because it's Hermes.

While the 'game' to get coveted bags seems complicated, it's really no different from shopping elsewhere - stick with whomever you're comfortable with (loyalty counts in retail), buy whatever makes you happy (through the same SA - if they are away just make note of what you want and pass it on to them via email/text/carrier pigeon), be pleasant and polite, and don't ever feel like you're entitled to something just because you've spent x.

That's how I've done it all these years and I have no problem getting quota bags. It'll be raining B/K/C's soon enough for you.

Thanks for the good advice! Right now I don't even want a quota bag so you're totally right, I am overthinking this. Back to normal non-analyzing brain

 

[Baebae807]

I personally don't feel defeated although at times, my patience will get tested especially when I am
waiting for a SO that was placed over a year ago.. it will come in due time..
Unfortunately, the H game continues for many in spite of spending big bucks.
It is hard to to work your way up that H client ladder to acquire the "dream bag".
I don't know how badly you want a Birkin, but since you had luck the first go around with a reseller , why
not try that same route.
Why your SA doesn't respond to your e-mails is perplexing.. Why not introduce yourself to another SA if there
is another H store in your area & go from there.
Securing an appointing at FSH can be disappointing, but if you don't succeed the first go around, keep trying!

it is the time and money that i feel defeated.. i dont know if i sound psychotic ... but i plan my vacations and hotel stays according to hermes locations. I feel like Hermes really got me on the hook to get that "holy grail" bag. I was a chanel girl and I got everything i wanted at the store and never had it been so challenging to get a bag.

 

[Baebae807]

I personally don't feel defeated although at times, my patience will get tested especially when I am
waiting for a SO that was placed over a year ago.. it will come in due time..
Unfortunately, the H game continues for many in spite of spending big bucks.
It is hard to to work your way up that H client ladder to acquire the "dream bag".
I don't know how badly you want a Birkin, but since you had luck the first go around with a reseller , why
not try that same route.
Why your SA doesn't respond to your e-mails is perplexing.. Why not introduce yourself to another SA if there
is another H store in your area & go from there.
Securing an appointing at FSH can be disappointing, but if you don't succeed the first go around, keep trying!

Yeah I am a person that responds to emails right away with my clients.. So I feel extra offended that she doesnt reply.

 

[Love Of My Life]

it is the time and money that i feel defeated.. i dont know if i sound psychotic ... but i plan my vacations and hotel stays according to hermes locations. I feel like Hermes really got me on the hook to get that "holy grail" bag. I was a chanel girl and I got everything i wanted at the store and never had it been so challenging to get a bag.

Well, you lucked out with Chanel..And I'm sure that there are many gals on the "wait list" for Chanel bags..
As much as you may have planned your vacays around Hermes locations, that's unfortunately part of the H game
The appointments, the inventory, the "dream bag"
You among many others get themselves "hooked" & don't think for a nano second that H doesn't know it
Realistically this is what happens.. Clients make purchases in the "hopes of" & it doesn't always happen
Many of us, have gone the re seller route for what they are looking for & some at pretty premium prices
As far as to what you have spent, there are many who have spent more & are still waiting for
their "dream bag".. It all needs to be put in perspective, sorry to say
As far as your SA not responding, for me that is just unacceptable & for that reason I likely would
find another SA... whatever the dollar purchase is, a client should have a return phone call in
a reasonable amount of time which for me would be 2 days ( unless SA is sick or on vacation)

 

[DB8]

3 yrs into the Hermes game.
I fell in love with a Constance and that is when it all started. My DH bought me one from a reputable reseller and I was thinking why do I have to pay more than retail for this bag. Then I started the frenzy of chasing the different bags going to Tokyo to line up for a walk in Birkin. No luck. Because someone was always there lining up before it opens. Went to FSH no luck there as well or maybe I am unlucky. ** I did get other bags and stuff on those visit**
After that, i decided to work my way up contacting my local store and working with a SA. It has been 8 months. Still nothing although I have spent almost the equivalent of a birkin or from what they say of my local store. My SA is nice when I see her but she never replies my emails. I feel just a little defeated. Maybe I should call it quits.. does anyone feel the same?

@Baebae807, It's been 8 months. Hermes is all about the long game. Sure, some people get quota bags fast but for the vast majority the first one takes some time. It sounds like you feel entitled to a bag because you've dropped a bunch of cash in a short time frame - did your SA explicitly tell you to do so? If you're buying things you don't enjoy for the sake of trying to get a bag, you should have continued down the reseller route. I think it would do you well to keep the following posts in mind.

the angst of betrayal so frequently experienced by posters on this forum when an SA leaves, fails to answer an email or never offers a quota bag.

The journey has proceeded with calmness, enthusiasm, politeness and lack of emotional baggage.

My approach to H is to have absolutely zero expectations. If something I ask for shows up, it's a pleasant surprise. If it doesn't, life goes on.

Based on observation from my local boutique, the clients who try to force a relationship with the end goal of a B/K/C and nothing else are treated as pure cash cows.

 

[Love Of My Life]

@Baebae807, It's been 8 months. Hermes is all about the long game. Sure, some people get quota bags fast but for the vast majority the first one takes some time. It sounds like you feel entitled to a bag because you've dropped a bunch of cash in a short time frame - did your SA explicitly tell you to do so? If you're buying things you don't enjoy for the sake of trying to get a bag, you should have continued down the reseller route. I think it would do you well to keep the following posts in mind.

+1...

 

[momoc]

it is the time and money that i feel defeated.. i dont know if i sound psychotic ... but i plan my vacations and hotel stays according to hermes locations. I feel like Hermes really got me on the hook to get that "holy grail" bag. I was a chanel girl and I got everything i wanted at the store and never had it been so challenging to get a bag.

I am quite obsessed with H myself but I think planning vacations and hotels...is where I would sense a little yellow warning light coming on. Your H quest should not overtake your life. Would I try my luck at FSH when I go on a vacation to Paris? Absolutely. Would it be the only reason to go? No. I will enjoy my Paris trip regardless.

FWIW though, I know you can pay people to line up for Tokyo Ginza & the other two H stores in Paris. But that too might be a sign you are going a little too far. Take a deep breath and maybe a step back. I believe SAs can sense it when a client is desperate and it's not a good situation for you to be in. Furthermore, if you want a very specific bag / a very popular combo, the chances of getting exactly that would be hard as a walk in at say Paris. Remember, the whole H game is to offer the most desirable bags to the most loyal customers or who appreciate the brand as a whole (eh, at least on the surface...let's not get into it so I derail yet another thread...) and relationship with your local store OR reseller is the way to go in order to get a specific dream bag (instead of say just any birkin).

I totally agree with others - while 8 months seems incredibly long, it is definitely not abnormal or unheard of in the H world.

Here’s what I would do
- Go reseller if you are fine with reseller. Maybe even just to get you one first B, this way you get it out of the way and can maybe soothe this obsession so you will be more calm & at ease going forward. Yes reseller means markup, but you almost always need to pre-spend to get offered a bag at the store anyways (and not just for the first bag, future ones too in many places). If you aren't interested in other H goods besides the bag you want and are buying just to get the bag - then you are wasting money for the hope of maybe getting exactly what you want. Reseller is a very viable option there.

- Take a break if you need to. Sometimes it works to both clear your mind & remind your SA

- Be patient. Patience is the absolute most important thing when it comes to H. Work with your SA. You’ve probably heard all of the common tips by now I think - jewelry, men’s, home, RTW tend to be more helpful categories to buy in; be prepared for MORE than 1:1 spend ratio in some places depending on where you are and how popular is the spec of the bag you want (also some places other bags won’t count in this ratio); exotics can sometimes be easier to get because that price tag means less of a market; be open to colors and sizes if you don’t mind (like, few people can score a noir GHW size 25 in their first offer). If you feel your SA is not the right one for you, consider switching. (But again keep in mind 8 months is not abnormal for still not getting a dream bag offer).

Good luck.

 

[vlando]

Yeah I am a person that responds to emails right away with my clients.. So I feel extra offended that she doesnt reply.

Me too! The sa that I work has not responded to any email I have ever sent. It makes me crazy, like a boyfriend who is not interested.

 

[Kristelle01]

Me too! The sa that I work has not responded to any email I have ever sent. It makes me crazy, like a boyfriend who is not interested.

Hahhahha you are too funny.... I am so sorry I couldn’t stop laughing .....it’s so true ...thank you for making me laugh ... hhahahha

 

[runner1234]

Me too! The sa that I work has not responded to any email I have ever sent. It makes me crazy, like a boyfriend who is not interested.

They do this intentionally, no doubt. Boy what I would give to be a fly on the wall when new SAs are getting trained at H. Their strategy is brilliant

 

[runner1234]

I am quite obsessed with H myself but I think planning vacations and hotels...is where I would sense a little yellow warning light coming on. Your H quest should not overtake your life. Would I try my luck at FSH when I go on a vacation to Paris? Absolutely. Would it be the only reason to go? No. I will enjoy my Paris trip regardless.

FWIW though, I know you can pay people to line up for Tokyo Ginza & the other two H stores in Paris. But that too might be a sign you are going a little too far. Take a deep breath and maybe a step back. I believe SAs can sense it when a client is desperate and it's not a good situation for you to be in. Furthermore, if you want a very specific bag / a very popular combo, the chances of getting exactly that would be hard as a walk in at say Paris. Remember, the whole H game is to offer the most desirable bags to the most loyal customers or who appreciate the brand as a whole (eh, at least on the surface...let's not get into it so I derail yet another thread...) and relationship with your local store OR reseller is the way to go in order to get a specific dream bag (instead of say just any birkin).

I totally agree with others - while 8 months seems incredibly long, it is definitely not abnormal or unheard of in the H world.

Here’s what I would do
- Go reseller if you are fine with reseller. Maybe even just to get you one first B, this way you get it out of the way and can maybe soothe this obsession so you will be more calm & at ease going forward. Yes reseller means markup, but you almost always need to pre-spend to get offered a bag at the store anyways (and not just for the first bag, future ones too in many places). If you aren't interested in other H goods besides the bag you want and are buying just to get the bag - then you are wasting money for the hope of maybe getting exactly what you want. Reseller is a very viable option there.

- Take a break if you need to. Sometimes it works to both clear your mind & remind your SA

- Be patient. Patience is the absolute most important thing when it comes to H. Work with your SA. You’ve probably heard all of the common tips by now I think - jewelry, men’s, home, RTW tend to be more helpful categories to buy in; be prepared for MORE than 1:1 spend ratio in some places depending on where you are and how popular is the spec of the bag you want (also some places other bags won’t count in this ratio); exotics can sometimes be easier to get because that price tag means less of a market; be open to colors and sizes if you don’t mind (like, few people can score a noir GHW size 25 in their first offer). If you feel your SA is not the right one for you, consider switching. (But again keep in mind 8 months is not abnormal for still not getting a dream bag offer).

Good luck.

This is excellent advice