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.

 

[AmalieLotte92]

This is what I heard from my SA here in the US. I don’t know if it’s just excuses or if it’s the real story. I prefer to choose the latter. When I’m trying things in store, she is desperately trying to answer some texts. When I am talking to her she is engaged but if I am trying shoes or trying to make up my mind about something, I see that she is using those gaps to answer text messages. She told me several times that she can’t take her phone home with her anymore and she gets so many messages to respond to when she is back at the store that she can’t keep up. She seemed very frustrated at times. She mentioned that she was tired of telling people that she couldn’t get them a bag and they kept nagging her and asking for a bag every week. She was truly overwhelmed. At this point, I never discussed bags with her yet so maybe that’s why she feels free to share those feelings. It might be really tough. Hang in there guys. My two cents: I think Hermès created a type of business model that over the years shaped our relationship with the SAs in a certain way. Meaning, those patterns that we see today is just a response from the public towards the type of business dynamics they manufactured, in a way. The SAs withdraw and the clients pursue and the rat race continues. It’s an endless cycle. The SA needs to find a sustainable way to be mentally healthy to hold on to a retail job that requires her to answer endless texts and deal with us chasing her for a quota bag. I told my SA last week that I am gonna give her some space and we’ll touch base after the Holidays. Is it the SA job to sell? Yes! But there’s a person behind that job description and we need to have some emotional intelligence to remember that they have a lot of people texting them and pursuing them as well. It’s a hard balance to attain. We want the product and we expect the SA to facilitate that transaction. The company plays hard ball and the SA is caught in the middle of that crossfire, having to keep the balls up the air.

What you've posted is absolutely the REAL STORY - just based off of my conversations with different people at my home store. And it certainly doesn't help that inventory is at an all time low, during the HOLIDAYS. Yikes. I feel for everyone working in retail right now.

Meanwhile, back at HQ in France....

 

[periogirl28]

Just gotta say I agree and suspect that SAs have a ton of email and WhatsApp messages etc. I sometimes do not expect a response immediately or at all. I will write to my SAs with a short and succinct wishlist, and follow up when I have dates and times to visit. Esp for Paris, my SAs don’t always reply to the first, until I have specific dates and then they will always arrange an appointment and the wishlist items are definitely mentioned during my visit. On my part I make my appointment short and sweet and take up the minimum of their time. This doesn’t including browsing the entire store on my own.

 

[maxroxxherhandbags]

As Someone working in retail I want to thank @RitaLA for her post.
My job involves selling from Multiple brands (Luxury ones and some less so but still 'cool' and coverted) mainly by appointment in store but I do have some remote client requests from my regular clients who cant travel or are chasing a particular item.
I feel like a juggler keeping my face to face clients happy but also remembering to check my emails and whatsapp's throughout the day usually during my lunch break or travelling to and from work or on my days off (Unlike H staff we are permitted to take our phones home )and respond to requests.
Sometimes I am not able to respond immediately or if a client wants something and I reply saying "we dont have it available at the moment I'll be in contact when I have an update" It can be draining to have them then message me again and again asking for news.
Its insanely busy for all of us in the run up to Christmas.
We DO know how badly you want that item or items but inventory across all brands is Lower this year than ever before and the stores are busier than I remember in recent years (people shopping early in case of Lockdowns etc).
The Sales associates job is to SELL-that is what we are paid to do and our productivity is constantly under scrutiny-They WANT to sell to you.
But quite frankly In store clients have to take priority at this time.
Try and understand don't take it personally and remember that you are one of dozens of people all clamouring for the attention of that one individual.

 

[880]

She told me several times that she can’t take her phone home with her anymore and she gets so many messages to respond to when she is back at the store that she can’t keep up.

My emphasis added to the above quote

When I read the posts in this thread, I get the impression that this important fact above ^ may not have really been absorbed by those customers who text, email or call and want a response

I also think it’s really important not to take lack of response personally as per @maxroxxherhandbags last lines

JMO though

 

[RitaLA]

As Someone working in retail I want to thank @RitaLA for her post.
My job involves selling from Multiple brands (Luxury ones and some less so but still 'cool' and coverted) mainly by appointment in store but I do have some remote client requests from my regular clients who cant travel or are chasing a particular item.
I feel like a juggler keeping my face to face clients happy but also remembering to check my emails and whatsapp's throughout the day usually during my lunch break or travelling to and from work or on my days off (Unlike H staff we are permitted to take our phones home )and respond to requests.
Sometimes I am not able to respond immediately or if a client wants something and I reply saying "we dont have it available at the moment I'll be in contact when I have an update" It can be draining to have them then message me again and again asking for news.
Its insanely busy for all of us in the run up to Christmas.
We DO know how badly you want that item or items but inventory across all brands is Lower this year than ever before and the stores are busier than I remember in recent years (people shopping early in case of Lockdowns etc).
The Sales associates job is to SELL-that is what we are paid to do and our productivity is constantly under scrutiny-They WANT to sell to you.
But quite frankly In store clients have to take priority at this time.
Try and understand don't take it personally and remember that you are one of dozens of people all clamouring for the attention of that one individual.

It might be rewarding but also extremely challenging. I am guilty of that. When I want a bag … I want the freaking bag. But getting to know my sales associates, from different brands not only H, has helped me so much to have insight into the challenges they face. I want to thank you for the work that you do helping clients to fulfill their wishlists. I command you for serving people with the best of your ability. Not everyone is wired to do retail. It’s a demanding job and requires great people skills to excel. Thank you!!!

 

[Etriers]

Repeatedly calling, emailing or texting an SA to ask/inquire/remind her about quota bags is a bad idea, and is bound to be frustrating for the client and the SA. If you are a regular client with a purchase history, the SA not only knows the quota bags you want, you come to mind when a bag comes available because you are in the store regularly buying things. That is the salesperson-client “relationship.” It is about selling items and buying items. The degree to which one deviates from this formula is equal to the degree of frustration experienced with H or any luxury retailer. If you are not an established client with a purchase history, and you are lucky enough to even get a cellphone number, the only subject of a brief text should be to request an in-person appointment with a list of the items you intend to look at/buy. Buy being the key word. Unless you are a long-time client making regular purchases, expect a considerable wait to hear back about idle inquiries.

 

[pyrexia]

I don’t know if it will offend anyone, but I never use a bag when I visit my home store that I got from another store. I don’t think my SA will remember which ones she sold me, but just in case she asks I don’t want that awkwardness. I feel like it’s cheating lol.

I don't think the SAs care much.

My old SA was always happy when I managed to get a wishlist item during my travels, and I was always very upfront with her about how my wishlist changed if I got something on a trip.

 

[Justlikewhatilike]

I think the customers and SAs need to give each other a break.

customers should not take things personal is SAs don’t reply. Can’t bring phone home, busyness of all times, whatever it may be. Should there be prolonged unresponsiveness, pop down to the store.

SAs should also not take things personally if customers repeatedly ask for what they want. Simply because many SAs cannot remember what they have sold to their customers! Wish lists were at times forgotten or thought to have been fulfilled already.

at the end of day, these are Just things. Quite important because lots of money involved but not life and death matters.

 

[leechiyong]

My emphasis added to the above quote

When I read the posts in this thread, I get the impression that this important fact above ^ may not have really been absorbed by those customers who text, email or call and want a response

I also think it’s really important not to take lack of response personally as per @maxroxxherhandbags last lines

JMO though

I think this is a key point. H's preference has always been geared towards in person interactions. When they had to shut-down, this was flipped on its head and remote sales were the only option and their predominant means of sales was removed, so they were able to respond via text, email, and call much, much more quickly and people became accustom to this type of responsiveness. Now they’re back in store, focused on in person customers, and limited to their hours there.

I've shopped remotely since before the pandemic and the timeframe to receive responses always varied from a day to a couple of weeks, depending on the items I was requesting, their availability, and the time of year. My SA would reply when she had something substantive to say, which I appreciate.

To me, it’s about action more than words. I’ve received most things I inquired about or offers close to it, even if it took some time. I’d much rather that than an SA who responds right away, but delivers nothing.

 

[880]

I treat my SA how I would like to be treated: with patience; courtesy; and, understanding. Since I don’t appreciate constant repetitive reminders in my own life, I try not to do it to others. i also remember that while my DH or best friend can gently chide me for nagging them, an SA usually is not in that position.

I generally limit my item texts to make an appt for X category, ie, RTW or homeware, and i try to send a brief phrase of appreciation for their time, effort, and for the items once received. I get a happy or thumbs up emoticon back for both types of messages which is appropriate.

i would not like my phone to be blown up by hundreds of texts (especially concerning quota items that receive no credit to my sales goals) if I could not take my work phone home and had only a limited number of shifts or hours to make my sales goals. I think it’s easy to say just ignore all of that, but hard to do if it’s your own phone that is exploding.

Note: every SA relationship is different. i get to know mine quite well (so there is two way communication about matters other than items), but that type of relationship also has to happen organically over time, and it falls outside the lack of response to wishlist issue most are posting about here.

forgot to add, if I just want to browse or get gift ideas (for myself or others), usually I text: I’m in the neighborhood and would like to pop in to look around). That may lead to my finding something amazing while he is working with someone else, and I budget enough time to wait. anytime I click with an SA, I am exclusive, bc who else knows what I have already;what I like; and, what is good for my lifestyle

 

[A1aGypsy]

I think the other thing people need to keep in mind is that Hermes has created this system and hysteria over their product and then dropped their Sales staff in the middle without proper supports.

At a high luxury store, SAs should not be frantically trying to respond to other customers when they are tending to an in person client. Their focus should be solely on the person in front of them. And Hermes could easily rectify this by either establishing a rule - SAs will not respond to texts that address anything beyond an appt request or by simply giving their staff an hour at the beginning of each shift to address the electronic needs of their clients.

But the company doesn’t seem to do that. And you have to ask yourself why. (See my comment with respect to hysteria above)

 

[leechiyong]

I think the other thing people need to keep in mind is that Hermes has created this system and hysteria over their product and then dropped their Sales staff in the middle without proper supports.

At a high luxury store, SAs should not be frantically trying to respond to other customers when they are tending to an in person client. Their focus should be solely on the person in front of them. And Hermes could easily rectify this by either establishing a rule - SAs will not respond to texts that address anything beyond an appt request or by simply giving their staff an hour at the beginning of each shift to address the electronic needs of their clients.

But the company doesn’t seem to do that. And you have to ask yourself why. (See my comment with respect to hysteria above)

I don’t think it’s exclusive to H. Companies want to increase profits. I remember reading a few years back that an LV SA’s sales goal for that December was $1MM. I tend to go down rabbit holes, so with 160 working hours in a month, that’s a bit over $6,000 in sales an hour.

I don’t want to be reduced to the money I spend, but I do try to be cognizant that every text that doesn’t directly contribute to a sale adds $100 or so they have to make up somewhere else.

 

[Mrs.Hermess]

Repeatedly calling, emailing or texting an SA to ask/inquire/remind her about quota bags is a bad idea, and is bound to be frustrating for the client and the SA. If you are a regular client with a purchase history, the SA not only knows the quota bags you want, you come to mind when a bag comes available because you are in the store regularly buying things. That is the salesperson-client “relationship.” It is about selling items and buying items. The degree to which one deviates from this formula is equal to the degree of frustration experienced with H or any luxury retailer. If you are not an established client with a purchase history, and you are lucky enough to even get a cellphone number, the only subject of a brief text should be to request an in-person appointment with a list of the items you intend to look at/buy. Buy being the key word. Unless you are a long-time client making regular purchases, expect a considerable wait to hear back about idle inquiries.

Yes! I only text SA to coordinate an appointment, as I have seen something I like online or want to add an item to my collection. We never discuss anything other than coordination of appointment “to spend money”. I do not window shop or waste her time. Most of the time, I not only buy what I was in search of prior to appointment, but I also add several items that catch my eye.

 

[Hikar1]

Yes! I only text SA to coordinate an appointment, as I have seen something I like online or want to add an item to my collection. We never discuss anything other than coordination of appointment “to spend money”. I do not window shop or waste her time. Most of the time, I not only buy what I was in search of prior to appointment, but I also add several items that catch my eye.

I prefer this method as well, it feels this would be easiest for my SA.

However, I do want to say with my last visit to H, the stock was so low I barely hit anything on my things-to-buy list (mostly accessories and some jewelry). My SA suggested for me to send her a text of the items I wanted and she would procure them for me, since there was never any guarantee of the store having what I wanted in stock.

I haven't taken her offer on it yet...our last appointment felt very quick, almost rushed, in my opinion. I wouldn't want to be disappointed with the no response/ no reply from my SA that seems to be a common occurrence among many, many other clients.

 

[Etriers]

I prefer this method as well, it feels this would be easiest for my SA.

However, I do want to say with my last visit to H, the stock was so low I barely hit anything on my things-to-buy list (mostly accessories and some jewelry). My SA suggested for me to send her a text of the items I wanted and she would procure them for me, since there was never any guarantee of the store having what I wanted in stock.

I haven't taken her offer on it yet...our last appointment felt very quick, almost rushed, in my opinion. I wouldn't want to be disappointed with the no response/ no reply from my SA that seems to be a common occurrence among many, many other clients.

If she invited you to text her your list, then I would take her at her word.