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]

Has anyone had experience with their wish list expiring? I had an SA I had put in my wish in with. She booked the color and specs I was looking for and everything but after about a year she left. When I got a new SA and told her I had been added to a waiting list she checked and said it was fine. If they cancel it someone will call me. Then a year goes by and She just now tells me that my wish has expired after a year. So basically my wish hasn’t been in the system the whole time I’ve been shopping with her. Does this mean I need to start fresh? Will I be back in the line? I don’t think my store plays the spend ratio game as I know people who have gotten quota bags with little spend. But I’m wondering how much longer will this take lol. I know each case is different but I’m going in next month to put my wish in again and wondering how to approach it.

Which country is this?

 

[luckylove]

Has anyone had experience with their wish list expiring? I had an SA I had put in my wish in with. She booked the color and specs I was looking for and everything but after about a year she left. When I got a new SA and told her I had been added to a waiting list she checked and said it was fine. If they cancel it someone will call me. Then a year goes by and She just now tells me that my wish has expired after a year. So basically my wish hasn’t been in the system the whole time I’ve been shopping with her. Does this mean I need to start fresh? Will I be back in the line? I don’t think my store plays the spend ratio game as I know people who have gotten quota bags with little spend. But I’m wondering how much longer will this take lol. I know each case is different but I’m going in next month to put my wish in again and wondering how to approach it.

Hi there! I think I remember a similar post in the London thread? I wish I could answer your question, but the US boutiques don't really work on this time limited wish list system. Would you feel comfortable speaking with the new SA you have been working with about the specifics? I know bags in general have been in shorter supply this year and many did not have their wish lists fulfilled. I would definitely renew your wish list and keep an optimistic attitude when you go in next month. Good luck! Hope you won't have to wait too much longer.

 

[PetitVoyageur]

Hi there! I think I remember a similar post in the London thread? I wish I could answer your question, but the US boutiques don't really work on this time limited wish list system. Would you feel comfortable speaking with the new SA you have been working with about the specifics? I know bags in general have been in shorter supply this year and many did not have their wish lists fulfilled. I would definitely renew your wish list and keep an optimistic attitude when you go in next month. Good luck! Hope you won't have to wait too much longer.

Hi, may I know how does wish list work in US ? I told my SA what I want and it's really narrow and specific, was being told that she would write it down but not sure if she had put it on the phone under my profile, it's been a year still no news of my quota bag

 

[acrowcounted]

Hi, may I know how does wish list work in US ? I told my SA what I want and it's really narrow and specific, was being told that she would write it down but not sure if she had put it on the phone under my profile, it's been a year still no news of my quota bag

Unless you are regularly shopping with a specific SA, you won’t be randomly called for a quota bag in the US.

 

[luckylove]

Hi, may I know how does wish list work in US ? I told my SA what I want and it's really narrow and specific, was being told that she would write it down but not sure if she had put it on the phone under my profile, it's been a year still no news of my quota bag

Oh goodness, I am certainly not an expert on what happens "behind the curtain" at H, but generally speaking here is my impression... others may want to chime in....Your SA takes note of your "wish" and typically must go to bat for you and plead your case in the hopes that the bag that you (and probably many other clients desire) will be assigned to her to offer you. Your wish list isn't as formalized as far as I know and doesn't expire. Though it may be a good idea the next time you are in shopping for other items to bring it up casually to make sure your SA stays on the lookout for your desired specs. Stock across the board has been low this year. Good luck! Hope your dream bag finds it's way to you soon!

 

[cravin]

Unless you are regularly shopping with a specific SA, you won’t be randomly called for a quota bag in the US.

This.

 

[PetitVoyageur]

Oh goodness, I am certainly not an expert on what happens "behind the curtain" at H, but generally speaking here is my impression... others may want to chime in....Your SA takes note of your "wish" and typically must go to bat for you and plead your case in the hopes that the bag that you (and probably many other clients desire) will be assigned to her to offer you. Your wish list isn't as formalized as far as I know and doesn't expire. Though it may be a good idea the next time you are in shopping for other items to bring it up casually to make sure your SA stays on the lookout for your desired specs. Stock across the board has been low this year. Good luck! Hope your dream bag finds it's way to you soon!

thanks, but how can they make sure the bag I want will be ordered and came in the end ? I guess maybe the manger will talk to each SA and write down who is still on wish list for a specific bag for years and hopefully he/she will order the bag during PO. BTW, I know someone in the same boutique dropped big amount $$ on jewelleries in diamonds and being offered very popular bag soon with her friend (2 kelly 25 sellier in etoupe exact same spec for her and her friend), looks like they are not short of bags in anyway

 

[luckylove]

thanks, but how can they make sure the bag I want will be ordered and came in the end ? I guess maybe the manger will talk to each SA and write down who is still on wish list for a specific bag for years and hopefully he/she will order the bag during PO. BTW, I know someone in the same boutique dropped big amount $$ on jewelleries in diamonds and being offered very popular bag soon with her friend (2 kelly 25 sellier in etoupe exact same spec for her and her friend), looks like they are not short of bags in anyway

Well, there is always that route.... drop mega bucks on jewelry and who knows??

 

[880]

I told my SA what I want and it's really narrow and specific. . .
it's been a year still no news of my quota bag

how can they make sure the bag I want will be ordered and came in the end

assuming you have been shopping regularly throughout the year with your SA, you should certainly be able to ask her

This is a sales relationship. If she has any idea, she will tell you.

 

[Etriers]

Has anyone had experience with their wish list expiring? I had an SA I had put in my wish in with. She booked the color and specs I was looking for and everything but after about a year she left. When I got a new SA and told her I had been added to a waiting list she checked and said it was fine. If they cancel it someone will call me. Then a year goes by and She just now tells me that my wish has expired after a year. So basically my wish hasn’t been in the system the whole time I’ve been shopping with her. Does this mean I need to start fresh? Will I be back in the line? I don’t think my store plays the spend ratio game as I know people who have gotten quota bags with little spend. But I’m wondering how much longer will this take lol. I know each case is different but I’m going in next month to put my wish in again and wondering how to approach it.

Just simply ask your SA.

 

[Etriers]

Just a thought. I don’t know if this will help the anxiety level …

It is almost impossible anywhere in the world, to get a quota bag in a boutique (except Paris) without being a regular customer of that boutique. The only reason I qualify that statement with “almost” is that yes, one will hear stories of random calls after umpteen years and walk-in surprise Birkins, but those stories are unicorn exceptions not the rule, and are outside the scope of this thread.

One way to create an exception is to drop a massive amount of $ at one time on something like fine jewelry/RTW in a store, especially a tourist store, that happens to have stock of the bag you want.

Otherwise, just enjoy your shopping over the years and become a happy, regular client. If there is something specific you want, let your SA know directly. No need to dance around about it. Refresh your shopping wish list at least yearly.

If you see something on H.com, or in another boutique, ask your SA if she prefers to get it for you, or for you to get it yourself. Then do that.

Always keep in mind that what seems like a lot of money to you, might be weekly fun money to a hundred other clients. H is the tippy-top of the tippy-top. You have to be able to accept going in that this is the clientele you’re shopping with at H. It isn’t a “game”, it’s just reality.

This thread is about *maintaining* a regular business relationship over many years with a SA and a boutique. It is not about how to play a game to get a B/K/C and then disappear. Not to sound harsh (at all!❤) but you’ll likely not get the information you want on this thread and it might be more effective to start a thread to that effect.

If you have been shopping regularly with your SA for at least a year (during normal non-Covid conditions) and spending $, you should get a quota bag offer, unless your preference is so rare and specific that she just can’t do it with your level of spend or it just isn’t available. Again, this will not be a mystery because you will have chatted with her about it. If it is time to find a new SA, or boutique, it won’t be a drama because you’ll know with certainty that it’s not a good fit.

 

[FaubourgTropical]

Great summary. I am one of those unicorns but having started my business with H, I realize that H is operating an old but long-standing luxury business model where a customer comes to the boutique for most of her fashion needs, get attended to by a dedicated sales person for a personalized service. I am watching Vienna Blood and the image of the Liebermann store comes to mind

Alas, the world has changed. H is in higher demand due to social media etc but keeps its operating model. This creates confusion.
Understanding the operating model makes shopping at H more like shopping instead of a game to be solved.

To me, understanding the environment / culture of the store is also important. I am in a small town in Europe where people are modest and that's reflected in the store attitude. The SAs are polite, friendly but efficient and aim to sell stuffs I need or want.

My opinion only: there’s no secret formula. Some people can get very lucky but sucess with H is all about LT relationship, as often preached here.

 

[Hikitten]

Which country is this?

I’m in Europe and when they do open the list for specific bags, customers can pick two preferred colors and a leather. I guess it’s more of a waitlist but I don’t necessarily think they go in order of first in first out. Think the H game then comes into effect.
Note that small popular bags like B25/k25/ mini anything won’t have a waitlist. So what I was on was for a Kelly 28. It was closed for a period but opened up when I got on.

 

[leechiyong]

Just a thought. I don’t know if this will help the anxiety level …

It is almost impossible anywhere in the world, to get a quota bag in a boutique (except Paris) without being a regular customer of that boutique. The only reason I qualify that statement with “almost” is that yes, one will hear stories of random calls after umpteen years and walk-in surprise Birkins, but those stories are unicorn exceptions not the rule, and are outside the scope of this thread.

One way to create an exception is to drop a massive amount of $ at one time on something like fine jewelry/RTW in a store, especially a tourist store, that happens to have stock of the bag you want.

Otherwise, just enjoy your shopping over the years and become a happy, regular client. If there is something specific you want, let your SA know directly. No need to dance around about it. Refresh your shopping wish list at least yearly.

If you see something on H.com, or in another boutique, ask your SA if she prefers to get it for you, or for you to get it yourself. Then do that.

Always keep in mind that what seems like a lot of money to you, might be weekly fun money to a hundred other clients. H is the tippy-top of the tippy-top. You have to be able to accept going in that this is the clientele you’re shopping with at H. It isn’t a “game”, it’s just reality.

This thread is about *maintaining* a regular business relationship over many years with a SA and a boutique. It is not about how to play a game to get a B/K/C and then disappear. Not to sound harsh (at all!❤) but you’ll likely not get the information you want on this thread and it might be more effective to start a thread to that effect.

If you have been shopping regularly with your SA for at least a year (during normal non-Covid conditions) and spending $, you should get a quota bag offer, unless your preference is so rare and specific that she just can’t do it with your level of spend or it just isn’t available. Again, this will not be a mystery because you will have chatted with her about it. If it is time to find a new SA, or boutique, it won’t be a drama because you’ll know with certainty that it’s not a good fit.

All of this, but what's in bold especially. I feel like many have an idea of what "a massive amount of $ at one time" which does not align with what a massive amount of $ actually is at H (or any luxury brand for that matter). I think it's important for people to keep in perspective that the vast majority of their customers are spending four to five figures per transaction plus the fine jewelry/RTW spend combo is what a lot of new people are trying at their max cap, so in order to stand out from long-term customers and all the people trying this, one must spend an order of magnitude more, not just a few thousand more.

It's far less money to slowly build the relationship over time and I'd also say more prudent. Sure, I can just know I want a tadelakt K28 Sellier in bleu electrique, but do I really know when I haven't actually seen how it wears or am I going to be driven nuts by the scratches that appear when I just breathe on it? On the flip side, I could take anything only to discover how much I wish I’d gotten a softer leather than epsom. I'd much prefer spending a few years buying Calvis or Bastias in different leathers periodically with maybe a couple of other small items while discussing the merits of the different leathers with my SA and seeing how they wear before deciding on which one I'd like for a bag that costs more than my first car. It might take longer, but if it’s a bag I plan on having the rest of my life, what’s a few years for it to be the right one?

 

[Justlikewhatilike]

All of this, but what's in bold especially. I feel like many have an idea of what "a massive amount of $ at one time" which does not align with what a massive amount of $ actually is at H (or any luxury brand for that matter). I think it's important for people to keep in perspective that the vast majority of their customers are spending four to five figures per transaction plus the fine jewelry/RTW spend combo is what a lot of new people are trying at their max cap, so in order to stand out from long-term customers and all the people trying this, one must spend an order of magnitude more, not just a few thousand more.

It's far less money to slowly build the relationship over time and I'd also say more prudent. Sure, I can just know I want a tadelakt K28 Sellier in bleu electrique, but do I really know when I haven't actually seen how it wears or am I going to be driven nuts by the scratches that appear when I just breathe on it? On the flip side, I could take anything only to discover how much I wish I’d gotten a softer leather than epsom. I'd much prefer spending a few years buying Calvis or Bastias in different leathers periodically with maybe a couple of other small items while discussing the merits of the different leathers with my SA and seeing how they wear before deciding on which one I'd like for a bag that costs more than my first car. It might take longer, but if it’s a bag I plan on having the rest of my life, what’s a few years for it to be the right one?

There are many reasons
1. Rules may change (and customers r never informed, that’s why people think it’s a game). You keep wondering why what you request were always “no stock, no shipment “
2. Your SA may leave and your new SA doesn’t offer you anything, no bag at all. Heard more of such stories than a new SA surprised customer with a QB on their first meeting.