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.

 

[FaubourgTropical]

Another thought, more from inexperience. The list of things I sent of stuff I'm interested in. They were just ideas. The total value of the items I sent is probably more than 100k. SA said he/she was working on the list/would do their best, suggested the 9k watch and asked my size on one type of item. What do I do if they have ordered in a ton of stuff but I'm not able to buy it all in one visit? No discussion of our next appointment yet, for context.

I am a math geek and this is my take: in a 'wish list' or 'ideas' of 100 k, 4k difference in price is 4% and I guess SA thought it’s a reasonable substitute, not an attempt to squeeze more dimes out of you. That would be my perspective reading your story. Good luck!

 

[Justlikewhatilike]

Ok that’s shocking haha. The reason I did not seriously think all those items would actually for me was because I had sent a smaller list before during a visit that he/she asked me to send the photos of, but there was no response or specific thing said about them from the SA. I thought perhaps they’re not available. So a few days later I sent the huge list hoping some would be available. The highest price item on there was 7k but added all together it’d be 100kish. I highly doubt everything can be sourced in my size etc.

maybe I should let them know I’ll pick up the watch and anything else already ordered and pause? Or just be honest that not all at once lol?

U can check your list of items to see which are seasonal and which are classic items. For classic items, there will definitely be shipments. It’s just a matter of time. For example, my gold on gold Bearn wallet took 5 months. For seasonal items, once the season is over, there will not be any stock. Shipments come in batches, could be weeks or 1 or 2 months apart.

You might want to sit down with your SA to prioritize your request list. I always do that. A good 20min of our appointment to check stock, make requests, etc. If certain item I want is coming but not in the colour I requested for, my SA will let me know what other colour options are coming and whether I am ok to switch on the colour.

 

[Beachbunny_chanel]

Ok that’s shocking haha. The reason I did not seriously think all those items would actually for me was because I had sent a smaller list before during a visit that he/she asked me to send the photos of, but there was no response or specific thing said about them from the SA. I thought perhaps they’re not available. So a few days later I sent the huge list hoping some would be available. The highest price item on there was 7k but added all together it’d be 100kish. I highly doubt everything can be sourced in my size etc.

maybe I should let them know I’ll pick up the watch and anything else already ordered and pause? Or just be honest that not all at once lol?

Just call them and say you rethought it and you want the other watch? What's the problem about that? I dont think that this will cause any bad consequences. I think they are happy to sell any watches.
There is nothing much worse to regret buying an expensive item sitting unworn in the closet. Gold jewellry and watches are hard to sell later ....you only get a fraction of the price...

I would wait if your SA can really get lots of the items on your wishlist. Stock is low and there is the chance that he won't get the items soon

 

[frenchcitygirl]

I'd communicate with your SA as soon as possible! Clarify that you'd sent a longer list assuming most wouldn't be available, and that you can't purchase everything.

And if you don't like the more expensive watch, don't get it!

I'm sure your SA will appreciate your honesty and will continue to value you as a customer.

 

[880]

i stand by my statement to only purchase items that you love, and I‘m very clear with my SA what I want and don’t want re homeware and RTW, which are the categories of primary interest to me. But, the watch conversation above reminded me that my specific watch H08 purchase last summer was the catalyst for three offers, including a QB that I accepted, from my then relatively new H SA ( I had stopped boutique shopping when my old H SA left years ago)

If you happen to love items in which H corporate has invested time and effort, like the H08, this demonstrates much more enthusiasm for the brand (thereby solidifying a relationship) than simple monetary value would suggest.

I had forgotten that my DH (who only wears serious watch brands— ALange & Sohne Zeitwork and two odysseus watches are currently his favorites) and my H SA discussed the H08 watch well before it actually appeared in the boutique bc it was reviewed favorably in Hodinkee ( https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/hermes-h08-2021 ). The review caught the attention of watch collectors who would not normally consider Hermes. H actually purchased a share of a heritage watch workshop (and I think relocated the manufacture from Switzerland to france) so that H could make the claim that the watch movement was made by Hermes. H intends the specific model H08 is to be the base model going forward for ‘serious’ H watches

the day it came in, we were so excited and raced over to see it. (We had asked for the all black model, but our SA apologetically said he could not get it; in fact, at that time, the boutique only received a titanium one. (There are times when you realize that you have to jump on something or risk not get it at all, and this is one of them). At the time of the first shipment, I believe every H08 the boutique received was essentially earmarked for a specific customer. In additon to the watch, I also bought a few RTW pieces that day which is normal for me. (I don’t keep track of my spend, but i do group my purchases together on each visit bc it’s most efficient for me and the SA)

Towards the end of the appointment, I was offered three bags including the first QB that I accepted from my SA. I should add that Sa knew I have a number of QBs already and that my preferred size QB is not the most popular spec (etoupe 30B, Phw) so it is easier to get. My SA even joked that if he realized I wanted this particular QB, I could have gotten it sooner. (At that point the only bag I said I really wanted was the mini Della cavalleria which I saw on the runway — when that came into the boutique, I was given my choice of a few colors)

H08 is more discreet for travel than Rolex GMT bc no one knows what it is

 

[Justlikewhatilike]

Haha….any watch will improve the relationship. My requests were mostly fulfilled after I bought a watch. Lol.

before that….Nada.

 

[Beachbunny_chanel]

Haha….any watch will improve the relationship. My requests were mostly fulfilled after I bought a watch. Lol.

before that….Nada.

Did you buy jewellry before the watch? Cause i bought gold jewellry (7000€) and it hasn't changed a lot yet (SA was more open but no quota). So maybe buying a watch is better than jewellry?

 

[Justlikewhatilike]

Did you buy jewellry before the watch? Cause i bought gold jewellry (7000€) and it hasn't changed a lot yet (SA was more open but no quota). So maybe buying a watch is better than jewellry?

I ordered jewellery that is more than eur7k. Paid deposit but not delivered yet. So I supposed my SA didn’t get the commission yet.

oh, by the way….after getting my watch, there r available things to buy. Not offered quota. Reality check

 

[acrowcounted]

Ok that’s shocking haha. The reason I did not seriously think all those items would actually for me was because I had sent a smaller list before during a visit that he/she asked me to send the photos of, but there was no response or specific thing said about them from the SA. I thought perhaps they’re not available. So a few days later I sent the huge list hoping some would be available. The highest price item on there was 7k but added all together it’d be 100kish. I highly doubt everything can be sourced in my size etc.

maybe I should let them know I’ll pick up the watch and anything else already ordered and pause? Or just be honest that not all at once lol?

Yikes, you should probably just communicate more honestly and directly with the SA going forward and stop assuming that anyone is playing a game. Make an appointment soon to see them in person. Explain that the list you sent was actually your long term wish list and you were hoping they’d be able to enlighten you on the types of items from the list that you should jump on immediately versus ones that could be expected to be around for some time and can be put off until later. In the future, I highly recommend only sending items that you want ASAP and will 100% purchase (with exception of there being a defect in the item etc) when it arrives, even if it arrives tomorrow. Otherwise, the SA is going to see you as a time waster and likely reduce their effort toward you significantly.

 

[Itinerantd]

Thanks again all for the very helpful advice. I guess I have to remember this is H and it is not unheard of to have customers actually able to buy 100k worth of stuff in one visit. My personal comfort point is the level/rate I've spent so far, not much beyond that (1:1 every 2 months), I thought 1:1 was about 10k - there is still an ocean of difference between 10k and 100k, but I guess it's not SA job to think about that.

Some clarification though - many of the items in my huge list were different colors of the same item, like I'd be happy to get any of these colors. Would it be assumed I want all the colors?

Another question - the SA seems to really want pictures sent of as many items I'm interested in as possible. He/she told me this themselves. I also said no rush for any of these items. But still does not mitigate this situation?

Unrelated - I noticed on my receipts the cashier name is only this SA's name on one of the receipts, it says other people for all the other receipts but I've obviously only worked with this one SA. Anything to worry about?

Is the reason some things can take months to arrive because it's not available currently, needs to be made at the workshops and shipped to stores in the correct season? (maybe off topic sorry)

 

[Nahreen]

Thanks again all for the very helpful advice. I guess I have to remember this is H and it is not unheard of to have customers actually able to buy 100k worth of stuff in one visit. My personal comfort point is the level/rate I've spent so far, not much beyond that (1:1 every 2 months), I thought 1:1 was about 10k - there is still an ocean of difference between 10k and 100k, but I guess it's not SA job to think about that.

Some clarification though - many of the items in my huge list were different colors of the same item, like I'd be happy to get any of these colors. Would it be assumed I want all the colors?

Another question - the SA seems to really want pictures sent of as many items I'm interested in as possible. He/she told me this themselves. I also said no rush for any of these items. But still does not mitigate this situation?

Unrelated - I noticed on my receipts the cashier name is only this SA's name on one of the receipts, it says other people for all the other receipts but I've obviously only worked with this one SA. Anything to worry about?

Is the reason some things can take months to arrive because it's not available currently, needs to be made at the workshops and shipped to stores in the correct season? (maybe off topic sorry)

Your SA does not know your financial situation. If you ask for merchandise worth 100k, SA can only assume you want those items (and can pay for them).

There are many customers who want multiples of the same item but in different colours such as scarves, rodeos, wallets etc. Thus if you ask for different colours and don`t specify that you want only one in either colour A, B, or C etc, your SA probably think you want one each of the colours you listed.

Merchandise can take long to arrive because items are released througout the season, some need to be sourced at other boutiques (and transfered) other items can be ordered from H Paris but then need to be made and hence the prolonged delivery time (for me it was a white gold ring that took 6 months).

 

[DME]

As I see it some Posters view Hermès shopping and 'relationships' on a par to being accepted for membership at an exclusive club.
At the risk of sounding rude people do really just need to chill.
Hermès is a brand...and yes I understand that buying into that brand denotes a certain element of wealth or supposed 'good taste'.
Hermès stores are shops..the purpose of a shop is sell things-in the case of Hermès (unlike Zara or Longchamp) the items are all made in house not farmed out to factories some items are hand-made-Therefore there will always by the nature of the brand be limited supply of certain popular items.
Hermès sales associates are just that..sales people there to sell items to customers.
They are not your friend- you should not feel the need to get their 'approval' to gain admission to the 'elite club'.
Be genuine, be polite, if you love the brand and are open and honest the 'relationship' will grow.! It should be a form of relaxation
But desperation shows and do remember that some sales people will smell that desperation to 'be accepted to the club' and get offered a quota bag and string you along to boost their sales and therefore their commission.
I'm a little like a cracked record with what I am going to state next because I repeat it again and again but Its something I feel strongly some posters need reminding of.
Shopping should be joyful it should be a form of relaxation.
It shouldn't be a source of stress and handwringing and overthinking.
These are luxury goods its not life or death..relax and enjoy the shopping experience.
I will add here that during my long love affair with the brand I have had a few quota bag offers despite being a low spender.
I put this down to being open and honest and genuinely loving the brand and loving more than just the quota bags.

I was going to pull out bits and pieces of your post to comment on, but I realized I was getting close to the whole post anyway, so…

This. This 1000%. I’m not a huge spender and I was terrified of/intimidated by Hermes for a long time, so it took me ages to even by an enamel bracelet. I had one SA reach out to me after what I’m sure was a small sale for her, just to let me know she was there to help if I needed anything. This was not even in my home store, either, but a place we vacation at least once a year. I do most of my spending with her now. I did get an offer for a B30 in Etain back in March with a less than 1:1 spend (and not all with her, either) and was thrilled. But I’m patient, enjoy the brand, buy things I love, take the time to get to know my SA, etc. I also bring my bag to every appointment with her now to show appreciation and to drive home that I’m not a reseller, which she seems to really like based on her comments. I chalk that offer up to all of those things! At the end of the day, SAs are people, too. A little kindness and loyalty go a long way. And for us shoppers, taking the time to relax and enjoy the experience also goes a long way.

 

[Beachbunny_chanel]

I was going to pull out bits and pieces of your post to comment on, but I realized I was getting close to the whole post anyway, so…

This. This 1000%. I’m not a huge spender and I was terrified of/intimidated by Hermes for a long time, so it took me ages to even by an enamel bracelet. I had one SA reach out to me after what I’m sure was a small sale for her, just to let me know she was there to help if I needed anything. This was not even in my home store, either, but a place we vacation at least once a year. I do most of my spending with her now. I did get an offer for a B30 in Etain back in March with a less than 1:1 spend (and not all with her, either) and was thrilled. But I’m patient, enjoy the brand, buy things I love, take the time to get to know my SA, etc. I also bring my bag to every appointment with her now to show appreciation and to drive home that I’m not a reseller, which she seems to really like based on her comments. I chalk that offer up to all of those things! At the end of the day, SAs are people, too. A little kindness and loyalty go a long way. And for us shoppers, taking the time to relax and enjoy the experience also goes a long way.

May i ask if that does include non quota bags or all categorys without non quota bags?

 

[Itinerantd]

Ah how I do want to go into detail about the watches but don't want go off topic in this thread. I am actually interested in some of the mens watches as a woman. But did not see a thread for H watches here actually. Is there one?

 

[Etriers]

Ok that’s shocking haha. The reason I did not seriously think all those items would actually for me was because I had sent a smaller list before during a visit that he/she asked me to send the photos of, but there was no response or specific thing said about them from the SA. I thought perhaps they’re not available. So a few days later I sent the huge list hoping some would be available. The highest price item on there was 7k but added all together it’d be 100kish. I highly doubt everything can be sourced in my size etc.

maybe I should let them know I’ll pick up the watch and anything else already ordered and pause? Or just be honest that not all at once lol?

And that‘s exactly the problem created by (and danger of) listening to all of the nonsense about H “games.”

Yikes, you should probably just communicate more honestly and directly with the SA going forward and stop assuming that anyone is playing a game. Make an appointment soon to see them in person. Explain that the list you sent was actually your long term wish list and you were hoping they’d be able to enlighten you on the types of items from the list that you should jump on immediately versus ones that could be expected to be around for some time and can be put off until later. In the future, I highly recommend only sending items that you want ASAP and will 100% purchase (with exception of there being a defect in the item etc) when it arrives, even if it arrives tomorrow. Otherwise, the SA is going to see you as a time waster and likely reduce their effort toward you significantly.

This.