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.

 

[Justlikewhatilike]

Update: reached out and offered to pick up 9k watch and anything else already ordered. turns out SA hasn’t sourced anything in my list yet. I asked for appointment in a few weeks because honestly that’s the earliest I’m available. No response yet (to be fair it’s been only a day). Perhaps it can’t be held that long which I’m ok with? But what do you guys think that nothing else has been sourced yet? Of course they are very busy it hasn’t been that long but still. I still have a gut feeling that it is not worth this SA time if you’re not going to spend at least 9k and can come in twice a month or something haha. No problem with that it’s just the clientele I’m up against in this area I guess.

My SA told me she didn’t have time to go to the washroom. I physically see a few times she hurried up and down stairs to round up her last appointment before attending to me. That’s why I mentioned a good 20 min of my appointment is checking stocks.

Why not you just go a couple of times to the store and understand how your SA work? Then u will know better how he/she is worth your while with a 9k purchase.

 

[Itinerantd]

My SA told me she didn’t have time to go to the washroom. I physically see a few times she hurried up and down stairs to round up her last appointment before attending to me. That’s why I mentioned a good 20 min of my appointment is checking stocks.

Why not you just go a couple of times to the store and understand how your SA work? Then u will know better how he/she is worth your while with a 9k purchase.

Haha it could be I’m completely wrong and just terribly impatient. But yeah like I said I completely don’t fault him/her if my suspicions are true. This is a business. It’s just not a match in that case, my spending ability and time availability to come in.

 

[RitaLA]

Update: reached out and offered to pick up 9k watch and anything else already ordered. turns out SA hasn’t sourced anything in my list yet. I asked for appointment in a few weeks because honestly that’s the earliest I’m available. No response yet confirming appointment time (to be fair it’s been only a day). Perhaps the watch can’t be held that long which I’m ok with? But what do you guys think that nothing else has been sourced yet? Of course they are very busy it hasn’t been that long but still. I still have a gut feeling that it is not worth this SA time if you’re not going to spend at least 9k each visit and can come in twice a month or something haha. No problem with that it’s just the clientele I’m up against in this area I guess.

Hun, please please don’t take this as a criticism but I think you’re overthinking this too much, love. And I’m not being sarcastic. Not one bit. It takes time to source some of these things. Hermès has a very peculiar way of operating, which is completely different from what we’re used to. The SAs, at least the ones I worked with, don’t operate in the “go go go go” kinda fashion. Remember: this is a marathon, not a sprint. I know you migh be excited and looking forward to execute on your purchases and keep going but that’s when a lot of people drop off the “race.” Ask yourself: “Am I having fun?” “Am I enjoying this ride and these experiences?” If not, it might be a matter of reframing and adjusting the expectations on how the transactions with Hermès should go. We create a certain narrative in our minds before we start projects, experiences, etc. And some of our disappointments are self-imposed because the reality we experience does not align with our visions of how things should go. What if you set the expectations aside? How would that make you feel? Would you think you lost control? Would you feel lost? I am saying this genuinely to maybe help you reframe the way you see your journey with H. I know it’s very hard. We all set expectations one way or another but we have to remember that dealing with people is a complex task. Not only you’re dealing with a salesperson, who has his own way of handling sales but you’re also entering a complex “brand” dynamics that created a web of layers to do business. Hang in there and enjoy the moment!!! Don’t get discouraged

 

[Justlikewhatilike]

Haha it could be I’m completely wrong and just terribly impatient. But yeah like I said I completely don’t fault him/her if my suspicions are true. This is a business. It’s just not a match in that case, my spending ability and time availability to come in.

Then I hope u r placing your bet on the right horse (pun intended!)

 

[leechiyong]

Update: reached out and offered to pick up 9k watch and anything else already ordered. turns out SA hasn’t sourced anything in my list yet. I asked for appointment in a few weeks because honestly that’s the earliest I’m available. No response yet confirming appointment time (to be fair it’s been only a day). Perhaps the watch can’t be held that long which I’m ok with? But what do you guys think that nothing else has been sourced yet? Of course they are very busy it hasn’t been that long but still. I still have a gut feeling that it is not worth this SA time if you’re not going to spend at least 9k each visit and can come in twice a month or something haha. No problem with that it’s just the clientele I’m up against in this area I guess.

Everything you're describing is still within the norms for H, so without actually being there and seeing how your SA is treating you, it's hard to judge. It's why I say to give it time. I get it's hard to trust your SA is working for you, but let them try because things can vary. There's moving components behind the scenes, so saying it hasn't been sourced yet, they may have requested it, but not heard anything back from other stores/corporate.

H works in months, not hours, so it just takes time to build trust with your SA until they're able to get you items you want or you try with enough SAs to realize it's just how H operates. It's okay to hold off spending for a few months to see if they track down something you want and don't be afraid to decline if they offer you something instead that you don't want.

 

[WhiteBus]

Update: reached out and offered to pick up 9k watch and anything else already ordered. turns out SA hasn’t sourced anything in my list yet. I asked for appointment in a few weeks because honestly that’s the earliest I’m available. No response yet confirming appointment time (to be fair it’s been only a day). Perhaps the watch can’t be held that long which I’m ok with? But what do you guys think that nothing else has been sourced yet? Of course they are very busy it hasn’t been that long (about a week since sending the list and my last post) but still. I still have a gut feeling that it is not worth this SA time if you’re not going to spend at least 9k each visit and can come in twice a month or something haha. No problem with that it’s just the clientele I’m up against in this area I guess.

You might be generating the vibe that you are not a genuine or sincere customer.

 

[leechiyong]

The other thing I'll mention since it keeps being brought up is that spend gets mentioned to keep things in perspective, but not because you aren't valued as a customer. I'm willing to bet most of their clients spend around what you do. There are the clients who singularly raise the mean, and while they will take priority, it doesn't mean that they're the only ones about whom the SA cares.

 

[DME]

Update: reached out and offered to pick up 9k watch and anything else already ordered. turns out SA hasn’t sourced anything in my list yet. I asked for appointment in a few weeks because honestly that’s the earliest I’m available. No response yet confirming appointment time (to be fair it’s been only a day). Perhaps the watch can’t be held that long which I’m ok with? But what do you guys think that nothing else has been sourced yet? Of course they are very busy it hasn’t been that long (about a week since sending the list and my last post) but still. I still have a gut feeling that it is not worth this SA time if you’re not going to spend at least 9k each visit and can come in twice a month or something haha. No problem with that it’s just the clientele I’m up against in this area I guess.

I can’t speak for all countries or stores, but it’s my experience that stock is at an all-time low right now due to demand, supply chain disruptions and other factors. Add to that the normal slow pace of business in the H world and how busy the SAs are with clients coming into the stores and it’s no surprise to me that none of your items have been sourced in a week. H is not like Amazon Prime where you click one button and your item shows up on your doorstep the next day. It takes time and patience, especially when the items you want are not in your local store. Give your SA some time to do right by you and understand you may have to wait weeks, if not months, to get some items, if they can be had at all.

For one wish list item I gave my SA earlier this year (Birkin pendant in silver), it took several months for her to source it and I had only one update from her during that time when I reached out to inquire. (Being newer to H and that being my first sourced request, I was unaware of what to expect.) While it would have been great to get the item sooner, what this demonstrated to me is my SA is working for me and didn’t forget about a small purchase item in which I was interested. That spoke volumes!

Again, your mileage may vary, but I don’t think what you’re describing is at all uncommon for H.

 

[Itinerantd]

You might be generating the vibe that you are not a genuine or sincere customer.

And what exactly did I do that might be generating the vibe that I don’t love the brand? I just put in 13k of my hard earned money, is that not proof. I really don’t like this attitude that if someone is having a hard time at H it’s their own fault because they are a terrible person, like some elitist garbage of the “ideal” H customer.

 

[A1aGypsy]

And what exactly did I do that might be generating the vibe that I don’t love the brand? I just put in 13k of my hard earned money, is that not proof. I really don’t like this attitude that if someone is having a hard time at H it’s their own fault because they are a terrible person, like some elitist garbage of the “ideal” H customer.

I think what people are trying to explain is that it may not be that you are having a hard time but, rather, a normal H experience. And, if you are unhappy with the pace, Hermes may not be the company for you as their sales model is unlikely to change any time soon.

 

[Itinerantd]

So I guess one might argue that if one is a “genuine” customer they might buy things that are not high commission like SLG or other non-BKC bags. I did list one for my first appointment, but he/she steered me clear to the other departments of other things I listed that were probably high commission and reserved one item that was also probably high commission. I saw the leather good in the store (although maybe not that visit). No effort to help me get that. Of course it may have been unavailable at that time and I don’t expect people to remember of course. But how can you show “true appreciation” without regard to profile building when the things you’re being helped to buy are profile-heavy stuff.

 

[Beachbunny_chanel]

What i don't understand is why you want to buy the big ticket watch if you don't have a good feeling about the SA/shopping experience? Then don't buy and go to another store or look for an other SA

 

[leechiyong]

And what exactly did I do that might be generating the vibe that I don’t love the brand? I just put in 13k of my hard earned money, is that not proof. I really don’t like this attitude that if someone is having a hard time at H it’s their own fault because they are a terrible person, like some elitist garbage of the “ideal” H customer.

I certainly don't think people who are having hard times at H are terrible people, but my frustrations when I started, 98% my fault. The other 2% were SAs who didn't have the bandwidth to take on a new client, especially one with my (lack of) spend, which I get, but 100% of it was unnecessary anxiety. When I changed my paradigm to take things at face value and extend trust as it was built, it was a game changer.

Starting off assuming SAs expect higher spend or have ulterior motives creates a feeling of distrust, even though they are valid concerns, and makes it hard to build any type of relationship. On the SA's side, they worry about a customers who will burn out before they have the ability to obtain their client's trust and what hurdles they face when there's already distrust.

 

[Itinerantd]

What i don't understand is why you want to buy the big ticket watch if you don't have a good feeling about the SA/shopping experience? Then don't buy and go to another store or look for an other SA

I am considering doing that- it’s what my original post here was about. There is also some small hope especially with new stock in January. When I mentioned my wish for a birkin the second visit the SA did go to check the stock room but said nothing available in my specs. I thought it was definitely nice of them to check of course. Of course it’s very likely there really was no stock, or at that time the SM didn’t approve, or it was just a courteous move to keep me coming back.
I also think someone may have seen my posts here lol which at this point if they figure out and have fired me as a customer I accept that haha

 

[Itinerantd]

By the way I’m not complaining that nothing has been sourced. I took everyone’s suggestion and told SA immediately no need to get everything for the next appointment to avoid wasted efforts, much appreciation. SA did not say if any effort has been made for the non-watch items. SA suggested I come in to try the 9k watch. I said ok and I gave my next availability which is a few weeks from now and he/she had no response to that.