Maintaining an H relationship

[papertiger]

Please focus on the title of this thread rather than each other, TY

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[Justlikewhatilike]

Exactly!!! Don’t mean to be a debbie downer but a little hypocritical. But I don’t know the whole context.

Hermes operates in the way that make sense for them.
We do our shopping in a way that make sense for us. Shrugs.

 

[DB8]

With low inventory, how did the customer managed to find everything he/she love in the store and spent that amount in 1 day unless it is furniture or high jewellery?

You just answered your own question. You seem shocked that a client is able to spend a large sum in one of the priciest retailers in the world? There's always stuff to buy, especially at the larger stores.

And tsk tsk….why did Hermes offered the croc bag?! Shouldn’t the customer demonstrate exploring across categories over a long period of time, showing loyalty and all that?

Tsk tsk?? Why not - this person showed their loyalty by opening their wallet. Hermes is a business, after all. Most SA's would love a client who came in and spent that in one go, while being very direct with what they want. This beats dealing with 5 clients spending $5,000 a year but hounding constantly for a bag.

Dropping a ton of cash is absolutely the other way to procure any luxury good without waiting. Looking for a Nautilus? Aquanaut? Daytona?, and don't want to wait? Yeah, money talks.

 

[Justlikewhatilike]

You just answered your own question. You seem shocked that a client is able to spend a large sum in one of the priciest retailers in the world? There's always stuff to buy, especially at the larger stores.



Tsk tsk?? Why not - this person showed their loyalty by opening their wallet. Hermes is a business, after all. Most SA's would love a client who came in and spent that in one go, while being very direct with what they want. This beats dealing with 5 clients spending $5,000 a year but hounding constantly for a bag.

Dropping a ton of cash is absolutely the other way to procure any luxury good without waiting. Looking for a Nautilus? Aquanaut? Daytona?, and don't want to wait? Yeah, money talks.

Yup, whole heartedly agree. I was just being sarcastic.

 

[RitaLA]

Yup, whole heartedly agree. I was just being sarcastic.

I think the whole thing with H is that their metrics are “objective” to them but subjective to us. Some of us (I am not generalizing saying that we all want a bag. Some of us …) have a target when we cross their retail doors. We would love at some point, own one of their quota bags. But the bags are not available for purchase. So one keeps wondering how s/he can buy their beautiful bags. Slowly narratives start trickling down to our worlds about how we could possibly get a bag (buy other categories, spend 1:1, spend 2:1, etc) and we keep trying to find the right metrics to hit the moving target. When we finally think, okay, I think I fulfilled the metrics and the expectations; someone else hits the “moving target” without using any of the tools that we used as metrics for a successful bag purchase. It can be frustrating and discouraging. But I must confess that H never gave me a manual with steps to take in order to get the moving target. My SA always tells me: “ it’s not a straight forward path. It will be different for each person.” But she encourages me to purchase from different categories maybe because she already knows me and she knows I won’t drop 20k on a bracelet in one visit. So, I guess, although frustrated at times, I should change my perspective and still appreciate the fact that she still takes the time to guide me through the process. It can be annoying but it was self-imposed. I chose to walk that path.
By the way, thank you for your expressing your opinion. There’s room for sarcasm in this forum and we all should be able to voice what we think. Thank you for always contributing.

 

[Justlikewhatilike]

I think the whole thing with H is that their metrics are “objective” to them but subjective to us. Some of us (I am not generalizing saying that we all want a bag. Some of us …) have a target when we cross their retail doors. We would love at some point, own one of their quota bags. But the bags are not available for purchase. So one keeps wondering how s/he can buy their beautiful bags. Slowly narratives start trickling down to our worlds about how we could possibly get a bag (buy other categories, spend 1:1, spend 2:1, etc) and we keep trying to find the right metrics to hit the moving target. When we finally think, okay, I think I fulfilled the metrics and the expectations; someone else hits the “moving target” without using any of the tools that we used as metrics for a successful bag purchase. It can be frustrating and discouraging. But I must confess that H never gave me a manual with steps to take in order to get the moving target. My SA always tells me: “ it’s not a straight forward path. It will be different for each person.” But she encourages me to purchase from different categories maybe because she already knows me and she knows I won’t drop 20k on a bracelet in one visit. So, I guess, although frustrated at times, I should change my perspective and still appreciate the fact that she still takes the time to guide me through the process. It can be annoying but it was self-imposed. I chose to walk that path.
By the way, thank you for your expressing your opinion. There’s room for sarcasm in this forum and we all should be able to voice what we think. Thank you for always contributing.

I do really enjoy a lot of their nice things I got like silks, shoes, jewellery, watches, SLGs, etc in the process of getting quota bags or even non quota bags. I also enjoy learning about how the business, their products and generally how it all works through my SAs and others, especially contributors to this forum.

However, it’s a business relationship. I don’t feel that I need to put H on a pedestal and assessed to be “worthy” of a bkc.

In fact I’m trying to understand what makes my SA tick, although I’m sure at the end of the day, the SM would just look at the dollar amounts on my profile to approve my bag. He probably is not interested how cute and funny or how passionate and knowledgeable I am about H that I asked for items my SA didn’t even know existed. Lol….

 

[FaubourgTropical]

I hope everyone know by now that ‚loyalty across the product range' do mean €£$¥ spent on items that may not be worth it (high margin for hermes, better spent somewhere else for the customer, eg: watch ).

Yes, for some 100k is staggering but for some that amount is 1k, and others 1mil. It is what it is.

Hermes operates in the way that make sense for them.
We do our shopping in a way that make sense for us. Shrugs.

 

[millivanilli]

The Thing is that The House of Hermes is so much more than the 'big three' bags.
If that is all anyone is interested in they may as well go the pre-loved or re-sale route.
I think that SA's must get sick and tired of people just being interested in quota bags and part of unwritten rule that to get an offer one must spend in other categories is partly to sort out the wheat from the chaff and open new clients eyes to all that the house actually has to offer.

sorry, but...

no. Just no.
That's a fairytale, otherwise our ebay wouldn't explode with " selling this and this, sorry, had to buy it to get my dream bag" - and it is NOT about BCK, we already play that "game" with Picotin or other items.

If loyalty could be measured by spending, ebay wouldn't list ANY of those items, normally it's ready to wear, plates, those pillows (interesting, huh) . It's just about selling things, that otherwise would sit in the shelves. And at the end of the day: SA aren't forced to work at H.

 

[millivanilli]

I think the whole thing with H is that their metrics are “objective” to them but subjective to us. Some of us (I am not generalizing saying that we all want a bag. Some of us …) have a target when we cross their retail doors. We would love at some point, own one of their quota bags. But the bags are not available for purchase. So one keeps wondering how s/he can buy their beautiful bags. Slowly narratives start trickling down to our worlds about how we could possibly get a bag (buy other categories, spend 1:1, spend 2:1, etc) and we keep trying to find the right metrics to hit the moving target. When we finally think, okay, I think I fulfilled the metrics and the expectations; someone else hits the “moving target” without using any of the tools that we used as metrics for a successful bag purchase. It can be frustrating and discouraging. But I must confess that H never gave me a manual with steps to take in order to get the moving target. My SA always tells me: “ it’s not a straight forward path. It will be different for each person.” But she encourages me to purchase from different categories maybe because she already knows me and she knows I won’t drop 20k on a bracelet in one visit. So, I guess, although frustrated at times, I should change my perspective and still appreciate the fact that she still takes the time to guide me through the process. It can be annoying but it was self-imposed. I chose to walk that path.
By the way, thank you for your expressing your opinion. There’s room for sarcasm in this forum and we all should be able to voice what we think. Thank you for always contributing.

THank you RItaLA.

 

[leechiyong]

I do really enjoy a lot of their nice things I got like silks, shoes, jewellery, watches, SLGs, etc in the process of getting quota bags or even non quota bags. I also enjoy learning about how the business, their products and generally how it all works through my SAs and others, especially contributors to this forum.

However, it’s a business relationship. I don’t feel that I need to put H on a pedestal and assessed to be “worthy” of a bkc.

In fact I’m trying to understand what makes my SA tick, although I’m sure at the end of the day, the SM would just look at the dollar amounts on my profile to approve my bag. He probably is not interested how cute and funny or how passionate and knowledgeable I am about H that I asked for items my SA didn’t even know existed. Lol….

Honestly, it's about them understanding what makes you tick as much as you them. At a high level, you know it's money and brand loyalty and they know it's a quota bag, but that makes most of the SAs and people walking through the door. It's not about simply asking about items that your SA didn't know existed. It's about asking about items that spark your interest so they know your tastes and how that overlaps with H.

Their goal is to sell you more, but they want to sell you things you want. Selling for the sake of selling to customers who buy for the sake of buying isn't a healthy relationship on either side and generally leads to frustration and burn out for the customer. Most SAs know this, but it takes time to figure out what their customers want.

 

[rachrach1017]

But I must confess that H never gave me a manual with steps to take in order to get the moving target. My SA always tells me: “ it’s not a straight forward path. It will be different for each person.”

Yes, for some 100k is staggering but for some that amount is 1k, and others 1mil. It is what it is.

Their goal is to sell you more, but they want to sell you things you want. Selling for the sake of selling to customers who buy for the sake of buying isn't a healthy relationship on either side and generally leads to frustration and burn out for the customer. Most SAs know this, but it takes time to figure out what their customers want.

IMHO, when I shop at other boutiques or high end brands besides Hermes, I also put effort in getting to know my SAs and build that relationships with all them. Why? Because the relationship that I’ve created with them means that they know my style and preferences. And they won’t just try to sell me things that I don’t want. I learn how to work with them and appreciate their efforts when they go above and beyond for things. That way, both of us (SA and I) are happy with the transactions.

Yes Hermes might operate their business differently because they know majority of people only want their QB. To me, besides their QB, they do have amazing items that I love, I discovered more and more items that I’ve never thought of before I set foot in H store and learn all these through my SA.

Like @RitaLA said, H never gave anyone a manual of how to shop and it’s always a different path for each person. i completely agree to that.

And what @leechiyong said is perfectly sum up of why maintaining relationship with you SA is important.. it’s also for them to get to know you, your taste and everything in between.

@BVBookshop Yes, 100% true. Some of us might be able to drop 10k,100k even 1M within one go and have no problem with it. The most important thing is that you spend within your means, so you won’t get burn out and happy with your purchases.

it’s retails shopping after all

 

[Justlikewhatilike]

Honestly, it's about them understanding what makes you tick as much as you them. At a high level, you know it's money and brand loyalty and they know it's a quota bag, but that makes most of the SAs and people walking through the door. It's not about simply asking about items that your SA didn't know existed. It's about asking about items that spark your interest so they know your tastes and how that overlaps with H.

Their goal is to sell you more, but they want to sell you things you want. Selling for the sake of selling to customers who buy for the sake of buying isn't a healthy relationship on either side and generally leads to frustration and burn out for the customer. Most SAs know this, but it takes time to figure out what their customers want.

Perhaps I don’t spend enough to be given the fairytale treatment at H.

Even buying the things I want is giving me burnt out because the things I ordered, fully paid or 50% deposit paid, are not coming in.

Additionally, I get request from my SA to add things to her pipeline (aka my wishlist). Strategically, right before I get my quota bag. A whole catalogue of items placed in front of me to choose the things I want to put a deposit down for. I told her I don’t like to order things because they don’t come in. I was told flatly that things that don’t come in doesn’t get counted towards my quota bag. That episode left a bad taste in my mouth.

I was told when stock does come in, 20 to 30 SAs are fighting over things to offer their customers. The easier way is for me to order jewelry, St. Louis items, etc. More than half a year lead time.

So, does it really matter that much whether the SA knows my taste or not?

 

[leechiyong]

Perhaps I don’t spend enough to be given the fairytale treatment at H.

Even buying the things I want is giving me burnt out because the things I ordered, fully paid or 50% deposit paid, are not coming in.

Additionally, I get request from my SA to add things to her pipeline (aka my wishlist). Strategically, right before I get my quota bag. A whole catalogue of items placed in front of me to choose the things I want to put a deposit down for. I told her I don’t like to order things because they don’t come in. I was told flatly that things that don’t come in doesn’t get counted towards my quota bag. That episode left a bad taste in my mouth.

I was told when stock does come in, 20 to 30 SAs are fighting over things to offer their customers. The easier way is for me to order jewelry, St. Louis items, etc. More than half a year lead time.

So, does it really matter that much whether the SA knows my taste or not?

Knowing taste, along with patience, does for the ”fighting.” Say your favorite color is green. You pick out SLGs, belts, shoes, towels if they have them in green. You rarely buy RTW, but a top is released in green and you love it, so you buy it. Three months after you start shopping with H, a green K28 is sent. When looking at the potential customers to offer it to, a large spender is in the mix, but got another wishlist bags six months prior. Another large spender likes green, but wants a Constance. You get mentioned because you like green, but someone who’s a long term customer wants a bright, smaller bag, gets the offer and accepts. This happens for the next two and a half years. Your SA knows you love green. The SM knows you love green, but now, they realize your total purchases are about 5:1 and have been waiting patiently. There’s another customer with about the same profile who’s been shopping a little bit longer, but they only want a B that’s a pop of color, so you get the offer.

That said, if you’re reaching burn out, you don’t have to buy. If you burn out from spending, you’re just going to have spent more money and still not getting the bag. You can take a break, especially if you’re waiting on things to arrive. A customer should never feel obligated to buy more. They need to want to.

 

[periogirl28]

It seems beginning an Hermes relationship during Covid is so trying and unhappy that I certainly would never have become a long term customer in these conditions. The situation is so alien to me even when I shopped in Asia, I would have walked away from this store long ago.

 

[Justlikewhatilike]

It seems beginning an Hermes relationship during Covid is so trying and unhappy that I certainly would never have become a long term customer in these conditions. The situation is so alien to me even when I shopped in Asia, I would have walked away from this store long ago.

It’s not even just this store. I’m not the only one. I hear similar stories across all the stores near to me.

 

[Justlikewhatilike]

Knowing taste, along with patience, does for the ”fighting.” Say your favorite color is green. You pick out SLGs, belts, shoes, towels if they have them in green. You rarely buy RTW, but a top is released in green and you love it, so you buy it. Three months after you start shopping with H, a green K28 is sent. When looking at the potential customers to offer it to, a large spender is in the mix, but got another wishlist bags six months prior. Another large spender likes green, but wants a Constance. You get mentioned because you like green, but someone who’s a long term customer wants a bright, smaller bag, gets the offer and accepts. This happens for the next two and a half years. Your SA knows you love green. The SM knows you love green, but now, they realize your total purchases are about 5:1 and have been waiting patiently. There’s another customer with about the same profile who’s been shopping a little bit longer, but they only want a B that’s a pop of color, so you get the offer.

That said, if you’re reaching burn out, you don’t have to buy. If you burn out from spending, you’re just going to have spent more money and still not getting the bag. You can take a break, especially if you’re waiting on things to arrive. A customer should never feel obligated to buy more. They need to want to.

Thanks for your kind explanation.