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.

 

[Etriers]

I think to begin with, transparency is one. Like up front tell the client pre spend $xx before being eligible for a bag at the store. But probably this is just wishful thinking as it doesn’t work with some cultures and jurisdictions.

Despite all of the talk of pre-spend, often spending has nothing to do with who gets a bag and when. It’s natural for people to want to make everything about money. The fact is that some people, because they are insufferable, are probably always going to have a hard time getting things they want from a place that has no problem selling said things. Everyone says they want the truth, wouldn’t it be fascinating if the SA had been allowed to say to the woman, “The reason Madam, there is no Kelly for you is because you are self-centered and mean and I’m probably going to miss my bus.”

 

[Etriers]

I feel sorry for your SA but the company created the game. And that's how it comes backwards! Thats how customers play the game also. The cusomer hoped to get a quota bag after buying so much (we don't how much the lady wanted ro spend). Then heard there is no bag and then redecided. I feel sorry for your SA but if the company/their employer would really care about them, they wouldn't play these games with customers cause it has so many negative side affects. I can also understand customers who wait and wait and wait, get promised a bag after spending thousands and don't get the bag.

The only game is in the minds of people desperate to buy one certain type/style/color of a limited production, in-demand, hand-made H bag who don’t normally shop at Hermes, particularly even like H or H products, care about their SA, or in many cases ever intend to return.

 

[EllenTsai]

Despite all of the talk of pre-spend, often spending has nothing to do with who gets a bag and when. It’s natural for people to want to make everything about money. The fact is that some people, because they are insufferable, are probably always going to have a hard time getting things they want from a place that has no problem selling said things. Everyone says they want the truth, wouldn’t it be fascinating if the SA had been allowed to say to the woman, “The reason Madam, there is no Kelly for you is because you are self-centered and mean and I’m probably going to miss my bus.”

Also how many people would actually believe the SA is telling the truth when SA say sorry there's nothing they want in stock instead of automatically referring to social media conspiracies and manipulation tactics?
When one actually think about the maths... how is it so surprising that stock would be short?

 

[Justlikewhatilike]

Despite all of the talk of pre-spend, often spending has nothing to do with who gets a bag and when. It’s natural for people to want to make everything about money. The fact is that some people, because they are insufferable, are probably always going to have a hard time getting things they want from a place that has no problem selling said things. Everyone says they want the truth, wouldn’t it be fascinating if the SA had been allowed to say to the woman, “The reason Madam, there is no Kelly for you is because you are self-centered and mean and I’m probably going to miss my bus.”

That’s a good reason too! SAs should just say it.

 

[Etriers]

That’s a good reason too! SAs should just say it.

Lol! I hear you. I bet SAs have fantasies about that all, of the time.

 

[Justlikewhatilike]

Lol! I hear you. I bet SAs have fantasies about that all, of the time.

Actually when my SAs and I become more familiar, they will share with me such things very frankly.

 

[Etriers]

Actually when my SAs and I become more familiar, they will share with me such things very frankly.

In the U.S. the SA would be fired. I’m sure most of them don’t have the luxury of telling us what they really think. And this is fine with me. Personally, I very much prefer living in such a way (call it dishonesty or civility, depending on perspective) that everyone keeps their more base inclinations in check.

 

[IronOak]

I was chatting with my SA the other day when picking up a rain coat I wanted
She’s retiring earlier than she had planned.
A lot of it has to do with the stress to conjure up bags out of thin air for customers who can be quite rude to her or customers who have very little consideration on SA’s time of welfare.
Last winter My SA stayed beyond her regular finishing time to help a customer. After getting everything from the stock room and wrapping up nicely, just before paying the customer asked her for a K. When she replied that there were none in stock but she can help her make a wish, this customer went to the loo and never came back. My SA who had chronic knee injuries ended up missing her regular bus and it took her 3 hours to get home afterwards in freezing raining winter.

I think it's fair to assume that the client didn't know about the chronic knee pain and bus issue. But still, what a rude thing to do. If you don't have the courage to tell the truth, my god, at least come up with a fib. "Oh I just got this emergency phone call that I must attend to, I apologize, but can I get your contact information and I'll reach out for another time?" At least you won't have burnt any bridges with this SA and boutique. Cause based on how that interaction ended, there is no way that customer is getting anything from that store, ever.

 

[IronOak]

I feel sorry for your SA but the company created the game. And that's how it comes backwards! Thats how customers play the game also. The cusomer hoped to get a quota bag after buying so much (we don't how much the lady wanted ro spend). Then heard there is no bag and then redecided. I feel sorry for your SA but if the company/their employer would really care about them, they wouldn't play these games with customers cause it has so many negative side affects. I can also understand customers who wait and wait and wait, get promised a bag after spending thousands and don't get the bag.

Hard disagree. The company did not create the game. I believe, at least in the US, that implicit understanding is that loyalty and genuine appreciation for the 'Maison' how one gets the more highly coveted items.

I’m sticking my neck out again on the social media limb here but I’m still perplexed. I just don’t understand why some customers assume they must be allowed to purchase something if they have the funds to pay for it. Pick any reasonable or unreasonable reason why a particular SA tells someone a bag isn’t available. Then assume that what the SA really means is ‘yes, there are quite a few of the exact bag you’re looking for in the stockroom but I’m not going to sell it to you because I don’t want to’. So what? Is it possibly unfair? Of course it is, but what recourse does anyone have if there’s nothing illegal going on? (I don’t think anyone has suggested that it’s somehow illegal for H to refuse to sell an item someone.)
As I see it, if you like many of the products on offer at H, or anywhere else you’re likely to patronize regularly, it’s always a good idea to be assisted by a SA who understands your taste and with whom you have a cordial relationship; it makes it easy to be pleased with your shopping experience. I have the same relationship with my wine merchant for example; he knows what I like and can recommend other things I might like. When I say ‘gosh I loved that Chablis you recommended last month do you have any more available’, if he tells me he’s out and can’t get any more from the distributor, I shrug my shoulders and ask what else he recommends. Sometimes he’ll tell me directly, ‘yup I’ve got another case but I promised it to so-and-so’. I accept that answer without any uncertainty about what it all means or whether I’m doing something ‘wrong’. Should it be any different with H? Is there something I’m missing here?

This right here.

My wife and I would be the poster children that having pre-spend doesn't always matter. We've gotten 3 'quota bags' and a C18. Just the other day, I tallied our total spend and we're at like 0.3 to 1. But guess what, we don't have a "strategy". We visit the boutique semi frequently, buy what we like without any specific targets, and are patient. Our SA asks for an updated wishlist recently, and unless our SA brings the topic of bags up first, we don't really talk about it. Not that we're afraid of the topic but just that if there was one, our SA would offer it. We have no qualms about the fact that there are probably bags in the stockroom that we could purchase at every visit. And I am sure our SA probably enjoys the reprieve from bag talk cause it sounds like they all get hammered with requests and it can undoubtedly get tiring. But name of the game with Hermes is patience, and with our lovely SA, we've been very lucky. Like my spouse says, "there is a bag in there, it just doesn't have my name on it." I guess the true key to the game is to find yourself an SA that you really connect with, like @textilegirl said.

 

[Justlikewhatilike]

Hard disagree. The company did not create the game. I believe, at least in the US, that implicit understanding is that loyalty and genuine appreciation for the 'Maison' how one gets the more highly coveted items.




This right here.

My wife and I would be the poster children that having pre-spend doesn't always matter. We've gotten 3 'quota bags' and a C18. Just the other day, I tallied our total spend and we're at like 0.3 to 1. But guess what, we don't have a "strategy". We visit the boutique semi frequently, buy what we like without any specific targets, and are patient. Our SA asks for an updated wishlist recently, and unless our SA brings the topic of bags up first, we don't really talk about it. Not that we're afraid of the topic but just that if there was one, our SA would offer it. We have no qualms about the fact that there are probably bags in the stockroom that we could purchase at every visit. And I am sure our SA probably enjoys the reprieve from bag talk cause it sounds like they all get hammered with requests and it can undoubtedly get tiring. But name of the game with Hermes is patience, and with our lovely SA, we've been very lucky. Like my spouse says, "there is a bag in there, it just doesn't have my name on it." I guess the true key to the game is to find yourself an SA that you really connect with, like @textilegirl said.

That only happens in the western world where pre spend is illegal or culturally not accepted.

For the rest of the world, it’s really about the spending and how the customer profile looks like.

 

[WingNut]

Despite all of the talk of pre-spend, often spending has nothing to do with who gets a bag and when. It’s natural for people to want to make everything about money. The fact is that some people, because they are insufferable, are probably always going to have a hard time getting things they want from a place that has no problem selling said things. Everyone says they want the truth, wouldn’t it be fascinating if the SA had been allowed to say to the woman, “The reason Madam, there is no Kelly for you is because you are self-centered and mean and I’m probably going to miss my bus.”

That, and it's always someone else's fault....never one's own behavior or attitude.

 

[Etriers]

I understand the boutiques are different in Asia, but I’ve spent enough time there that I know even in Asia it’s not all about the (prespend) money. Humans are humans. Relationships matter everywhere. That is the reason for this thread and what is so fascinating for long-time H clients and so frustrating for new H clients. As much as some would demand for H to distill everything down to something easily understandable like, ”Tell me the exact amount I need to spend to get a pink B25!!!,” old French luxury companies just simply do not work that way. H is weird and quirky and charming and old-fashioned and the highest of the highest end. They don’t need to pander, are generally chill, and (I personally believe) they really prefer their clients to be the same.

This is what so many oldies keep trying to tell newbies on this thread—relax—that the process isn’t going to be obvious or easy or logical so if that drives one cuckoo, don’t even start down the H road because one will have no end of upset and frustration. This is how H keeps poseurs, dilettantes and erratic fashionistas from flippantly destroying its reputation, because they mostly give up before they get in.

For the most part, the only secret to getting a lot of quota bags is to be a good Hermes client with an established sales relationship at a boutique. This means finding an SA that you like and likes you, shopping when you want, in person at regular appointments, buying only what truly interests you and being both easy-going and clear with your SA about what you want.

 

[Justlikewhatilike]

I understand the boutiques are different in Asia, but I’ve spent enough time there that I know even in Asia it’s not all about the (prespend) money. Humans are humans. Relationships matter everywhere. That is the reason for this thread and what is so fascinating for long-time H clients and so frustrating for new H clients. As much as some would demand for H to distill everything down to something easily understandable like, ”Tell me the exact amount I need to spend to get a pink B25!!!,” old French luxury companies just simply do not work that way. H is weird and quirky and charming and old-fashioned and the highest of the highest end.

This is what so many oldies keep trying to tell newbies on this thread—that the process isn’t going to be obvious or easy or logical so if that drives one cuckoo, don’t even start down the H road because one will have no end of upset and frustration. This is how H keeps poseurs, dilettantes and erratic fashionistas from flippantly destroying its reputation, because they mostly give up before they get in.

For the most part, the only secret to getting a lot of quota bags is to be a good Hermes client with an established sales relationship at a boutique. This means finding an SA that you like and likes you, shopping when you want, in person at regular appointments, buying only what truly interests you and being both easy-going and clear with your SA about what you want.

of course, to be offered a quota bag, the customer has to be likeable by the SA at least. If a customer gets a quota bag by being mean, then how do they get rid of such a pest customer right? They would be reinforcing bad behavior. The SA has the power to say no. But it is the SM who has the power to say yes.

I think we have to be clear about the context…..So far I have not heard anybody getting a quota bag with pre spend 0.3:1 in Asia boutiques (airport stores different ball game)…..Not even heard of buying pair of oran and waited 2 years to be offered a quota bag in Asia (European story on YouTube).

So, even if I am the nicest customer to my SAs, they are not gonna be able to offer me a quota bag if I don’t spend up to the amounts they can justify to the SM.

Please do let me know if I am wrong.

 

[EllenTsai]

Thing is...
Say the SA has 2 customers...
One shops regularly (a few RTW per season, some homeware...etc...etc), made a wish then continues her normal shopping pattern
The other buys a pair of Oran, made a wish and that was that
Both want the same exact spec... Say B25 Black Togo GHW
One day 1 such bag comes in.
If you were the SA, who's wish would you prioritise?
Your regular loyal client or the random one who bought nothing but a pair of Oran?

 

[Justlikewhatilike]

So, it is a different answer to all these questions below:
1. What kind of customer doesn’t get offered a quota bag at all?
2. What kind of customer (and/or profile) gets offered a quota bag?
3. What kind of customer (and/or profile) gets offered a coveted quota bag that most customers want?