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.

 

[mergerGirl54]

prespend is with a store, not an SA. Next time you are at the store, you could ask whoever is helping you if you have an acct set up with a particular SA. it may take a few visits to find an SA that you feel comfortable with anyway. Many do not want to take on new clients bc there has been such low stock that they cannot meet the needs of their current clientele.

Thank you - did Hermes feel a hit in 2008/2009? If there’s a recession maybe it cools off the current inventory issues

 

[shazzy99]

This is what alarms me. Doesn’t my “pre-spend” not count for much until I’m assigned a SA?

As @880 mentions above, your "pre-spend" is with the store, and they will have your purchase history regardless of whether you are assigned an SA. You should be able to request to create an account with them, and then all your purchases history will be there. I find having an account handy, as use it to look up past purchases like sizes of bracelets etc.

 

[tayflea]

Is there a process to being assigned an SA formally? I made my first purchase in store last week of a few ties + SLG as gifts for friends and family.

i didn’t grab contact info when I checked out - had a list of things on my mind.

Was told no by the store in a roundabout way when I followed up later. Am I missing something about H that I need to jump through hoops to get an SA officially?

I have SAs at higher end stores that text / email as necessary and am confused that commission SAs would ever do/say something like this.

Maybe this is certain stores being “ultra competitive” but I’m contemplating having my first H purchase be my last.

I'm still very new to the whole H game and don't normally post but I hope this may help someone. I also found it a bit challenging to find an SA initially. The first SA I interacted with was super nice but I too was not offered any contact information after my first visit to the store (but did not purchase b/c they did not have what I was after). My 2nd visit, I made it a point to purchase something small with hopes that I would get the SAs contact info but did not; she was also nice but not as nice as the first. I actually had to exchange the item b/c the SA gave me the wrong shade (it was a lipstick) and I didn't realize it until I got home. She was there when I returned but did not offer her contact so I asked her for it. She gave me her card with no hesitation, suggested I email her which I did; unfortunately, she did not respond to my emails. I only sent 1 asking to purchase something with a follow-up email about 1.5-2 weeks later with no reply. I went again hoping to find another SA b/c I figured she must not be the one for me and my current one helped me out. They did not have what I wanted so I made another small purchase. She told me she would keep a look out for what I was after, told me the other item had been discontinued, offered me her card and to text her for anything that I would be interested in and that she would be happy to help me. She has been very responsive to my texts; she may go a few days without responding but I figure either she's busy or off. When I am in store she is super helpful and goes above and beyond to make sure I get exactly what I am after (provided they have it). I would suggest keep going on different days/times to increase your changes of getting a new SA and make small purchases until you find the SA that wants to work with you. After that it's easy. It's funny the 2nd SA gives me this weird look as if she recognizes me when I visit the store and maybe a little salty when I am checking out with another SA but I'm not bothered by it b/c she did not want my business.

 

[rn888]

Does Hermes usually give out gifts to their clients around this time of the year? A friend told me she recently got something from her local store. I personally haven’t heard anything from my SA. I haven’t been to the store since last month though so that might be the reason why? I’m also thinking it’s only for VIP clients.. I’m new to this so please chime in if you have more information

 

[Purseloco]

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.

I believe you have made a good point and are correct. What works does not always work forever. Hermes is a business, and like all businesses, they are out to make money. They have made a ton of money on how they market and sell their product. This game-playing is a catch-22 situation. Look at how many re-sellers are overpricing and selling used bags and goods, cutting into Hermes's profit. I am eager to see how this will pan out and the end result for Hermes.

 

[Purseloco]

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 would be my strategy: patience, a little determination, and less emotion because, in the end, it is only material goods. However, I believe some mental game-playing is happening with Hermes and the customer, or you could call it a strategy. Either way, Hermes is well aware of what they are doing.

 

[shiningb3b3]

Does Hermes usually give out gifts to their clients around this time of the year? A friend told me she recently got something from her local store. I personally haven’t heard anything from my SA. I haven’t been to the store since last month though so that might be the reason why? I’m also thinking it’s only for VIP clients.. I’m new to this so please chime in if you have more information

Yes I am in Canada and a busy Canadian city.

I have received a gift from my new SA for Christmas.

I am not VIP but have been with the brand at this store for almost 6 years, though.

 

[smoothsailor]

This is what alarms me. Doesn’t my “pre-spend” not count for much until I’m assigned a SA?

Now your problem is your “pre spend” doesn’t have your name tag to it. Since you did not create a profile. Therefore, nobody can locate your purchase history with this store even if they want to count it.

 

[mergerGirl54]

Now your problem is your “pre spend” doesn’t have your name tag to it. Since you did not create a profile. Therefore, nobody can locate your purchase history with this store even if they want to count it.

Thanks for flagging - i made an account with the SA and see my purchase history online - do you think that counts?

 

[smoothsailor]

Thanks for flagging - i made an account with the SA and see my purchase history online - do you think that counts?

Online purchase history does not count towards store offers.

 

[carlinha]

My husband treated me to a B25 from JuliaRoseBoston and I’m so excited to accessorize it.
I’ve made other small Hermes purchases in the past (several Orans, cosmetics) but on on their website. I have an appointment next week to look for some twillys, wallet and hopefully a Pegase. I’m also interested in some belts, shoes and some tableware.
Inevitably they will look up our account and see that we didn’t purchase the Birkin from Hermes but I do plan on bringing my Birkin I hopes to more thoughtfully accessorize it.
Does anyone here have any idea how I should handle this? I don’t want them to think that it’s fake. I also don’t know how SAs feel about preloved bags so I’m worried about being upfront about it. Should I just tell them so was a gift from a family member or would that be even worse? Should I just tell them where I got it?
Sorry if this seems amateur but I would really like to build a sincere connection with an SA and build my Hermes collection over the years to folks. I’d hate to do or say anything that hinders this.

I wouldn't even bring it up unless the SA asks? You could have purchased it overseas or inherited from your mother etc. Sometimes I think volunteering too much information really isn't necessary.

 

[catin]

I wouldn't even bring it up unless the SA asks? You could have purchased it overseas or inherited from your mother etc. Sometimes I think volunteering too much information really isn't necessary.

Agreed with carlinha.

Plus it sounds like you don't have a steady repeat relationship with an SA so they wouldn't know you well enough to bring it up unless you volunteer the information yourself. Additional note is that my husband used to be buy me H things as gifts before I developed an ongoing SA relationship so I definitely have bags that aren't on my profile because they would be under his name.

Don't over think it - There are a ton of reasons for you to have that bag that you don't need to discuss and will not come up with a random SA you are shopping with.

 

[millivanilli]

Does Hermes usually give out gifts to their clients around this time of the year? A friend told me she recently got something from her local store. I personally haven’t heard anything from my SA. I haven’t been to the store since last month though so that might be the reason why? I’m also thinking it’s only for VIP clients.. I’m new to this so please chime in if you have more information

normally they do, yes. I never received a gift from "my" SA (if there even was one as I am really the bad luck person when it comes to SAs) but whenever I was in the store around xmas I got something additionally when checking out.

 

[DB8]

Does anyone here have any idea how I should handle this? I don’t want them to think that it’s fake. I also don’t know how SAs feel about preloved bags so I’m worried about being upfront about it. Should I just tell them so was a gift from a family member or would that be even worse? Should I just tell them where I got it?
Sorry if this seems amateur but I would really like to build a sincere connection with an SA and build my Hermes collection over the years to folks. I’d hate to do or say anything that hinders this.

I’m hoping the fact that I’m not after any quota bags will help me build a solid relationship since I’m sure SAs much get overwhelmed and maybe even frustrated with quota bag requests.

To me, building a sincere relationship (Hermes or elsewhere) means not plotting out what may or may not transpire during a future meeting, and treating it like any other social interaction. If you read through these forums, some really hype building a strong personal connection via plotting out a timeline of what to say and when to ask for x y and z.

If you are pleasant, decisive and respectful of an SA's time (ie, I don't text off hours unless they do so first, and if I'm looking for a low cost item such as a Twilly, it'll be a 5-8 min endeavour max), that'll go MUCH further than the people who are forcing a 'relationship'.

I also come from the camp where I don't volunteer unnecessary information out to people. IF your (future) SA were to even say anything about the B25, it'd simply be something like "that is a beautiful bag on you."

 

[Elizshop]

Working with a new SA and I want to place an order for shoes. She told me I have to go into the store to place it. Can this really be the case? Can’t she just ship them to me?