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.

 

[Nerja]

When I visited the Vienna, Austria boutique earlier this month I saw the below sign. It seems a shame that patrons need to be reminded of this information. I have not seen such a sign at my home boutique in the US.

 

[Midge Maisel]

People are bribing SAs? I'm simultaneously stunned and not at all surprised.

 

[Veritybelle]

There are signs to similar effect in Melbourne (wording may be slightly different).

 

[OnlyModa]

Question for the wise H elders: I have been shopping with my SA for years. She is lovely, fun, gives fantastic advise- she has been at the store for many years so knows how something is going to fit me before I even put it on. However, she does not transfer things in, she does not do searches. I can probably insist. I can make her SM make her. She is not going to like it. It is not the time spent on the project- she never rushes me, even when I know her next client is waiting she makes me feel like it is all about me. Somehow she just does not like doing it. She is not one of those SAs who will hunt an item down. Should I just give up on those items and only by what is in store? I do not really need anything, it is only want at this point in my life. Another option is to have a relationship with another SA. I am in NY often and purchased from someone at Madison a small handful of items. If my store does not have it, I can then check with the other SA. I would assume both will know about the other purchases so I would be hurting my relationship for a jacket I can perfectly live without. One way of looking at it is that I should be grateful. Realistically, she is saving me a lot of money

 

[squidneyau]

Hopefully you are the person who spends 20K on things you love and use; there are lots of picotins available at reputable resellers if you really want one for Christmas (be sure to authenticate your choice of course).

Wanted to update the thread on a trip to the store I took today.

I dropped in today on a whim to pick up a few Christmas gifts. My SA was out to lunch but should have been back any moment, so I opted to wait for her and let other people shop (they were limiting how many people could roam the full store.) After half an hour of waiting, my SA was still nowhere to be found. A woman stepped up and offered to help me shop, in fact she insisted. It was the store director! She was very nice and it was a nice little experience. She helped me pick out a scarf for my sister and a tie for my boyfriend.

A happy accident I hope? She complimented my scarf I was wearing, so hopefully a bag may come my way soon if she remembers me haha.

 

[FrenchNewbie]

Question for the wise H elders: I have been shopping with my SA for years. She is lovely, fun, gives fantastic advise- she has been at the store for many years so knows how something is going to fit me before I even put it on. However, she does not transfer things in, she does not do searches. I can probably insist. I can make her SM make her. She is not going to like it. It is not the time spent on the project- she never rushes me, even when I know her next client is waiting she makes me feel like it is all about me. Somehow she just does not like doing it. She is not one of those SAs who will hunt an item down. Should I just give up on those items and only by what is in store? I do not really need anything, it is only want at this point in my life. Another option is to have a relationship with another SA. I am in NY often and purchased from someone at Madison a small handful of items. If my store does not have it, I can then check with the other SA. I would assume both will know about the other purchases so I would be hurting my relationship for a jacket I can perfectly live without. One way of looking at it is that I should be grateful. Realistically, she is saving me a lot of money

Maybe just have an open & respectful conversation with her, and make it known how you recognize that clearly she does not like to search for items for you.

Express how you still want those items & ask her how she suggests you procure those items otherwise...see where the conversation goes from there.

 

[acrowcounted]

Question for the wise H elders: I have been shopping with my SA for years. She is lovely, fun, gives fantastic advise- she has been at the store for many years so knows how something is going to fit me before I even put it on. However, she does not transfer things in, she does not do searches. I can probably insist. I can make her SM make her. She is not going to like it. It is not the time spent on the project- she never rushes me, even when I know her next client is waiting she makes me feel like it is all about me. Somehow she just does not like doing it. She is not one of those SAs who will hunt an item down. Should I just give up on those items and only by what is in store? I do not really need anything, it is only want at this point in my life. Another option is to have a relationship with another SA. I am in NY often and purchased from someone at Madison a small handful of items. If my store does not have it, I can then check with the other SA. I would assume both will know about the other purchases so I would be hurting my relationship for a jacket I can perfectly live without. One way of looking at it is that I should be grateful. Realistically, she is saving me a lot of money

What is her reply when she says they don’t have it and you inevitably ask “oh, does any other store have it?”. I can’t imagine why she wouldn’t do this for you, she still gets credit and commission as though it was sitting in front of her on the shelf. I would gently push next time and insist that it can be done and hopefully she will come to expect this dynamic from you. Otherwise, if access to coveted items is your priority, I would shop only what’s in stock with her (ie would not shop elsewhere to get around her).

 

[WhiteBus]

Question for the wise H elders: I have been shopping with my SA for years. She is lovely, fun, gives fantastic advise- she has been at the store for many years so knows how something is going to fit me before I even put it on. However, she does not transfer things in, she does not do searches. I can probably insist. I can make her SM make her. She is not going to like it. It is not the time spent on the project- she never rushes me, even when I know her next client is waiting she makes me feel like it is all about me. Somehow she just does not like doing it. She is not one of those SAs who will hunt an item down. Should I just give up on those items and only by what is in store? I do not really need anything, it is only want at this point in my life. Another option is to have a relationship with another SA. I am in NY often and purchased from someone at Madison a small handful of items. If my store does not have it, I can then check with the other SA. I would assume both will know about the other purchases so I would be hurting my relationship for a jacket I can perfectly live without. One way of looking at it is that I should be grateful. Realistically, she is saving me a lot of money

I don't completely understand your problem if you have everything you can perfectly live without.
It appears that you are a long-standing client and not hankering for QB offers.
Have you ever asked why your SA is unwilling to search and transfer?
Perhaps you say something to suggest that you would only want to look and not buy.
Searching is the first step towards requesting a transfer and she might not think it worth it.
Requesting a transfer of inventory isn't always quite as simple as we might think.
Your mentioned a jacket, so is this primarily something related to RTW?
Do you really want a different SA in this store, or are you happy to use Madison as well?
If you can do both, just do it. Who cares what the received wisdom says you should do.
My experience is that SAs seem to reach for their phones and check up on a product automatically and invariably offer to source anything from another store, even out of the country.

 

[Miss Al]

Question for the wise H elders: I have been shopping with my SA for years. She is lovely, fun, gives fantastic advise- she has been at the store for many years so knows how something is going to fit me before I even put it on. However, she does not transfer things in, she does not do searches. I can probably insist. I can make her SM make her. She is not going to like it. It is not the time spent on the project- she never rushes me, even when I know her next client is waiting she makes me feel like it is all about me. Somehow she just does not like doing it. She is not one of those SAs who will hunt an item down. Should I just give up on those items and only by what is in store? I do not really need anything, it is only want at this point in my life. Another option is to have a relationship with another SA. I am in NY often and purchased from someone at Madison a small handful of items. If my store does not have it, I can then check with the other SA. I would assume both will know about the other purchases so I would be hurting my relationship for a jacket I can perfectly live without. One way of looking at it is that I should be grateful. Realistically, she is saving me a lot of money

Her behaviour is the same as my SA. Very reluctant to do a search.

I once told her that I saw this xx item that I want in another H store which is within walking distance from my H store. I asked if she could do a transfer. Again, she was reluctant to do the transfer.

I decided to ask why not? She said that transfers between stores are not encouraged... SM of the other stores don't like it. It's like snatching each others inventory... something along those lines...

 

[GabrielleS]

Question for the wise H elders: I have been shopping with my SA for years. She is lovely, fun, gives fantastic advise- she has been at the store for many years so knows how something is going to fit me before I even put it on. However, she does not transfer things in, she does not do searches. I can probably insist. I can make her SM make her. She is not going to like it. It is not the time spent on the project- she never rushes me, even when I know her next client is waiting she makes me feel like it is all about me. Somehow she just does not like doing it. She is not one of those SAs who will hunt an item down. Should I just give up on those items and only by what is in store? I do not really need anything, it is only want at this point in my life. Another option is to have a relationship with another SA. I am in NY often and purchased from someone at Madison a small handful of items. If my store does not have it, I can then check with the other SA. I would assume both will know about the other purchases so I would be hurting my relationship for a jacket I can perfectly live without. One way of looking at it is that I should be grateful. Realistically, she is saving me a lot of money

H is getting odd about transfers. My main store just put in a new rule they won’t transfer from another store for an item valued below $X. I had wanted to buy something but it couldn’t be ordered for transfer because it was below the dollar threshold.

A jacket should be worth transferring for but some stores don’t like to give up their RTW and in some countries there’s a blackout period on transferring new RTW. I have run into this issue also.

 

[acrowcounted]

To be clear, are we really talking about “transfers” (ie you need to see and try the item before buying) or are we talking about items you are 100% committed to purchasing and thus really a “charge send”? Transfers have been mostly shut down over the last couple of years because they are a pain in the neck and the sending store loses credit for an item they were smart enough to order in return for a less saleable item. But charge sends have taken their place and should be an SAs immediate next step when an item isn’t available in the local store. Charge sends are relatively easy and the sending store is typically happy to take care of it as the sending store still gets full credit (rare instances of an item being the last one in stock and an SA at the sending store KNOWS their client Susan will definitely be buying it from the SA very soon, so the store “sits on” or blocks the send have happened but are relatively rare). Every SA should be happy to do a charge send and/or website order because they get full credit for the sale like any other. However, if it’s an item you want to see before you buy, then yeah, most SAs aren’t going to be much help with that these days.

 

[OnlyModa]

Maybe just have an open & respectful conversation with her, and make it known how you recognize that clearly she does not like to search for items for you.

Express how you still want those items & ask her how she suggests you procure those items otherwise...see where the conversation goes from there.

She usually suggests buying on line but then I feel like it a waist of a “spend”. My budget is not endless and I do want it to cover towards offers

 

[acrowcounted]

She usually suggests buying on line but then I feel like it a waist of a “spend”. My budget is not endless and I do want it to cover towards offers

Buy it online THROUGH HER. Is this perhaps what she means? Then she and you both still get credit.

 

[FrenchNewbie]

Her behaviour is the same as my SA. Very reluctant to do a search.

I once told her that I saw this xx item that I want in another H store which is within walking distance from my H store. I asked if she could do a transfer. Again, she was reluctant to do the transfer.

I decided to ask why not? She said that transfers between stores are not encouraged... SM of the other stores don't like it. It's like snatching each others inventory... something along those lines...

H is getting odd about transfers. My main store just put in a new rule they won’t transfer from another store for an item valued below $X. I had wanted to buy something but it couldn’t be ordered for transfer because it was below the dollar threshold.

A jacket should be worth transferring for but some stores don’t like to give up their RTW and in some countries there’s a blackout period on transferring new RTW. I have run into this issue also.

I don't understand why they (SAs/SMs) act like this.

They want you to be "loyal" to them/their store, but they won't transfer an item you want, to THEM, so they can get the credit for it.

Sounds very hypocritical, and sounds like they like to hold you in bondage. It's almost like one of those unhealthy relationships where the person doesn't do what you need them to do, but ALSO doesn't want you to go out and get what you need.

 

[OnlyModa]

I don't completely understand your problem if you have everything you can perfectly live without.
It appears that you are a long-standing client and not hankering for QB offers.
Have you ever asked why your SA is unwilling to search and transfer?
Perhaps you say something to suggest that you would only want to look and not buy.
Searching is the first step towards requesting a transfer and she might not think it worth it.
Requesting a transfer of inventory isn't always quite as simple as we might think.
Your mentioned a jacket, so is this primarily something related to RTW?
Do you really want a different SA in this store, or are you happy to use Madison as well?
If you can do both, just do it. Who cares what the received wisdom says you should do.
My experience is that SAs seem to reach for their phones and check up on a product automatically and invariably offer to source anything from another store, even out of the country.

Thank you for your thoughts. I definitely do not want a different SA from same store