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.

 

[Miss Al]

Perhaps before Covid SIP, when demand was lower and supply of coveted QBs was greater, 1X, including leather, would have been sufficient for a B35/K32. But, if you read this thread, and the one on Prespend, many of us in the US spend 2X-5X, excluding leather, to get the more coveted offers (25QB and under). In the bag shortages of summer 2022, some of us waited a year to get our bags. The clients who have longer tenure and wait, who have not received their first bags may delay your own wait, even in less competitive locations. Your SA cannot offer you the bag unless his SM allots it to him.

@FrenchNewbie , Hermes Corporate is happy for us to shop wherever and whenever we like, irrespective of loyalty. The majority of TPFers who choose store location loyalty simply do so to maximize their chances for a coveted QB. A long tenured SA might actually prefer to minimize their client list to regular-high spenders with substantial QB collections already in order to reduce the pressure to come up with the now scarce QB incentives/rewards. The nightmare relationship scenario for an SA is the relatively low ratio client (a moving target, but now perhaps under 2X) with high QB expectations. The reason why RTW and home clients are prioritized, is not simply to boost a single month’s commission. It is bc they can generally be relied upon to be regulars. Unfortunately for the rest of us, the top 1% of clients that are chased by premier luxury brands may simply have grown wealthier with greater tendency to spend during economic downturns.

ETA: it’s my understanding by reading H and Chanel Singapore threads, that the SAs there do read TPF. One Singapore TPF member that I know told me that her H SA quit luxury retail to take a job as the assistant of a high powered executive bc the pressure exerted by H clients was detrimental to her mental health.

+1. The H SAs in Singapore do read TPF. My SA had commented about my posts in TPF when I met her in person. Even SM and her other colleagues in the store had read my posts and reveals. Hence, I am careful about what I post here.

 

[OnlyModa]

To save the hassle, I have H SAs in a few locations to get what I want. I’m sure that eases the pressure.

Do they all know it and do you discuss it with them?

 

[smoothsailor]

Do they all know it and do you discuss it with them?

They know I travel a lot and I pick up a few things here and there on my trips.

And they are fine with it because they like genuine customers who appreciate the brand and who buy what they like.

 

[Bdbunny]

A little less than 1:1 but just created a wishlist in August

Honestly, I think with less than 1:1 over 3 years and your SA still responds to you in a timely fashion-- I would stick with that SA! You just gave them your wishlist in August... not a lot of time in H world. And your spend is unlikely to put you at the top of their list when a bag comes in... so, I would keep shopping with that SA and see where it takes you. Good luck!

 

[shopinlovet]

@acrowcounted and @Miss Al answered most of the reasons why a sending store would block a transfer, and why a local SA may prefer not to initiate one. (They also distinguished between the riskier transfer and the commitment of a charge send. From a management POV, the SA’s top priority is to sell items currently in stock in the local store to clients who have come in and who have seen the goods IRL. From the SA POV: it causes more work to request the transfer; it messes with inventory; there is a heightened risk of returns/buyers remorse or simple rejection once an item is seen IRL. Every transfer potentially deprives a sending store‘s client of the opportunity to purchase and means that the local SA is not selling local stock.

If one has a long, reliable track record of purchasing without returns, an SA may be willing to put in the request, transfer, or world search, but horse trading and several layers of managerial approval may be required. (This happened to me with my 18 month delayed order of oxymore glassware). When my SA initiates a transfer, he checks to see if the sending store has a reputation for granting or delaying the request. If it’s [insert one particular store location that’s hard to deal with], he will simply tell me that it cannot be done. It’s not entirely up to one's personal SA, and alot has to do with institutional inertia, so I’m not sure why the SA should take the entirety of the blame lol. The general rule is there for a reason. There are plenty of clients who come in to browse without strict adherence to items that they’ve seen on instagram or on line, and who do not necessitate going through the hoops of special requests.

BTW, it’s obviously a different brand, but my chanel SA says she literally has to write a ton of email justifying a request like this, and it’s simply harder to take the time. Also, at least at my Chanel flagship, when a walk in comes in asking for X popular item, it’s something that makes SA’s groan inside due to scarcity, impossibility to source, or other.

ETA: I can only speak as to my H SA who says that he spends enough time dealing with demanding clients, and there is no way he would spend his limited free time away from his wife and daughter to surf the posts of crazies on TPF. he knows that I post for entertainment and he thinks mine is an amusing eccentricity. I believe when certain infamous instances on TPF take place, they might be informed during a staff meeting.

Wow! I know it’s a side note but thank you for the insight with Chanel. I definitely appreciate my SA there so much more now ❤️

 

[periogirl28]

As I posted somewhere earlier in this thread, made an advance appointment on WA before flying in near Christmas to see my SA with simple requests of a current shawl design in 2 colourways which I was considering.She always delivers and this time I suspect she had to do some minor adjustments to time it right; possibly even a transfer. Did not clarify. I was offered a nice range of bags as well. Happy Christmas!

 

[spidermann]

I think some SM and SA are super sensitive about purchasing from anywhere but them even if it’s A small item like a calvi, they check the system time to time (especially when they are looking to give you a quota bag) to see what and where you have purchased items from. I wouldn’t risk it over a small item.

Sorry to bring up an old post, but I ended up visiting a different cities store and bought a pair of chypres as they happened to have my size. It was kind of an impulse purchase as I’ve always wanted to try them and see what the hype is. I hope this doesn’t affect my standing at my store. In the past when I asked for a Calvi duo, my SA suggested to try to score them online. Also not 100% sure if I want to keep the chypres… If I end up deciding to return at my home store, would it just affect the other SA I bought them with ? I’m debating if I want a pair of Santorini’s instead.
When you “cheat” on your SA, do you not mention at all to them? Or give them a heads up since they can see all ur purchases anyways

 

[cravin]

Sorry to bring up an old post, but I ended up visiting a different cities store and bought a pair of chypres as they happened to have my size. It was kind of an impulse purchase as I’ve always wanted to try them and see what the hype is. I hope this doesn’t affect my standing at my store. In the past when I asked for a Calvi duo, my SA suggested to try to score them online. Also not 100% sure if I want to keep the chypres… If I end up deciding to return at my home store, would it just affect the other SA I bought them with ? I’m debating if I want a pair of Santorini’s instead.
When you “cheat” on your SA, do you not mention at all to them? Or give them a heads up since they can see all ur purchases anyways

You’re overthinking shopping. Enjoy your sandals.

 

[addiCCted]

Sorry to bring up an old post, but I ended up visiting a different cities store and bought a pair of chypres as they happened to have my size. It was kind of an impulse purchase as I’ve always wanted to try them and see what the hype is. I hope this doesn’t affect my standing at my store. In the past when I asked for a Calvi duo, my SA suggested to try to score them online. Also not 100% sure if I want to keep the chypres… If I end up deciding to return at my home store, would it just affect the other SA I bought them with ? I’m debating if I want a pair of Santorini’s instead.
When you “cheat” on your SA, do you not mention at all to them? Or give them a heads up since they can see all ur purchases anyways

Maybe this is store/SA/relationship dependent. But when they look at your profile and measure your “loyalty”, sometimes they’ll stop scrolling if they see a different store. Of course if your SA has good memory or you remind them when they’re checking then you’ll be fine. But if you guys have a more opaque relationship where she doesn’t even acknowledge prespend may be harder to talk about.

At the end of the day just buy what you like. It’s no big deal but just know that some SAs will stop scrolling pass their own sales. I know bc mine did that and she told me we’re not quite there yet. I’m like… pretty sure we’re there… you just started shopping with me since blah blah blah. No pretty sure it’s way before that. Etc etc.

YMMV. And if you don’t count prespend don’t even worry about it. But that happened in the beginning of my relationship. I’m not sure if it will still happen now.

 

[spidermann]

Maybe this is store/SA/relationship dependent. But when they look at your profile and measure your “loyalty”, sometimes they’ll stop scrolling if they see a different store. Of course if your SA has good memory or you remind them when they’re checking then you’ll be fine. But if you guys have a more opaque relationship where she doesn’t even acknowledge prespend may be harder to talk about.

At the end of the day just buy what you like. It’s no big deal but just know that some SAs will stop scrolling pass their own sales. I know bc mine did that and she told me we’re not quite there yet. I’m like… pretty sure we’re there… you just started shopping with me since blah blah blah. No pretty sure it’s way before that. Etc etc.

YMMV. And if you don’t count prespend don’t even worry about it. But that happened in the beginning of my relationship. I’m not sure if it will still happen now.

Thanks for your insightful response. After trying them on at home I notice the top of my 4th and 5th toes touching the edge, and debating if I should keep or return. Honestly I don’t think my home SA would have batted an eye and was planning not to really say anything, but i may I have to return them through her and I feel bad to the SA that sold them to me. I didn’t notice it immediately when I tried them on in the store, was just excited to see a pair in stock ! Lesson learned. Probably best for me to just not step foot in another Hermes store and regret purchases

 

[addiCCted]

Thanks for your insightful response. After trying them on at home I notice the top of my 4th and 5th toes touching the edge, and debating if I should keep or return. Honestly I don’t think my home SA would have batted an eye and was planning not to really say anything, but i may I have to return them through her and I feel bad to the SA that sold them to me. I didn’t notice it immediately when I tried them on in the store, was just excited to see a pair in stock !

We’ll for sure return them. Probably better so your SA is linked to that item somehow and you can tell her how you didn’t want to cheat on her but saw the chance and had to get it etc etc.

But honestly I think if you’ve been with your sa for years I don’t think it’s a big deal. It’s just more important if you’re first starting out and if you monitor prespend ratios. I know a lot of people here don’t care about that, so ymmv.

 

[spidermann]

We’ll for sure return them. Probably better so your SA is linked to that item somehow and you can tell her how you didn’t want to cheat on her but saw the chance and had to get it etc etc.

But honestly I think if you’ve been with your sa for years I don’t think it’s a big deal. It’s just more important if you’re first starting out and if you monitor prespend ratios. I know a lot of people here don’t care about that, so ymmv.

I have been with her about a year but also spent a ton with her, and she’s very easy going but to also go along with previous discussions on this thread, it’s a bit hard to get specific items through her and to have her reserve things. Like even if I mention I want a pair of chypres to her, I would probably never hear back and I feel like she tends to forget things. I just have to be lucky and the item has to be in stock for me to purchase.

 

[880]

++1 with @cravin. Enjoy the chypres. . I’m loyal to my SA, and he knows I shop twice a year at FSH and boredom/stress shop (in manila and Singapore while visiting family). If I need another pair of sandals or a sweater halfway around the world, No big deal. by the way, if you go up in size in the chypres, I found they became unacceptably wide. I ended up sticking to Birkenstocks. I do try to be sure before purchase bc I dislike returning anything.

 

[h_collector]

I’m so confused… so when you ask your SA, “hey do you have this item in my size?” what is her response if she doesn’t have it? Just a flat “no”? When she goes into her phone to check on the item, doesn’t she see where it is available? Usually when my SAs check their phone, they’ll say “I don’t have one here but I see one at another store and I can do a charge send and ship to you.” Or they’ll say, “oh not right now but I see some coming, I’ll tag one with your name.” If it’s not available at another physical store and my store is not getting any, then we’ll do a click to pay from the website if it’s available in the website. It’s very rare for them to do an actual transfer from a different store. I’ve had a few pieces of RTW and fine jewelry actually transferred, but very rarely and they usually do charge sends.

This interaction of checking the phone and determining availability and from which source happens almost every single time I shop! Whether it’s in person or remote. Unless they are showing me something they just received, then I am asking them for something I saw online, whether it was the H website or social media. And then they tell me which modality they will use to source the item for me… since you know, they like it when I buy stuff from them.

So I guess I’m confused why your SA can’t help you buy more stuff? She otherwise sounds really great.

This is what my SA does too.

 

[Hikar1]

Do stores/ SAs ever take 'lifetime spend' into account when making offers, or is only your yearly spend amount taken into consideration? Asking for QBs and non-QB bags. I've shopped at one store with one SA for years (except purchasing in Paris), and I only buy what I love. Purchase history is modestly diverse, having bought jewelry, costume jewelry, shoes, belts, scarves, homeware, and more.

Admittedly, I've never mentioned a wishlist to my SA purely because I believe I would never be considered due to my lower spend amount in comparison to other clients. Inventory at my store was also low for quite some time, so I never bothered...However, if anyone has had any positive experiences, I may have a discussion with my SA next time I drop by.

**I would also mention that I've never been offered a non-QB bag as well.