Maintaining an H relationship

[papertiger]

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

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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.

 

[xceleritas]

I loved how your former SA did the handoff. So classy. Thank you for sharing. Do you get the sense that your prespend with your former SA will be considered in working with your new SA?

I think it probably did - but maybe in that it was my spend with the store as a whole? I think others here on tpf with more experience/insight may have more to say about it than I do.
TBH I wasn't really paying close attention to how much I had spent up to that point, as I was sporadically purchasing. But about 6 mos in with the new/my current SA, I was offered the K28 (and in my exact specifications!) so I'm thinking it probably did contribute.

 

[lovebirkinbait]

Sharing for a friend because I’m curious how many will agree with my solution/ reaction to this::

Relationship with SA for a few years and SA has promised several things that never materialized. Ex: she has been very loyal and SA knows this, SA is promising a very specific bag she has been waiting for, SA is saying it is on the way for years now. SA promised an invitation to a VIP dinner event and the “event” allegedly cancelled at the last minute with a strange story, etc. Imagine all these scenarios x10 and she began to suspect the SA is just making up stories at this point. SA has offered her bags she likes several times and she replies right away; yet, SA then tells her the bags were allocated for other clients = Bad faith offers. SA has come through with some offers 2x a year+, but she really wants the dream bag and at this point she doesn’t think it’s coming. Right now spend is 5x with the SA and no offers other than the bad faith offers in the last year (SA has made the dream bag sound imminent)

My reaction is the SA is milking her for sales knowing she spends a lot and I think she should find a way to complain where she feels comfortable doing so. She wants to keep waiting hoping the bag will come, but she also wants to change stores and find a new SA.

Do you agree with me that she should write everything out and send it up the chain?

 

[acrowcounted]

Sharing for a friend because I’m curious how many will agree with my solution/ reaction to this::

Relationship with SA for a few years and SA has promised several things that never materialized. Ex: she has been very loyal and SA knows this, SA is promising a very specific bag she has been waiting for, SA is saying it is on the way for years now. SA promised an invitation to a VIP dinner event and the “event” allegedly cancelled at the last minute with a strange story, etc. Imagine all these scenarios x10 and she began to suspect the SA is just making up stories at this point. SA has offered her bags she likes several times and she replies right away; yet, SA then tells her the bags were allocated for other clients = Bad faith offers. SA has come through with some offers 2x a year+, but she really wants the dream bag and at this point she doesn’t think it’s coming. Right now spend is 5x with the SA and no offers other than the bad faith offers in the last year (SA has made the dream bag sound imminent)

My reaction is the SA is milking her for sales knowing she spends a lot and I think she should find a way to complain where she feels comfortable doing so. She wants to keep waiting hoping the bag will come, but she also wants to change stores and find a new SA.

Do you agree with me that she should write everything out and send it up the chain?

Absolutely not. Unless she wants to be blacklisted.

Which country is she shopping in and what’s the dream bag she’s waiting for? These details matter for advice giving.

 

[lovebirkinbait]

Absolutely not. Unless she wants to be blacklisted.

Which country is she shopping in?

USA

 

[acrowcounted]

USA

And the dream bag?

If she’s waiting for a common bag like K25 gold with GHW, her SA is probably stringing her along. If she’s waiting for a push offer LE like a Himalayan, then her SA is probably being honest as they have no control over when they receive these limited items.

All in all, if her goal is to actually get the bag, my advice is to just keep waiting, be pleasant, and slow down the spend to a trickle (assuming it’s already a good spend for what she wants, which again is impossible to advise on without knowing what bag she is hunting).

 

[lovebirkinbait]

And the dream bag?

If she’s waiting for a common bag like K25 gold with GHW, her SA is probably stringing her along. If she’s waiting for a push offer LE like a Himalayan, then her SA is probably being honest as they have no control over when they receive these limited items.

All in all, if her goal is to actually get the bag, my advice is to just keep waiting, be pleasant, and slow down the spend to a trickle (assuming it’s already a good spend for what she wants, which again is impossible to advise on without knowing what bag she is hunting).

It’s not a common bag, and I don’t want to share because I probably have shared enough of her private info as is. What about the multiple bad faith offers and “events”? I still think she should report this SA. There’s a lot more to the story, but I am being cautious not to include info that could identify either one of them.

 

[Deleted 793791]

It’s not a common bag, and I don’t want to share because I probably have shared enough of her private info as is. What about the multiple bad faith offers and “events”? I still think she should report this SA. There’s a lot more to the story, but I am being cautious not to include info that could identify either one of them.

Unfortunately, that is a common behavior/attitude in Hermes SAs especially in CT/NY areas (where my experiences come from). I've had several SAs before and at least one of them was a racist (not overtly but in a very smart way, e.g., "micro-aggression"). Even my current SA "promised" the bag I want since last September 2023, and kept delaying it intentionally. It is not easy to find the right SA for most people.

Unfortunately, I also agree with @acrowcounted not to make the problems more official or bigger.... I retaliate the way I got treated from H SAs to many other people though. Haha. (Ok, it was a joke. Or may be not. lol)

PS. It has nearly (and should be) nothing to do with "her dream bag." This is really the attitude problems of H and its SAs. They should not treat clients like that regardless of the bags she wants.

 

[lovebirkinbait]

Unfortunately, that is a common behavior/attitude in Hermes SAs especially in CT/NY areas (where my experiences come from). I've had several SAs before and at least one of them was a racist (not overtly but in a very smart way, e.g., "micro-aggression"). Even my current SA "promised" the bag I want since last September 2024, and kept delaying it intentionally. It is not easy to find the right SA for most people.

Unfortunately, I also agree with @acrowcounted not to make the problems more official or bigger.... I retaliate the way I got treated from H SAs to many other people though. Haha. (Ok, it was a joke. Or may be not. lol)

I just can’t fathom some of this poor treatment that I hear about. I don’t understand what the issue would be with reporting the major issues / most offending bad behaviors. What other industries do clients just accept this as normal?

 

[Deleted 793791]

I just can’t fathom some of this poor treatment that I hear about. I don’t understand what the issue would be with reporting the major issues / most offending bad behaviors. What other industries do clients just accept this as normal?

Many people just get familiar with the games. It was my first time in my life how "overt power play" is being taught to me. I am still loyal to H (the brand itself), but I am occasionally offended by the ways SAs treat me or other people.

But, I urge you not to make it a bigger/official problem in the store. That means you are out of the games and you lost.

PS. They all know about the patterns of bad behaviors even if many clients are quiet. The SAs know, H knows, and we all know.

 

[lovebirkinbait]

Many people just get familiar with the games. It was my first time in my life how "overt power play" is being taught to me. I am still loyal to H (the brand itself), but I am occasionally offended by the ways SAs treat me or other people.

But, I urge you not to make it a bigger/official problem in the store. That means you are out of the games and you lost.

PS. They all know about the patterns of bad behaviors even if many clients are quiet. The SAs know, H knows, and we all know.

As much as I’d like to, I can’t complain for her. She doesn’t want to make it an issue. I have secondhand frustration having to constantly hear about it for more than a year now. My vote is still to lodge the complaint. lol

 

[acrowcounted]

I just can’t fathom some of this poor treatment that I hear about. I don’t understand what the issue would be with reporting the major issues / most offending bad behaviors. What other industries do clients just accept this as normal?

It’s a matter of desired outcome. Hermes, for better or worse, holds all the power in bag offer decisions. SMs and SAs hear from actual whiney customers all day long so it is easy to lump in a valid complaint with the endless walkin “where’s my bag?” noise and put your friend on the “annoying client” list who won’t be “rewarded".

My advice to your friend would be to gently push back when these weird promises don’t come through “hey, wait, wasn’t there supposed to be a Valentine’s Day event yesterday? I thought you said I’d get an appointment?” Or when a bag doesn’t get approved (this is a real thing where SAs often ask their clients if they’d be interested in an X before asking the SM for it, and then being turned down) ask “oh I wonder why not? Is there something lacking with my account?” Without hearing directly from the friend, to me it sounds like your friend’s expectations are misaligned with where she is spend wise with the brand. Rare bags are rare and the competition is crazy these days. You say she’s at 5:1 for whatever this bag is. That sounds like a lot but if it’s, say a KP, that’s “only” around 30k spend which really isn’t that impressive for such a very rare in demand bag these days. I’d be happy to advise privately in PM if it would be helpful.

 

[Deleted 793791]

As much as I’d like to, I can’t complain for her. She doesn’t want to make it an issue. I have secondhand frustration having to constantly hear about it for more than a year now. My vote is still to lodge the complaint. lol

I hear you. But, I also think it is now one of the reasons why I love H. It's because of H being cocky (and crooked?), not everyone can get it. B or K is just a bag after all, but we all pre-spend a lot of $$ to get it. It's not simply about pre-spending, but dealing with the SA's bad behaviors.

So, exclusivity of B or K = function (pre-spend, SA relationship, luck).

If someone is 100% lucky, one can get B or K without pre-spend or dealing with the SA's attitudes. I had this luck when I was in Paris.

 

[Franny0303]

Sharing for a friend because I’m curious how many will agree with my solution/ reaction to this::

Relationship with SA for a few years and SA has promised several things that never materialized. Ex: she has been very loyal and SA knows this, SA is promising a very specific bag she has been waiting for, SA is saying it is on the way for years now. SA promised an invitation to a VIP dinner event and the “event” allegedly cancelled at the last minute with a strange story, etc. Imagine all these scenarios x10 and she began to suspect the SA is just making up stories at this point. SA has offered her bags she likes several times and she replies right away; yet, SA then tells her the bags were allocated for other clients = Bad faith offers. SA has come through with some offers 2x a year+, but she really wants the dream bag and at this point she doesn’t think it’s coming. Right now spend is 5x with the SA and no offers other than the bad faith offers in the last year (SA has made the dream bag sound imminent)

My reaction is the SA is milking her for sales knowing she spends a lot and I think she should find a way to complain where she feels comfortable doing so. She wants to keep waiting hoping the bag will come, but she also wants to change stores and find a new SA.

Do you agree with me that she should write everything out and send it up the chain?

You’re probably going to get a very mixed bag of responses on this. Personally, if this were my own issue (and if your friend truly loves the brand besides just bags) I’d go buy the bag resale and go work with another SA and/or switch stores. It doesn’t have to be a whole production, just change your routine.

Reporting it definitely won’t make the bag appear or the vip dinner invites materialize. If your friend is that upset and she reports it, I’d for sure switch stores anyway.

 

[addiCCted]

What about the multiple bad faith offers and “events”?

I don’t understand what the issue would be with reporting the major issues / most offending bad behaviors.

One of the potential issue is that the SA would just be following the SMs orders. So complaining to the SM would not really lead to a desired outcome.

Regarding the event situation, maybe the SA didn’t want to flat out say NO. I assume space is limited and SAs are only allowed certain amount of spots. Perhaps your friend doesn’t fit the criteria that the SM has chosen to be invited and the SA didn’t want to hurt your friends feelings. Some people just don’t know how to say No or be direct
Same about the bag

 

[cravin]

Sharing for a friend because I’m curious how many will agree with my solution/ reaction to this::

Relationship with SA for a few years and SA has promised several things that never materialized. Ex: she has been very loyal and SA knows this, SA is promising a very specific bag she has been waiting for, SA is saying it is on the way for years now. SA promised an invitation to a VIP dinner event and the “event” allegedly cancelled at the last minute with a strange story, etc. Imagine all these scenarios x10 and she began to suspect the SA is just making up stories at this point. SA has offered her bags she likes several times and she replies right away; yet, SA then tells her the bags were allocated for other clients = Bad faith offers. SA has come through with some offers 2x a year+, but she really wants the dream bag and at this point she doesn’t think it’s coming. Right now spend is 5x with the SA and no offers other than the bad faith offers in the last year (SA has made the dream bag sound imminent)

My reaction is the SA is milking her for sales knowing she spends a lot and I think she should find a way to complain where she feels comfortable doing so. She wants to keep waiting hoping the bag will come, but she also wants to change stores and find a new SA.

Do you agree with me that she should write everything out and send it up the chain?

I had a similar situation, just nowhere near that long/bad. I just back-channeled and switched stores to a work with a new SA. Just be aware that your friend will sort of be “starting over” if they go this route.

Others have provided good advice. Your friend should have a frank conversation with the SA. If they receive attitude or think nothing will change, they COULD ask to speak with the SM, but keep in mind that a leader will almost always default to defending their team so that’s a scorched Earth approach that could work or could backfire.