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.

 

[texas87]

In Germany, europe. I agree, but they all talk to each other. My store is a small store with only 8 staff members and not a big large store. The other senior SA, is kind but I feel knows something that not telling me about or maybe the manager or my ignoring senior SA has told to take over as she is fed up with me?! I am not sure, last time we met was so good and we talked for 1 hour.
I think this is so strange, but sadly this is the only store for me in my town in Germany and I have spent so much money there.

At such a pre-spend amount with no QB offer in what you are describing as a small non competitive store, I would move along and try to find another store in a different location. I know we all joke about the H games but this is something else.

 

[haute okole]

@thehermesaddict How long have you been shopping at this store and how flexible are you with what type of QBs you would accept? I recommend having an honest conversation with your new SA without passing judgment on your former SA who is no longer working with you. Invariably, when I think of the worst case scenario, I am typically embarrassed by my own insecurities in retrospect. You have already invested quite a bit of money with that store and it would be a shame to move and start anew with a different location. I wish you good luck. Please have some flexibility on your wishlist, especially since you are shopping at a smaller store. Smaller stores often do not get Himalayans to offer even their longest, most loyal clients. Beverly Hills often only gets one a year.

 

[addiCCted]

No, here where I live we don't get SAs number or email. Only store email. So only way to talk to any SA is via coming to the store or emailing to the again store email where all SAs can read.

I thought in Germany it was a wishlist waitlist system. Is it still dependent on loyalty to one SA? Could it be that the sa was trying to steal you from her coworker?

 

[Letter]

I also thought Germany was a wishlist system so pre spend, beyond establishing someone as local and serious shouldn’t matter that much.

I would address it next time you are in this way “last time I was in so and so said you were sick but then you were here - what a weird mix up!”

Is German your native language? I’m wondering if there’s a language issue too. Like you are both speaking English but it’s a second language for both of you. Or you’re speaking German as a second language. I don’t know. It sounds utterly bizarre and I’m sorry you have to deal with it.

 

[skybluesky]

As always with any miscommunication, it's important to clear things up face to face if you can, or at least by a phone call. If this had happened to me, I would want to clarify what happened as much as possible. Most of the time, people have good intentions.

 

[impaktplayer]

This is such a bizarre story. I guess the part I don't understand is when you say that you were "told to come yesterday," you were told by who? Your SA?

When you saw your SA, regardless of what the other SA said, why didn't you just go up to them and say you were there to meet again as previously discussed? Now I fear the situation has taken a life of its own. With your spend, you seem like a good customer. I guess I just wouldn't let your imagination run rampant or do anything rash that might jeopardize your relationship. Why not just make an appointment to see your SA and when you actually stop by again, mention how you're sad that you weren't able to connect last time and you heard that she may have been sick on that occasion and just see how it plays out.

 

[FaubourgTropical]

In Germany, europe.

Now that you mentioned it, I think this thread would be more helpful. There are some active members that might give you more helpful feedbacks.

From a cultural standpoint, I can totally see how this happens.

• Germany operates on wishlist so no point in asking often, despite the high spend.
• The SA avoided you to avoid talking about the bag she doesn’t have
• To arrange an appointment to come in AND hide is bizarre but was it a fixed appointment or is it like, oh, come anyday when I work next week and we can discuss? I can see how your scenario happens if it’s the latter.

That doesn’t mean it’s OK. There are other ways for the SA to handle this more professionally. I would agree with others to just face her again and gently confront. Another solution is to move on and shop as usual. She knows that you know her avoiding you and you show it doesn’t matter at all as you are above it.

If it helps, I am in CH and got two SOs with very little spend back-to-back as my credentials. My principle SA has other duties beside being on the shop floor. I had instances when she hid from me in the office when I came by to pick-up things we agreed on, reserved, or ordered online. I happily went with whoever SA was available at that moment, despite WHATEVER is written here about buying with one person, no online purchase, etc etc and still got my bags. An anecdote but HTH.

 

[shopinlovet]

Need some advice ASAP.
I have spent about 60k USD since january 2023. I met with my senior SA last week, and we chatted about my wish for a birkin 25 in the colors "Bronze Dore" and "Gris Misty".
She told me that those colors are new and therefore hard to get, but I'm one of the few customers on the wish list database.
She advised me to have patience but can't promise anything.
I was told to come yesterday to meet her again as I was looking for a pair of oran sandles and last week before we ended she said we can chat more about those orans then.
Long story short, another senior SA claims she is sick today and not in. Guess what?!
10 min later, I see her coming out from the stock room to help another customer.
I was so surprised they both lied to me and I don't know what happened.
Is my regular senior SA dumping me or annoyed with me?! We get along so well, I could not believe what happened.
Please help..

So something similar to this happened to me. My SA told me she was off on Tuesday’s, so I don’t usual go in on those days. Well a random Tuesday I went in just to browse and she was there. She did see me and we talked a bit and she even helped me look at some RTW even though I told her I was just browsing. It’s not as awkward of a situation as yours, but I’m glad that you took it with stride and didn’t want to burn the bridge with the store. By the end of the day, I think that’s important because the manager wants to see a loyal client and they have final say on who gets a bag. Maybe give the SA one more chance since everything has been going well. If you still feel uncomfortable maybe make a small purchase instead to test the waters a bit. I’m sorry you had to deal with this awkward situation.

 

[Letter]

SAs switch days to help out others all the time - that’s not abnormal at all.

 

[Luvmyfamily]

If you see other SA whom you have a better connection with, and whom you think will treasure you more, will you switch SA?

 

[880]

Disagree. It’s probably an SA/store preference thing. I’ve never had my bags opened by anyone before being offered to me. (And I’ve been sold a defective bag with physical damage before that I didn’t catch until getting back home.)

Agree it’s probably store preference. I’m pretty sure that my SA has looked at the bag beforehand, but others have reported the opposite

Also, I would tend to believe the SA re why the bag could not be offered. But regardless of whether or not one believes the SA or not, it’s not up to the SA in the end. It’s up to management.

@Luvmyfamily , yes I would switch. So long as you stick with the same store; are not a super high maintenance client with unreasonable expectations, and continue to shop in a polite, pleasant, and generous fashion, official store policy is that you are free to shop with whomever you like. But, as I said above, it is not entirely up to the SA as to whether they can offer a bag and to what client, so if bag offers are your definition of SA esteem, it my not be any better with another. An SA can only offer what the SM approves. Approved profiles who get bags tend to easily stand on their own merits

@thehermesaddict , I would just sure the other senior H SA (not yours) was mistaken that yours was not in? Not. Sure if your Senior SA lied or simply switched days off, so I agree with @impaktplayer ’s post above.

ETA: SA’s do sometimes have to come in on their days off and schedules get changed. I wouldn’t take that personally. BTW, a bag in those specs and those colors, may simply never come in (which would have nothing to do with how your SA perceives your relati9nship

 

[Hankypanda]

I think the latest posts are very interesting. When I shop at Hermes, I do respect my SA and we usually have so much fun together while keeping things low key. To be honest, however, I have never considered myself if I need to make my shopping days "financially memorable and meaningful for the SA." Maybe I am an outlier here.😅

This is purely my perception: In general, my SA loves me visiting the store/her often regardless of my spending level. But, what I sensed here seems that it wouldn't be a good idea to bother my SA if the spending wouldn't be at least $5,000, etc. I wasn't aware of this, and it is an interesting consensus. (I only went to my store twice in March, once in April, and yesterday. I didn't consider myself visiting there too frequently either.)

Thank you for your insights; I may have to recalibrate the expectations. I think it was a good inquiry to ask for the reality check.

I found this interesting as well. From what I've gleaned from "SA relationship tips" on forums and social media, it is advised that a customer visit their SA often even to buy something small like lipstick/fragrance/toiletries or a Twilly. To me that would be really annoying, but I have resigned to the idea that shopping directly from Hermes is a little like bizarro world (to me at least).

 

[addiCCted]

I found this interesting as well. From what I've gleaned from "SA relationship tips" on forums and social media, it is advised that a customer visit their SA often even to buy something small like lipstick/fragrance/toiletries or a Twilly. To me that would be really annoying, but I have resigned to the idea that shopping directly from Hermes is a little like bizarro world (to me at least).

I’m pretty sure if someone went in often and only buys a lipstick or twilly everytime, their sa would find them annoying and possibly desperate.

 

[Hankypanda]

I’m pretty sure if someone went in often and only buys a lipstick or twilly everytime, their sa would find them annoying and possibly desperate.

lol when you put it that way I can't decide if I'm being trolled sometimes by Hermes content on social media and my very literal interpretation tendency probably fans the flames.*

 

[addiCCted]

lol when you put it that way I can't decide if I'm being trolled sometimes by Hermes content on social media and my very literal interpretation tendency probably fans the flames.*

Well everyone has an opinion. Just some of these social media opinions don’t really make sense.