My opinion of Hermes is changing...

[cr1stalangel]

it doe snot cahnge my opinión because it happens to all to the best and they are responding to it in a positive guarantee way i mean it really is a personal matter but they are honoring the standards by replacing bags.


NOTE i have purchased bags because i want them in terms of WANT,especially CHANEL.
but with birkins because i need them i realized i NEEDED larger bags so i sold my 25cm and 30cms because to me a birkin 35-40 is the perfect life companion kellys i have also sold and recently bought a 40cm Kelly because in my life i NEED ! large very good looking bags and i need to rotate them because of image and the space and quality and look provided by Hermes is really something that covers my need this is why i think i never wear a birkin as a trophy its just my bag a friend recently took a picture of my Reading área at home since she wanted the same cofee table when she saw it she said... birkel this is so much you very simple leather sofá very sleek marble table and floppy birkin on the right side corner ... i again saw how much that bag is to me simply a bag that i very much need because it holds my life. i have great friends that have the money time and lives for a birkin and many preffer chanel or more recently the Givenchy pandora i NEED my birkins , im just placing my imput on that particular note on your original post since i feel it is important to clarify that as comercial as the line is to me its not a purse or a bag its a birkin. hope it helps LOVE Birkel.

Unfortunately this does not apply to all of us dear Birkel. Some of us was not treated gracefully when we first come to them with this problem and are not offered with replacement at all. No option whatsoever other than credit note which means we will lose our bag and money, cause we are forced to spend it on other items we might not want. Just not many people will come out here and share the not so good experience.

 

[cr1stalangel]

Second story, my recent Faubourg adventure...
Oscar winning HORROR experience.

I am not a known customer there, although I have randomly bought a few very nice bags over the years...including some very rare (and expensive) ones.

Here am and I very happy to be in Paris again, I head to Faubourg in the hope of getting a Croc Kelly. A bag I really want...and quite fits my customer habits.
As soon as I enter the store a very nice male SA makes eye contact with me which alreday is nice. I make my request to him. He says he will take me to the right dept, and ask me to "queue here please , only three people and it will be your turn". OOPS.... is this a luxury store or Water and Power office ?
Fortunately my turn comes. I repeat my request to the impassible young lady that is in charge of getting requests, and she say " Oh, no less ? A croc Kelly ? Please come with me. "....and she takes me to a little leather chair and asks me to wait here ..."someone will come" I think she is rude but worse is coming... And I wait.
After almost 15 minutes, come a very young girl, with NO EXPRESSION on her face, and she points her chin at me like " may I help you" but with no sound..I don't say a word. I am waiting for at least a plain Hello, but nothing comes . She points her chin at me again with no sound. My own daughter would behave that way, she would get corrected immediately.
Finally I say : "Good afternoon, I am here to purchase a Crocodile Kelly"
Still with no expression on her face she gives a little piece of paper and her pen and asks me to write down my name . Not even a please ... I am totally speechless...and almost breathless.
I simply can't believe Hermes is taking care of their clients in such a way.
I think to myself that I can't buy anything from this store even if she gets back with my dream Croc Kelly...
But of course she comes back after 10 minutes with her no expressive face and no bag . Sorry we haven't received any today. I feel kind of relieved. I would have hated spending even a dime in that store.
But the sneaky no expression faced girl can't help and add, actually we have no Kelly, no Birkin today. And of course I can't help but answer : Not interested in any Birkin, only a Crocodile Kelly.

I leave with a smile but not a word,
and head to the RTW dpt, which is upstairs, a good 200 square meters of desert display, where two desperate SAs try to satisfy any of my needs, write down references and colors for me, bring coffee and sparkling water with a smile, and needless to say know how to say Hello, Good afternoon, May I help you, and Thank you for visiting. Curiously, They do not use their chin to make contact with you.

Gosh, I have no idea what I'll do if that happens to me. I am angry just reading your story. I'm so so sorry it happened to you. You handled it really well. What makes me even angrier is knowing that even if we complain to a Manager about it, they will not do anything and nothing will change.

 

[papertiger]

We shouldn't have to be worried to buy new. It does rest with the customer to be a bit more discerning. 'Faults' others obsess about may not bother me, a stitch here, the accent over the 'e' of Hermes faint, but I'm not looking to resell. However, stratification over the entire front of a Box Kelly, thinner leathers, leathers that smell to high heaven, handles that won't sit well in the hand ect, these I refuse. Even when a bag took 2.5 years to come in. But H is not alone, it took me 4 years to find a final hobo in BV that I thought was worth the (inflated) price (At least BV haven't added their name to the outsides of bags - yet)

In fashion, price is nothing more than a marketing ploy, it has very little relation to material/labour/overheads/advertising. The majority of people obviously must think the more they pay for a bag the better it must be. Not always so. The price of having an H swinging from their arm or dangling by their side. And the 'new' luxe buyers? Let's get real. Why do we think most people carry their Bs open, their Evelynes back to front, H belts with everything? Showing off for showing off's sake is not new. Logo mania was huge, even in the 1970s, a trend that Hermes opted out of - then.

I think it's good to see Hermes as just a shop sometimes. As Perlerare pointed out there are other places to go. It's just a shame that wherever I've gone, I've seen similar (Valextra included).

Let's just look at each and everything that we may potentially buy new or old in H as a discerning connoisseur and trust ourselves. Let's be happy we can tell the difference between worth it and not worth it.

 

[Nahreen]

I think some are rude, Perlerare, because they think they have some kind of power.
To say yes or no to a customer makes some of feel more powerful than the lady ready to spend thousands of euros on a bag. Let ´s not forget that, most of the time, SA's ( may be, especially the younger ones, cannot afford a B or a K, let alone more than one.....

If they can't deliver good service because they are jealous of the customers, then they have choosen the wrong place to work at.

 

[tannfran]

After all the whole world is changing, we can't retain it. Hermes loosing its luster is just one little tiny aspect of this life, and well, I can live with it.
I use my old Kelly bags everyday, every night, and keep enjoying them as if it were the very day I got them, so I am all set with BAGS.

Meanwhile I drive an electric sportscar, my kids were almost born with an ipad in their hands, I cook on induction, I work in three different countries without moving from my screen , and I can book a plane ticket 2 hours before taking off.

On the leather goods dpt,
There are new emerging companies, that make innovative products, and are not (yet) fighting for any rank in the luxury league competition, although there are already in that league, and can focus on inovation, design, quality, fun and....service
There are old companies making some revival as well, (Goyard, Moynat, or Valextra for instance)
There are very small and stable ones that have been delivering the SAME quality for decades, like Morabito . See their croc bags, they are breathtakingly well made....

Actually there is a variety of ways to look at this Hermes change...To me its an opportunity to look into something else, and finally embrace a new world...

What a wonderful perspective. Admirable way to view life in general. Great post.

 

[purplepoodles]

Regarding the skunk bags, did they ever get to the root of the problem? Was it an issue with the tannery itself? Do they know if there were toxic chemicals involved, and if so, did they determine the specifics? Did any other leather luxury goods providers have a similar issue? If there were different chemicals used, this would have much greater implications than just the quality of Hermes' production. There are environmental issues as well.



Please forgive me if these questions have already been answered, and thank you in advance for any information you have.

Your post reminded me to go check a month old LV epi SLG which has an odd chemical smell. The smell is fading but if I'd bought it from eBay rather than our local LV I'd have considered it a fake.

Regarding Hermes I buy very little now as there isn't much stock in the stores that suit my tastes.

My last two bags bought in different counties from trusted SAs have reeked of perfume and literally taken a couple of years each to air out and the the smell to evaporate. It's a personal problem but I have really love a bag before dropping over 6k knowing it may be some time before it can be used.

The last scarf had to be washed before I could wear it. Hermes is pushing their perfume heavily but it is a huge problem. I only visit the stores first thing in the morning before the perfume spraying starts but now find there is so much perfume on everything that even a new in box item picks up perfume while at the cash register.

So yes I buy very little now and it has to be an absolute must have lifetime item. I'm quietly waiting out a this period and exploring other options.

 

[Nahreen]

Your post reminded me to go check a month old LV epi SLG which has an odd chemical smell. The smell is fading but if I'd bought it from eBay rather than our local LV I'd have considered it a fake.

Regarding Hermes I buy very little now as there isn't much stock in the stores that suit my tastes.

My last two bags bought in different counties from trusted SAs have reeked of perfume and literally taken a couple of years each to air out and the the smell to evaporate. It's a personal problem but I have really love a bag before dropping over 6k knowing it may be some time before it can be used.

The last scarf had to be washed before I could wear it. Hermes is pushing their perfume heavily but it is a huge problem. I only visit the stores first thing in the morning before the perfume spraying starts but now find there is so much perfume on everything that even a new in box item picks up perfume while at the cash register.

So yes I buy very little now and it has to be an absolute must have lifetime item. I'm quietly waiting out a this period and exploring other options.

My ordered tea cups and K were kept at the storage facility at my H and only brought up to the store once I arrived to pick them up. Probably a good thing if they spray perfumes on customers to try them out. I love H perfumes because they keep the smell so long but perhaps a bad thing if it gets sprayed at other things than the body.

 

[catsinthebag]

Your post reminded me to go check a month old LV epi SLG which has an odd chemical smell. The smell is fading but if I'd bought it from eBay rather than our local LV I'd have considered it a fake.

Regarding Hermes I buy very little now as there isn't much stock in the stores that suit my tastes.

My last two bags bought in different counties from trusted SAs have reeked of perfume and literally taken a couple of years each to air out and the the smell to evaporate. It's a personal problem but I have really love a bag before dropping over 6k knowing it may be some time before it can be used.

The last scarf had to be washed before I could wear it. Hermes is pushing their perfume heavily but it is a huge problem. I only visit the stores first thing in the morning before the perfume spraying starts but now find there is so much perfume on everything that even a new in box item picks up perfume while at the cash register.

So yes I buy very little now and it has to be an absolute must have lifetime item. I'm quietly waiting out a this period and exploring other options.

Wow. This would be a huge problem for me because I'm allergic to a lot of perfumes. Washing a scarf is a nuisance, but at least you can wash them, unlike a bag. If it were me, I may have had to return the bags.

 

[etoile de mer]

I admire so much about Hermes, especially their devotion to exceptional creativity, and their wonderful, light hearted whimsy. But, I was very surprised and disappointed by their initial response to the stinky leather goods issue. I've been purchasing items from various departments for a number of years, and have one canvas/leather bag. I haven't personally been affected by the problem, but just as people started posting about it, I'd considered buying more leather goods. This situation certainly has caused me to pause, and I've not purchased any new leather items for about a year. It will likely be quite a while, before I'll feel comfortable doing so. They do seem to be handling at least the return portion of the process more efficiently now, but I still don't want to find myself in the position of having to do so.

I've had nothing but wonderful service in my store, but I've had some less than stellar experiences with H.com. Their advertising campaigns, and promotional videos are exceptionally beautiful and creative, but their website experience for customers is often exasperating. It's this uneven attention to the customer experience that I find very perplexing.

Perhaps naive on my part, but my hope is that the higher prices we pay at Hermes, means that their employees are earning appropriate and fair pay for their skills and labor. I don't think this is necessarily the case at other Luxury brands. I appreciate their dedication to producing beautifully made items, and they do seem dedicated to their employees, as well.

So there you have it! There are things I love about them, and things I find annoying. I keep going back because of the unique, beautiful, and creative products they produce. I do think of them as being sort of like a eccentric relative. I put up with them because I love them, despite their annoying quirks! But certainly, the recent leather issue has diminished my admiration a bit.

 

[purplepoodles]

My ordered tea cups and K were kept at the storage facility at my H and only brought up to the store once I arrived to pick them up. Probably a good thing if they spray perfumes on customers to try them out. I love H perfumes because they keep the smell so long but perhaps a bad thing if it gets sprayed at other things than the body.

Used to absolutely adore Orange Vert haven't seen it for a while, think the Hermes perfume developer has changed, seem to remember an article in La Monde a good while back.

 

[looking4kelly]

Thank you to all those eloquent contributors who have made this thread such interesting reading. I have my own opinion on Hermes of old vs new, their customer service and how difficult it must be running this family business in current times and trying to future-proof it.
I also have an opinion on some of the H customers and their behavior, as it was so well-noted below:

Reading the Paris trip for Birkin thread amongst others makes me imagine the global flagship store - of what should be a venerable, civilised, design house, being not dissimilar to a zoo: people throwing tantrums and shedding tears (it's a bag!); queuing like cattle; spoken with mute derision when finally attended to. Once upon a time it was about having the Best Produced Bag in the world.

...so I would like to add ONE thing:
I WOULD LOVE TO SEE A COMPLETE HALT TO THE USE OF THE WORD "SCORE" WHEN DISCUSSING LOOKING FOR, OR ATTAINING, THE NEXT BAG. I find it just so ugly and materialistic.
-End of Vent-

 

[Millicat]

Thank you to all those eloquent contributors who have made this thread such interesting reading. I have my own opinion on Hermes of old vs new, their customer service and how difficult it must be running this family business in current times and trying to future-proof it.
I also have an opinion on some of the H customers and their behavior, as it was so well-noted below:
...so I would like to add ONE thing:
I WOULD LOVE TO SEE A COMPLETE HALT TO THE USE OF THE WORD "SCORE" WHEN DISCUSSING LOOKING FOR, OR ATTAINING, THE NEXT BAG. I find it just so ugly and materialistic.
-End of Vent-

Hear, hear, ladies.

 

[Nahreen]

I admire so much about Hermes, especially their devotion to exceptional creativity, and their wonderful, light hearted whimsy. But, I was very surprised and disappointed by their initial response to the stinky leather goods issue. I've been purchasing items from various departments for a number of years, and have one canvas/leather bag. I haven't personally been affected by the problem, but just as people started posting about it, I'd considered buying more leather goods. This situation certainly has caused me to pause, and I've not purchased any new leather items for about a year. It will likely be quite a while, before I'll feel comfortable doing so. They do seem to be handling at least the return portion of the process more efficiently now, but I still don't want to find myself in the position of having to do so.

I've had nothing but wonderful service in my store, but I've had some less than stellar experiences with H.com. Their advertising campaigns, and promotional videos are exceptionally beautiful and creative, but their website experience for customers is often exasperating. It's this uneven attention to the customer experience that I find very perplexing.

Perhaps naive on my part, but my hope is that the higher prices we pay at Hermes, means that their employees are earning appropriate and fair pay for their skills and labor. I don't think this is necessarily the case at other Luxury brands. I appreciate their dedication to producing beautifully made items, and they do seem dedicated to their employees, as well.

So there you have it! There are things I love about them, and things I find annoying. I keep going back because of the unique, beautiful, and creative products they produce. I do think of them as being sort of like a eccentric relative. I put up with them because I love them, despite their annoying quirks! But certainly, the recent leather issue has diminished my admiration a bit.

Apart from exquisite design and "hopefully" good quality, this is part of the reason I can justify paying so much for just one item (regardless if it is a bag, scarf etc) and that the working environment is good.

 

[purseinsanity]

After all the whole world is changing, we can't retain it. Hermes loosing its luster is just one little tiny aspect of this life, and well, I can live with it.
I use my old Kelly bags everyday, every night, and keep enjoying them as if it were the very day I got them, so I am all set with BAGS.

Meanwhile I drive an electric sportscar, my kids were almost born with an ipad in their hands, I cook on induction, I work in three different countries without moving from my screen , and I can book a plane ticket 2 hours before taking off.

On the leather goods dpt,
There are new emerging companies, that make innovative products, and are not (yet) fighting for any rank in the luxury league competition, although there are already in that league, and can focus on inovation, design, quality, fun and....service
There are old companies making some revival as well, (Goyard, Moynat, or Valextra for instance)
There are very small and stable ones that have been delivering the SAME quality for decades, like Morabito . See their croc bags, they are breathtakingly well made....

Actually there is a variety of ways to look at this Hermes change...To me its an opportunity to look into something else, and finally embrace a new world...

Amen!

 

[ladysarah]

In fashion, price is nothing more than a marketing ploy, it has very little relation to material/labour/overheads/advertising. The majority of people obviously must think the more they pay for a bag the better it must be. Not always so. The price of having an H swinging from their arm or dangling by their side. And the 'new' luxe buyers? Let's get real. Why do we think most people carry their Bs open, their Evelynes back to front, H belts with everything? Showing off for showing off's sake is not new. Logo mania was huge, even in the 1970s, a trend that Hermes opted out of - then.

This is very true and although it does not excuse rudeness from SA's, my experience has been different. More than once I was present when the customers were extremely rude to people who worked there, there was shouting, whining and a general luck of civility. This sort of thing really embarrasses me and all I can do is walk away in horror...