Overheard Hermès

[birkel]

here's my best story bare with me., im really familiar with my store and i really like the Hermes look and esthetic in terms of clothing and general minimal style., so because im comfortable in this area of the store i left my rather oldie blue jean 35cm on a display case, and walked around. My SA was there we were talking cashmere twinsets, a rather nice lady i must say very nice blue mini evelyne, around my age walked in with her husband... walks directly to my bag picks it up and says ill take this one... SA says that is my clients bag., I nicely said yes that's my personal bag may i please have it.,she turns to her husband and says You saw it she left it there SO! im taking it, its mine. if you wanted it she says, you should not have left it.,
SA says madame may i please have the bag so i can show you. lady hands it over, tells her husband who is laughing at this point, but she goes on to say, see you just have to be sure that you want it!., so she says can you show me charms and twills for MY new bag., SA looks at me i nod yes, So she opens the bag wide and shows her it has my things in it, water bottle wallet light shawl etc.... SA again says this is my clients personal bag, she is wearing this bag today, not only can i not sell it, its hers.,
woman turns to me face RED as a tomato, calls her husband says, we are leaving now !, husband turns to me and SA and says im so sorry excuse us, have good day., woman proceeds to storm out of the shop., SA and i laughed for a bit.... and continued to talk twinsets. now i keep my bag on me or in the dressing room.

 

[880]

Not overheard, but years ago, I was having lunch with another TPFer and we were joking about our H addiction, when we noticed that the tables around us had fallen silent and looked concerned. . . Which made us laugh harder.

 

[Hermes Zen]

here's my best story bare with me., im really familiar with my store and i really like the Hermes look and esthetic in terms of clothing and general minimal style., so because im comfortable in this area of the store i left my rather oldie blue jean 35cm on a display case, and walked around. My SA was there we were talking cashmere twinsets, a rather nice lady i must say very nice blue mini evelyne, around my age walked in with her husband... walks directly to my bag picks it up and says ill take this one... SA says that is my clients bag., I nicely said yes that's my personal bag may i please have it.,she turns to her husband and says You saw it she left it there SO! im taking it, its mine. if you wanted it she says, you should not have left it.,
SA says madame may i please have the bag so i can show you. lady hands it over, tells her husband who is laughing at this point, but she goes on to say, see you just have to be sure that you want it!., so she says can you show me charms and twills for MY new bag., SA looks at me i nod yes, So she opens the bag wide and shows her it has my things in it, water bottle wallet light shawl etc.... SA again says this is my clients personal bag, she is wearing this bag today, not only can i not sell it, its hers.,
woman turns to me face RED as a tomato, calls her husband says, we are leaving now !, husband turns to me and SA and says im so sorry excuse us, have good day., woman proceeds to storm out of the shop., SA and i laughed for a bit.... and continued to talk twinsets. now i keep my bag on me or in the dressing room.

LOVE your story! It made me remember I had similar experiences at my H store although it didn't get as far as your 35 did. I have a tendency of leaving my b's around the store. I noticed my sa and the sm keeps an eye on it while I am oblivious to what's happening around it. One time I was at a store event. I came back to where I left it and it was gone. My sa put it on top of a tall glass display. Came back again and it was once more moved to behind the register area on top of a cabinet! The sm looked at me and said nicely it was getting to much attraction. LOL There's another time when I left it on a glass counter (have to admit it did look it was on display) while chatting with my sa. I happen to look over my shoulder saw a group of people coming down the stairs staring in the area where I left my b. Little later because my sa was looking beyond me, I started to turn around to see what was happening she said politely 'that's my clients'. There were four people surrounding it and closely pointing at it in a whisper discussion. They looked at me and apologized and said they were hoping it was for sale. To be honest I felt awful for them. I apologized for leaving it out in the open and we all laughed. OKAY I need not to do that any more but like you am comfortable in my H store.

 

[aisham]

LOVE your story! It made me remember I had similar experiences at my H store although it didn't get as far as your 35 did. I have a tendency of leaving my b's around the store. I noticed my sa and the sm keeps an eye on it while I am oblivious to what's happening around it. One time I was at a store event. I came back to where I left it and it was gone. My sa put it on top of a tall glass display. Came back again and it was once more moved to behind the register area on top of a cabinet! The sm looked at me and said nicely it was getting to much attraction. LOL There's another time when I left it on a glass counter (have to admit it did look it was on display) while chatting with my sa. I happen to look over my shoulder saw a group of people coming down the stairs staring in the area where I left my b. Little later because my sa was looking beyond me, I started to turn around to see what was happening she said politely 'that's my clients'. There were four people surrounding it and closely pointing at it in a whisper discussion. They looked at me and apologized and said they were hoping it was for sale. To be honest I felt awful for them. I apologized for leaving it out in the open and we all laughed. OKAY I need not to do that any more but like you am comfortable in my H store.

So I am not the only one who does that we really should keep our bags within 2 meters of us .

Once I was shopping , and because I am pregnant , my SA brought all the items I needed from deferent departments to see or try on . A lady passed me and stopped to glair at my bag then asked

her : " do you have bags in your store ?"

Me : I am not sure what is available but things might turn up . Are you from around here ?

Her : No , we don't have an Hermes store where I am from .

Me ... sipping coffee next to 2 tables of stacked H boxes : welcome and consider this your store I hope you will find what you are looking for , you can start by asking any available SA . ( another Nice SA hands her a card ) .

Her : do you know a nice dry cleaner for silk RTW ?

I asked my SA and he replied to her .. We talked about what kind of bag she want and about RTW .. I welcomed her again politely so she might take the hint and leave .. She took a glance at me again and asked

Her : Are you the Stores owner ?????

I was shocked and answered " no !!!!! I am absolutely not the Stores SM !!!!

I heard another women running behind me grabbed that lady by her arm and said to her " She IS A CUSTOMER !!!!!! JUST LIKE YOU !! LEAVE HER ALONE !!!! " and they vanished into thin air .

I laughed for a good 10 min with my SA and practised my SM authority and asked to go up and see the stock room and look at all the hidden bags

I guess the way I was sitting , sipping decaf coffee and giving orders made her think I am the Boss Where on the contrary I was 34 weeks prego with swollen feet

P.S : my sister said that I should stop welcoming tourists to the store

 

[maxroxxherhandbags]

My SA often lets me try the display bags for fun and a few days ago whilst I was in ordering a buckle for my Hermes watch He let me try a Constance 18 from the display because I admired the colour
He opened the cabinet handed it to me and as I was putting it on to look at myself in the mirror a lady broke out of the line of people waiting to be allocated an SA and ran up to us and announced breathlessly "if she doesn't take it its mine!!! I'm buying it!" we both stared at the lady..(meanwhile the people ahead of her in the line were complaining to the hostess about her queue jumping)
My SA told her politely that it was display only not for sale and I was trying it to see the colour- she glared at him and said "PAH! I dont believe you! you all lie" My SA politely turned away from her and started explaining about the leather (tadelakt) to me whilst we were both trying not to giggle at the chaos of the people moaning in the line and the lady refusing to move just standing glaring at us both.
When he put the bag back in the cabinet she still wouldn't budge until the hostess came and told her she needed to stay in line or lose her place.
Its amazing how ill mannered customers can become when it comes to Hermes!

 

[Liberté]

Ive overheard a husband desperate to get out of the store telling an SA that he'll pay for everything hinting to please wrap things up quickly while his wife was away trying on some rtw....

 

[EllenTsai]

My SA often lets me try the display bags for fun and a few days ago whilst I was in ordering a buckle for my Hermes watch He let me try a Constance 18 from the display because I admired the colour
He opened the cabinet handed it to me and as I was putting it on to look at myself in the mirror a lady broke out of the line of people waiting to be allocated an SA and ran up to us and announced breathlessly "if she doesn't take it its mine!!! I'm buying it!" we both stared at the lady..(meanwhile the people ahead of her in the line were complaining to the hostess about her queue jumping)
My SA told her politely that it was display only not for sale and I was trying it to see the colour- she glared at him and said "PAH! I dont believe you! you all lie" My SA politely turned away from her and started explaining about the leather (tadelakt) to me whilst we were both trying not to giggle at the chaos of the people moaning in the line and the lady refusing to move just standing glaring at us both.
When he put the bag back in the cabinet she still wouldn't budge until the hostess came and told her she needed to stay in line or lose her place.
Its amazing how ill mannered customers can become when it comes to Hermes!

In a way I find it really sad that they must have read/ heard so much ‘how to beat the SA and score a bag’ … etc to behave like that….

 

[Ania]

My SA often lets me try the display bags for fun and a few days ago whilst I was in ordering a buckle for my Hermes watch He let me try a Constance 18 from the display because I admired the colour
He opened the cabinet handed it to me and as I was putting it on to look at myself in the mirror a lady broke out of the line of people waiting to be allocated an SA and ran up to us and announced breathlessly "if she doesn't take it its mine!!! I'm buying it!" we both stared at the lady..(meanwhile the people ahead of her in the line were complaining to the hostess about her queue jumping)
My SA told her politely that it was display only not for sale and I was trying it to see the colour- she glared at him and said "PAH! I dont believe you! you all lie" My SA politely turned away from her and started explaining about the leather (tadelakt) to me whilst we were both trying not to giggle at the chaos of the people moaning in the line and the lady refusing to move just standing glaring at us both.
When he put the bag back in the cabinet she still wouldn't budge until the hostess came and told her she needed to stay in line or lose her place.
Its amazing how ill mannered customers can become when it comes to Hermes!

Nowhere near as dramatic, but something similar happened to me when I was trying on a Kelly I was offered. The store was quite quiet but a lady was waiting to get assigned an SA and I overheard her telling her teenage kid ‘If she doesn’t take it I may buy it’ whilst pointing at me…

 

[hermesgeek]

I once encountered a lady in the store who got offered a B25 in noir togo GHW walk from the back of the store to the twillies in front parading her offer like this
literally like it was a religious paraphernalia walking down the aisle of a church.

She got envious stares, eye rolling, and many “If she doesn’t take it, I will” whispers to their SAs. Why she was carrying that way, I don’t know but it was insensitively funny lol

 

[cravin]

We shop at a relatively small boutique where once you move to the back, everyone can see everything. A couple years ago, we went in to see a black B30. Right before going in, wife fell in love with a diamond band so we purchased it. So when I say “to see”, we were going to decline pretty much sight unseen as black bags are relatively available.

That day, the boutique is packed. SA and SM are talking to us and SA whispers into the SM’s ear and she nods. SA lights up and tells us, “I’ll be back. Have to run upstairs”. I know what that means so I go sit on a couch while the SM and wife are chatting. Down comes a big orange box and the sight of the SA taking off the plastic off the box and whatnot just has everyone staring at the fitting room. Since it was SA, SM and wife, the door was open so everyone could see what was going on. I’m still on the couch and look up and out comes a bright blue B35 and I just start crying on the inside. Now there are three couples standing still staring at the fitting room. Wife turns to husband next to me and says to him “I am buying that bag immediately if she doesn’t buy it”. Now I’m still sitting there and quietly turn to the husband and say “don’t worry, she will buy it. Blue is her favorite color”. The wife was quite annoyed but the husband seemed very very relieved.

 

[park56]

We shop at a relatively small boutique where once you move to the back, everyone can see everything. A couple years ago, we went in to see a black B30. Right before going in, wife fell in love with a diamond band so we purchased it. So when I say “to see”, we were going to decline pretty much sight unseen as black bags are relatively available.

That day, the boutique is packed. SA and SM are talking to us and SA whispers into the SM’s ear and she nods. SA lights up and tells us, “I’ll be back. Have to run upstairs”. I know what that means so I go sit on a couch while the SM and wife are chatting. Down comes a big orange box and the sight of the SA taking off the plastic off the box and whatnot just has everyone staring at the fitting room. Since it was SA, SM and wife, the door was open so everyone could see what was going on. I’m still on the couch and look up and out comes a bright blue B35 and I just start crying on the inside. Now there are three couples standing still staring at the fitting room. Wife turns to husband next to me and says to him “I am buying that bag immediately if she doesn’t buy it”. Now I’m still sitting there and quietly turn to the husband and say “don’t worry, she will buy it. Blue is her favorite color”. The wife was quite annoyed but the husband seemed very very relieved.

sounds like a gorgeous bag!

 

[Rouge H]

I overheard there’s a back room where you are taken…..so you won’t be overheard….

 

[aisham]

What I overheard and saw at my local boutique was that a lady came in in a rush with her sisters , stared at the display and said " this is a Birkin ! look at it closely. It looks exactly like the one I have, no deference !" . She was carrying a weird looking C18 in a color and leather that looks nothing like something hermes would make .

An SA came to help her and she gave the SA an odd looking hermes shopping bag and asked " can you check if the bag inside is authentic please ? I am going to buy it from a reseller and wanted to check if it was real or not before paying " SA said " no we can't do that , it can only be done in Paris and we have to send this bag to the spa . And if it was conformed a replica then they will destroy it on the spot " The lady was shocked and asked the SA to at least take a look and see the bag .

What I saw from my end was , SA took out a bag with no box , no dust bag , handles wrapped in plastic and white paper . The bag was ( from where I was standing ) 1000000% fake , I knew it , The SA knew it .

Then her SA politely said " I can't conform anything but from what I can see no Birkin comes wrapped like this , all our bags are in boxes with dust bags and never wrapped in plastic ! " The lady said " Then I will not buy this bag , I won't risk it ! " then add " do you have a Birkin like it in stock ?" and we all know the answer to that question .

Immediately after they left , that SA came to us ( me, my sister and our SA ) and said " that bag is fake ! did you see how weird it was ! and the plastic wrapping who would sell something like this ! and say it was authentic oh poor lady " I told them what I've heard and that she was already carrying a fake bag and pointed to the Birkin on display looking at it closely to see if there was a difference between the one she bought and the authentic one . In other words, she bought this fake bag and wanted to know if it can pass as an authentic Birkin .

 

[meowmeow94]

I overheard there’s a back room where you are taken…..so you won’t be overheard….

couldn’t be truer ❤️

 

[papertiger]

We shop at a relatively small boutique where once you move to the back, everyone can see everything. A couple years ago, we went in to see a black B30. Right before going in, wife fell in love with a diamond band so we purchased it. So when I say “to see”, we were going to decline pretty much sight unseen as black bags are relatively available.

That day, the boutique is packed. SA and SM are talking to us and SA whispers into the SM’s ear and she nods. SA lights up and tells us, “I’ll be back. Have to run upstairs”. I know what that means so I go sit on a couch while the SM and wife are chatting. Down comes a big orange box and the sight of the SA taking off the plastic off the box and whatnot just has everyone staring at the fitting room. Since it was SA, SM and wife, the door was open so everyone could see what was going on. I’m still on the couch and look up and out comes a bright blue B35 and I just start crying on the inside. Now there are three couples standing still staring at the fitting room. Wife turns to husband next to me and says to him “I am buying that bag immediately if she doesn’t buy it”. Now I’m still sitting there and quietly turn to the husband and say “don’t worry, she will buy it. Blue is her favorite color”. The wife was quite annoyed but the husband seemed very very relieved.

This is like a scene from a movie - love it