Hi everyone~
I’m new to the forum so nice to meet all of you
I just came back after a few days in Paris and would like to share my first Hermès experience there! We didn’t pick the best time to go as we arrived on the day FSH closed early due to the football parade and coupled with their national holiday just a day before we knew we would be in for a tough time for appointments, but we still tried.
Hubby and I landed on the 16th in Paris late afternoon and tried for an appointment on the 17th. We didn’t receive an sms or email at all that evening after 7.30pm and I kept checking my phone 8.30pm, 9.30pm still nothing. I decided to leave it and deal with it the next day as we were pretty exhausted and it wasn’t until I woke up the next day to see an SMS from 4am that we were both declined an appointment
We registered again at 10.30am and decided to go to the Sevre store. When we arrived there were already a lot of people surrounding the bag display area downstairs. As it was our first time there we took our time to look around the beautiful store and when we were at the bag displays a SA which turned out to be the hostess said to us do you need some help with the bags and before I could answer she had already turned to another lady next to her and asked if she was free to assist us. The SA was brisk and straight to the point and asked what I was after. I said Birkin or Kelly and she immediately said there were none available and that she had already declined two customers before me. She asked if there was something else I wanted and I said Constance in mini size. She said she would go to look and after a few minutes she came back empty handed and said there were none. I thanked her and we left planning to go to FSH.
At FSH I didn’t have any hopes of getting a bag without an appointment so I essentially wanted to get my bearings around the store and pick out some scarves and Twillies. One of the accessories SA helped me and she was nice, but a little distant. I chose a cashmere and silk shawl, silk scarf and a pair of twilllies and as she was about to take me to the register I said to her that I was also planning to buy a bag and whether she could help me with an appointment. She said she could not because bags are a different department, but pointed me to where the leather hostess was and said to try asking her. I thanked her and asked her to put my items on hold as I wanted to purchase everything on one receipt and she agreed to do so.
At the hostess’ desk they were two ladies in front of me saying that they didn’t receive an appointment and that they were not able to register a couple of days ago due to the national holiday and the early closing of Hermès for the football parade. The hostess was understanding, but said that there were no cancellations to return later. When it was my turn, I explained our appointment situation and that we were only here for a few days and whether there was any way she could allocate me an appointment. She was nice, but the answer was no one is free and to try again in the afternoon.
We went back at 2pm as many of the SAs finish their lunch around then and walked up to the hostess. She acknowledged me, but replied there were no cancellations and to come back later. After another hour we went back and the answer was the same, but she explained because of the holiday and the soccer parade they were really full. I said I understood and that I would try again tomorrow. SMS received at 7.30pm, declined again. Hubby’s phone turned out that he never even received an SMS for validation and that he had forgotten about it. Oh well.
We went back to FSH on the 18th around 11.30am. The same hostess was there and I said I didn’t receive an appointment and whether there were any cancellations. She said sorry, please come back later, but she did say that she remembered us.
I decided to buy the scarves I put on hold, but couldn’t see my SA from yesterday. So I spoke with another SA and she was warm and very friendly. She went away to find them and at this time hubby had disappeared and a few minutes later he came back and said that he might have got us an appointment later on. I was so happy! It turned out that he had told the hostess that he hadn’t received an SMS for validation and maybe because she remembered us or that it wasn’t as busy as yesterday she quietly told him to come back at 2pm. My scarf SA came back and said she couldn’t find the items I had put on hold, so I took my time re-selecting and we picked up some other small things, cufflinks, scarf ring and another scarf. These I asked her to keep for me until after the apppointment.
2pm my (well hubby’s) appointment time~ I was so excited and nervous at the same time! Introduced to the leather SA that would be serving me, she took us aside to one of the counters and asked what I was looking for. I said Birkin or Kelly, but if not those I would love a Constance mini. She proceeded to ask what size (25 or 30 for B and 25 or 28 for K), colour (bright colour as I have a black birkin already, rouge casaque, bleu electrique, rose poupre, gold), metal (prefer palladium, but gold is fine too) and leather (togo or epsom). She said that she would check and in those 10 minutes she was away it felt like eternity. Hubby kept a look out for me and was wondering why she was away for so long and I told him that it was a good thing it means that she is looking. Hubby saw her coming back as I had my back towards her and said ‘oh she’s empty-handed’. I felt my heart drop. The dreaded words came ‘sorry, but we have no stock available’. I was really disappointed. We were leaving the next day and I knew my chances of another appointment were slim. I wasn’t in the mood to shop more so just went to purchase my on-hold items and leave. Hubby saw how disappointed I was and said that we will try again tomorrow before our evening flight.
At dinner I received an unexpected surprise, an SMS that confirmed my appointment for 4.10pm! I was excited all over again, but wary since I knew that an appointment doesn’t guarantee a coveted bag at all.
Last day in Paris, we had to be at the airport before 6, so we went early to FSH to see if I could get my appointment pushed up. The hostess was not the same one I had spoken to the last two days, but when I asked her for an earlier appointment she said yes she could do that, but there was no one free and that I should come back in an hour.
Went back at 12.45pm and she registered me and asked me to wait. The time was for 1.05pm and pushed back till 1.35pm. During this time I saw the leather SA that served us yesterday and we exchanged greetings. She asked if I had an appointment and I said yes. She wished me luck and went back to serving her customer. When she was finished I went up to her asked her discreetly if she could assist me when it was time for my appointment. She apologized and said her lunch break was due in 10 mins. I thanked her and went back near the hostess desk where I could see two leather SAs serving customers with Lindys, Herbags and Evelyns .
I went upstairs to browse shoes when the message showed my SA was ready. I raced down the stairs and saw my SA from yesterday speaking to another SA. My SA from yesterday approached me and introduced the SA beside her saying that she will be the one taking care of me. My hopes lifted slightly thinking maybe she put in a good word for me?
My new SA led hubby and I towards a quieter counter she was all smiles when asked ‘How can I help you?’ I repeated my list and she listened attentively, but she didn’t write anything down. She asked us to wait while she went to check and I could feel the nervousness all over again. She was gone a similar amount of time and when she came back she was also empty-handed... but she had a huge smile on her face and asked us to follow her upstairs. On the way she explained to us that stock was very low, but she found something that she hoped I would like (magic words!).
She led us into a large dressing room and on the table were two boxes. Not a large box, so I knew it wasn’t a B or a K, but she opened it up and peeking from the top of the dust bag were gorgeous rose poupre straps! My first mini Constance in rose poupre, Epsom leather in palladium hardware! I was over the moon! Even hubby who doesn’t understand bags said it was a beautiful colour. The smaller box contained a mini Kelly wallet in the same colour which my SA said was a nice size and match to my Constance, but it was for my consideration and she in no way put pressure on me to purchase. I took it anyway along with the bag as I could use it with my B back at home. I asked the SA for her card so that I could contact her next time we’re in Paris and she readily agreed.
So that’s my story~ apologies if it was too long, but I’ve read so much info on this thread that I would like to contribute to it as well
