I just arrived home from my trip and honestly I'm very disappointed with the whole Hermes experience in Paris, not only since I wasn't able to get B,K,C, or even Evelyne, but due to the whole experience in general.
DH and I were in Paris for 4 days, but one was a Sunday, so had 6 tries for appointments at FSH between us, with no luck. We have no purchase history in France. I was after a B25 or 30 in basically any colour except yellow or green, and a neutral Evelyne, and some SLGs in the same colour scheme as the bags.
The first morning, we lined up at Sevres at around 10am, there were around 4 people ahead of us. I don't know if this was mentioned already, but I expected when you line up outside at Sevres, that you would be given an appointment/SA according to the order of the line up, but this line up is just to get you through the front door. Once you're in the door, it's a mad dash to the leather department downstairs. I had assumed the appointments would be given in the order we lined up in, but soon realized that you just have to run for it once you're in, so even though there were about 4 people ahead of us in line at the front door, by the time we got to the leather department, we were about 15th. We were paired with a lovely SA that I thought we got along well with. She seemed to understand my choices and seemed happy with my knowledge and specificity. She went to the back to check for about 5 mins, said there were no deliveries, but that I can check back that afternoon and gave me her business card. At this point I was very excited, not only because she had encouraged me to come back, but also because even if I don't get a B,K,C, I wanted to build a profile at the Sevres store and a relationship with a SA there, since we go to Paris at least once a year. When I returned that afternoon, she informed me that she had just asked her colleague about deliveries that day since she had just come back from lunch, but there were none. She told me to try the following day, but since it's a Saturday she said to not waste my time lining up in the morning since there are no deliveries and to rather try in the afternoon. I purchased a bracelet. I returned Saturday afternoon, store was even busier than usual, the SA was helping a different client, so I waited, and I noticed a small group of people lingering around a table, I looked and there was a lady trying out different sizes of Birkins, and once she was done she was escorted by her SA to the back. It seemed like an insult to everyone else, since there was a small crowd watching her, so everyone knew they had Bs in the back, they weren't even trying to be discreet, she was walking around different mirrors with the Birkins. Once my SA was free she wanted me to remind her of my preference, came back within 5 mins, alas no deliveries, even though the lady was just offered one. Everytime she came back empty handed, I was always surprised since I expected Evelynes to be readily available. At this point, I asked her if I lined up Monday morning (my last day in Paris) if I can request to see her, since it seemed like we got along well. She informed me that it is actually her last day and that I would need to see one of her colleagues! I was gutted since even if I didn't end up with a bag, it was really important to me to start building a relationship with an SA, which is why I kept returning to see her specifically.
After leaving that time, I went straight to George V since apparently all the rapport building with the SA had been for nothing. Upon arrival at George V, I was told straight up at the door by the hostess that they have absolutely no bags of any sort and to try on Monday.
On Monday, our last day in Paris, we lined up in the morning again at Sevres, nothing. Since it was my last day, I went straight to George V afterwards, and had to line up once inside. Waited for about 30 mins, then an SA came to me, it was clear that she wanted to make this quick. She didn't take me anywhere, asked me briskly what I was after right there at the front of the line up without taking me to a different area or asking to sit, left for about 2 mins and said they have absolutely no bags of any style, and seemed very eager to leave.
I tried the Sevres store again in the afternoon one last time. I was paired with a gentleman with a small build, short beard and round, black rimmed glasses, he did not tell me his name, I was offered a red Octogone that I had seen offered to everyone on other days. (I have since done some reading and it's probably because there's a new style with a leather strap coming out) While I had never seen this bag before, I liked how different it looked, and it would help me start a relationship with this SA (I thought at this point) and build up my profile since I had only purchased a bracelet a few days prior. When I indicated that I would like the bag, and that I would like to also see SLGs, he agreed and took me briskly. Even though he knew that I was already getting a bag from him, he made no suggestions, no effort, my attempts at small talk hit a wall and just generally seemed like he was in a hurry to leave me. I was honestly a bit put off by his attitude and did not purchase any SLGs, because he really made it seem like he wanted me out of there. I wasn't even wasting his time, all this was about 5 mins, and he knew that he had a confirmed sale. If this had not been my last day in Paris, I would have cancelled the entire transaction then and walked away. He took me to the counter and proceed to put ribbons on the boxes while I paid. While he was doing that, he very quietly asked the cashier how old I was from behind her (since she had my passport), I guess assuming I didn't speak any French at all since our whole interaction was in English. I don't know why this mattered at all, but decided not to ask.
Once I was done with the transaction, he handed me my purchase, but in a plain white paper bag????? I was completely thrown back. Although, it wasn't a B,K,C, or even Evelyne which apparently no one had, this was still my first H bag purchase in Paris, and I fully expected a normal orange H paper bag. After I got over my confusion, I politely asked if I would be able to have it in a normal orange bag, and he just muttered that he gives all his clients a plain white bag and just stuffed a clearly oversized H paper bag that was way too big for my box into the white one.
Even though I obviously hoped to get a B,K,C I knew that chances were slim, and my main goal was to establish a relationship with a SA, and this obviously did not happen, even when I made a purchase. I was confused that everyone said that they didn't even have Evelynes available which I found hard to believe, and after everything my purchase came in a plain white paper bag. Although I tried hard to not let it get to me, the truth is that it did put a damper on my whole trip, just the whole experience and everyone's attitude.
Has anyone else had experiences like this even though they made a purchase? Did your purchase also come in a plain white paper bag? Did anyone else have trouble buying an Evelyne in Paris? I'm left disappointed and confused with the whole experience.
I walked by the new Hermes store location, I am sure it will look amazing!
