Hi! I just had such a sad experience and I was hoping some of you might be able to offer some advice or encouragement.
I’ve been a steady and loyal customer at my local Hermes shop for a few years now, and this time last year I asked my SA to look out for my first ever Kelly, which would be my present for graduating university (last summer) whilst dealing with a horrible chronic illness and other difficult things. I was really specific about exactly what I wanted, and he said the store was expecting exactly my perfect bag and that he’d managed to reserve it for me. A Kelly 32cm in Bleu Nuit Togo leather with palladium hardware.
So a year later, the Monday before this, I finally got the email that my bag had come in. I was so excited, but I was staying in the country (I’d have to get the train into the city to get it) and couldn’t go immediately. And then I got ill and had to delay going. So I arranged to see my SA on Friday, yesterday, to pick it up.
I was still feeling pretty ill, hadn’t slept, had to travel into the city on a really really hot day, and had some stressful chores to do before going to Hermes. Plus I had to catch the last train back in the afternoon so had to be quick and efficient. So I was quite stressed and really worn out by the time I got to Hermes. But so so so excited to see my dream bag, my first Kelly!
I got there and asked for my SA, and was told he wasn’t there that day. I showed them the emails in which he said he would be there. After about twenty minutes of investigation it turned out he’d called in sick in the morning and I hadn’t been told. I was so sad - he is so lovely and he was the person I’d always worked with, and he’d been so kind to get me my perfect bag. I really wanted him to be the one who showed it to me and whom I bought it from. I wish he or someone had let me know he wouldn’t be there.
But I only had two days left till it was no longer reserved for me (the store only keeps a bag for you for two weeks maximum) and I wouldn’t be able to come back to the city in that time, so I had to ask if I could have it even without my SA being there. There was a queue to see the leather department SAs, and so I had to sit and wait for another half hour or more. Which was really stressful, as I’d made an appointment to see my SA at a certain time so I could be sure to catch my train, and it seemed like now I would be too late.
It was already just feeling a bit sad. Not to have my lovely SA there, to have to buy it from someone I didn’t know, and the worry about catching my train.
Then a nice lady came and said she could help me. I told her who I was and that I had a bag waiting for me and she went to get it. I felt quite excited again as we went behind a special curtain and the big box was opened for me.
And then I saw the gold hardware. I know lots of people don’t mind about PHW vs. GHW, but I really do mind. I had always said to my SA that I only wanted PHW, when I asked for the bag in the first place I asked for PHW, when he said it was reserved for me I checked that it was PHW, when it came into the store I checked again (twice!) that it was exactly what I’d asked for. And it said GHW on the box and everything, it wasn’t a mix up.
I know it's just a handbag but I hope some people here might understand how sad I was (and am). I’ve been having a really tough time the last few years with chronic illness, deaths in the family, trying to get through university and various other horrible and difficult things. And this was the prize I’d worked for, the good thing I’d been looking forward to. And I’d waited a year and been so excited for it.
I managed not to cry (though I kind of wish now that I had, so they’d seen how upset I was) and the lady who was helping me was so apologetic. She said it was the first time this had ever happened (just my luck…). I just don’t know what to do now though. I think my SA said it was the last Bleu Nuit bag the store was expecting to receive.
Do you think there’s any chance they might be able to get one for me now? Do you think I can ask them to try and get me the bag they told me I would have? The lady emailed my SA about it so I'm just waiting now to hear back from him. It’s just all so disheartening…
Thank you for letting me share, sorry it’s such a long post!
I’ve been a steady and loyal customer at my local Hermes shop for a few years now, and this time last year I asked my SA to look out for my first ever Kelly, which would be my present for graduating university (last summer) whilst dealing with a horrible chronic illness and other difficult things. I was really specific about exactly what I wanted, and he said the store was expecting exactly my perfect bag and that he’d managed to reserve it for me. A Kelly 32cm in Bleu Nuit Togo leather with palladium hardware.
So a year later, the Monday before this, I finally got the email that my bag had come in. I was so excited, but I was staying in the country (I’d have to get the train into the city to get it) and couldn’t go immediately. And then I got ill and had to delay going. So I arranged to see my SA on Friday, yesterday, to pick it up.
I was still feeling pretty ill, hadn’t slept, had to travel into the city on a really really hot day, and had some stressful chores to do before going to Hermes. Plus I had to catch the last train back in the afternoon so had to be quick and efficient. So I was quite stressed and really worn out by the time I got to Hermes. But so so so excited to see my dream bag, my first Kelly!
I got there and asked for my SA, and was told he wasn’t there that day. I showed them the emails in which he said he would be there. After about twenty minutes of investigation it turned out he’d called in sick in the morning and I hadn’t been told. I was so sad - he is so lovely and he was the person I’d always worked with, and he’d been so kind to get me my perfect bag. I really wanted him to be the one who showed it to me and whom I bought it from. I wish he or someone had let me know he wouldn’t be there.
But I only had two days left till it was no longer reserved for me (the store only keeps a bag for you for two weeks maximum) and I wouldn’t be able to come back to the city in that time, so I had to ask if I could have it even without my SA being there. There was a queue to see the leather department SAs, and so I had to sit and wait for another half hour or more. Which was really stressful, as I’d made an appointment to see my SA at a certain time so I could be sure to catch my train, and it seemed like now I would be too late.
It was already just feeling a bit sad. Not to have my lovely SA there, to have to buy it from someone I didn’t know, and the worry about catching my train.
Then a nice lady came and said she could help me. I told her who I was and that I had a bag waiting for me and she went to get it. I felt quite excited again as we went behind a special curtain and the big box was opened for me.
And then I saw the gold hardware. I know lots of people don’t mind about PHW vs. GHW, but I really do mind. I had always said to my SA that I only wanted PHW, when I asked for the bag in the first place I asked for PHW, when he said it was reserved for me I checked that it was PHW, when it came into the store I checked again (twice!) that it was exactly what I’d asked for. And it said GHW on the box and everything, it wasn’t a mix up.
I know it's just a handbag but I hope some people here might understand how sad I was (and am). I’ve been having a really tough time the last few years with chronic illness, deaths in the family, trying to get through university and various other horrible and difficult things. And this was the prize I’d worked for, the good thing I’d been looking forward to. And I’d waited a year and been so excited for it.
I managed not to cry (though I kind of wish now that I had, so they’d seen how upset I was) and the lady who was helping me was so apologetic. She said it was the first time this had ever happened (just my luck…). I just don’t know what to do now though. I think my SA said it was the last Bleu Nuit bag the store was expecting to receive.
Do you think there’s any chance they might be able to get one for me now? Do you think I can ask them to try and get me the bag they told me I would have? The lady emailed my SA about it so I'm just waiting now to hear back from him. It’s just all so disheartening…
Thank you for letting me share, sorry it’s such a long post!
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