I feel like my interest in H has actually reinforced many important life lessons...
- Relationships should be approached with authenticity
- Good things come to those who wait
- Comparison is the thief of joy
San Francisco Hermes Store
- Thread starter cawowyn
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Has anyone considered carrying a riding crop to defend themselves while downtown?
View attachment 5104218
It's stylish, protective and well made. And if I get it in black I would have one less thing to worry about outfit-wise if I attended Folsom Street Fair.It's actually super practical the more I think about it......
This was very helpful, thank you. I am fairly new to the H journey and have been to the SF and Palo Alto store. Both SA's were very pleasant. I started my journey in the beginning of the year in Hawaii (that was a very pleasant experience as well). I have been told that sticking with a home store and one SA will lead to eventually getting my dream B/K/C. Many years ago, I walked in the SD store and bought a belt set and asked if they had anything special in the back. A few hours I received a call from the SA and drove back to the store. I was offered an Etoupe Kelly 32 PHW and gladly took it home (no shopping history).
I have been told it is quite rare for something like this to happen again especially in the Bay Area. My question is that would you stick with a seasoned SA or a fairly new one? Also any input in regards to the SF or Palo Alto store would be appreciated. I am trying to decide which store to make as my home store. Thank you!
This was very helpful! I am new to the journey and would love tips about the SF and Palo Alto store if you don't mind. Thank you!Same. I shopped with 3 SA's multiple consecutive times before deciding on one (who I've now been with for ~2 years). I also bought from other SA's occasionally (whoever was available) before I decided I wanted to be offered a bag from SF (I had relied exclusively on going to Paris for bags previously). I shopped with the same SA every time until something turned me off. For example, one SA was very pushy to get me to buy things that I wasn't interested in. I felt the SA suggested that I needed to spend a lot more "than usual" (1:1, 2:1) to be offered a bag (personal suspicion). I felt like they weren't taking my wishlist seriously at all. The second SA I worked with (maybe having a bad day?) exasperatedly exclaimed once in front of me, along the line of "every SA has helped you before!" - I'm not sure what that was trying to get at but it made me feel bad. I spent a couple thousand with every SA (not hard at Hermès as I'm sure you all know!) before deciding that we didn't jive well. Those moments made me feel uncomfortable personally (and maybe you would never experience those moments working with the same SA - it could be entirely circumstantial and personal to me). The Hermès "game" can be frustrating, so I want a relationship with someone who I get along with and goes out of their way to help me find the things I want, because I only want to buy the things I love and not to spend just to be offered a quota bag. I found an SA I click with now. Even though I feel like the SF store stock seems really lacking right now (for ready to wear & home goods), I'm waiting patiently for my next bag! I've been offered 3 quota bags (B30GHW, K28 Sellier PHW, C18 Ostrich). I bought the B30 and a harder-to-get black GHW Kelly Ado.
Honestly, I have no interaction with any other SA's especially now that appointments are timed, 1-1, and made in advance. I don't know if it affects me in any way if the other SA can have any say in whether or not I am offered a bag - but I doubt it (unless the person is a manager of some sort maybe?)
Maybe in retrospect I would have bought smaller ticket items when I'm testing out the relationship with a new SA to not feel the sunk cost fallacy so much. I think you should look for people who are excited regardless of how much you spend and spend the time to work with you and chat with you. The other important thing is how quickly someone gets back to you and their preferred method of communication. SA's will obviously try to communicate with you the way you prefer, but they often respond faster in their own preferred communication. Email sometimes might take a couple of days to respond but a text you could get a response the day-of. Some SA's are more busy because they have more regular clientele or are worse at responding on time.
DM me if you want to talk moreI also think your SA definitely warms up to you more the more time and money you spend with them because everyone wants a regular client!
I can't comment on the PA store as I was never able to secure an appointment with them and took that as a sign to stick with SF even though it's farther away.
The best advice I have is to choose an SA that you click well with. This might mean trying a few SA's before sticking with one. Also, if your endgame is eventually going to be a quota bag then please let your SA know this at some point. They are not clairvoyant, and quota bag offerings are never guaranteed.
Thank you for your response, I am new to the SF store and have met only one SA, do they frown upon if you ask for a different SA?
I feel like SF has more stock cos it’s bigger. They say PA has less competition but I don’t think so anymore. A seasoned SA has more clients so unless you’re gonna spend a serious amount of money right away, you might not be a priority. A newer SA might have fewer clients therefore can focus on your needs more. I’ve been with my SF SA for 6-7 years now and I’m one of her oldest clients. So even though I’m not the biggest spender, she gets me what I ask for, although I don’t ask for 2 quota bags every year.
On a side note, if you don’t mind bigger sizes (b35, k32/35) or exotics, you might get an offer sooner. Good luck!
Regarding exotics, I thought they are not allowed to sell exotics anymore in CA starting 2020? Did you recently get one? I’m really interested in like a touch or something. Thanks!
If you don't connect well with one SA then there's no need to worry about going to another SA or even another after that if you still feel like you don't connect well. If you've gone through multiple SA at one location and still haven't found one you mesh well with, then you might want to rethink the store entirely.
I got offered a couple of exotic Cs just recently (but passed on them). Like what @duggi84 said, I think that’s put on hold.
Thank you for sharing, so I had a recent visit to the store with my SA and I did mention that I was interested in a B/k eventually. After I mentioned it, she smiled and said "hopefully its not the b25". So it is perhaps to get offers for the smaller size bags because of the demand for them. She also mentioned that it is a rotation amongst SAs for the bags to be offered then they choose the client to offer them to, has anyone been told the same?
I’m sure what she’s saying is mostly true… unless there’s a big spender who’s dropping tens of thousands in one go on rtw, home goods or fine jewelry, then I’m pretty sure she/he will jump to the front of the line and be offered whatever bag she desires. I can’t comment on how hard it is to get a B25 nowadays cos I got mine 5 years ago and haven’t asked for one since. Would you be willing to get a B30 instead? You should listen to what she says unless you feel like she’s just stringing you along. But if you can’t compromise on the specs then I say either you have to wait patiently or spend a serious amount of money. If she values you as a client I’m sure she’ll try her best to get you what you want.
I am actually desiring a B30 or a K25/28 at this time. Would love to hear more about your journey if you are willing to share on DM, thank you again!