San Francisco Hermes Store

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I was visiting SF so had to go in to the boutique to browse. The store is beautiful, very quiet for a Thursday afternoon. The entire time I was in store, no SA came to talk to me, I didn't mind as I don't expect to make big purchases anyway. No bag on display. The store has many things than my home store, I'm glad to see many beautiful things in person! Very nice for me to walk around the store, except the security was following me the entire time.
Saw another lady asking about SAs as a walk-in, and security jus told her to wait.
The dynamic is very different than my home store, and/or the NY store when I visited. At least, my home store and NY store both have greeting person to let you know what's going on and what to expect.
 
I feel depressed now… I thought I’ve showed my genius enthusiasm about their products but the SA is so disappointing
Sadly there are many many long standing (10+ yr) customers with similar spending profiles or more who have been waiting all year for bag offers as well. Most SAs give 1-2 year estimates for the waiting period to new clients these days. I think perhaps your expectations got ahead of themselves. I recommend slowing down and trying to be patient/take a break. I def do not recommend attempting to switch SAs until you at least have your first quota bag. Good luck.
 
I stopped buying about a month ago since I think my pre-spending is enough too, during this month the SA asked me if I’m interested in a men’s expensive watch… I was pissed off that time but told her no politely. Can I complain to the store manager?
 
I stopped buying about a month ago since I think my pre-spending is enough too, during this month the SA asked me if I’m interested in a men’s expensive watch… I was pissed off that time but told her no politely. Can I complain to the store manager?
Why would you complain to the store manager?
 
It’s not just about “prespending“, it’s a full relationship. Badgering the SA won’t help. Reporting the sales person for trying to sell you something won’t help. Each store has hundreds of clients and bags have been in a huge shortage for at least 18 months. There are likely dozens of clients that have been waiting longer than you with similar profiles. If you had asked here before you started shopping at H if getting a B in three months was a reasonable expectation, I think you’d have gotten a nearly unanimous answer that it is not reasonable these days.
 
It’s not just about “prespending“, it’s a full relationship. Badgering the SA won’t help. Reporting the sales person for trying to sell you something won’t help. Each store has hundreds of clients and bags have been in a huge shortage for at least 18 months. There are likely dozens of clients that have been waiting longer than you with similar profiles. If you had asked here before you started shopping at H if getting a B in three months was a reasonable expectation, I think you’d have gotten a nearly unanimous answer that it is not reasonable these days.
I second this whole heartedly. I think it's time to take a step back and adjust the expectations... Or just go to reseller.
 
I stopped buying about a month ago since I think my pre-spending is enough too, during this month the SA asked me if I’m interested in a men’s expensive watch… I was pissed off that time but told her no politely. Can I complain to the store manager?
I know it may fall flat to say adopt some patience but know that a lot of people who have been shopping there a long time and have built up pre-spend also are waiting longer than before the start of covid to get quota bags. A few months is a short period of time in the broader context. Just make sure you truly enjoy the other things you are buying versus viewing those purchases as lining the path to a bag - Otherwise to Grace's point, just get out of the store game and go with a reseller. Instant gratification and you are more likely to land the exact specs you want.
 
also had some unpleasant experiences with her during the process
I wouldn’t change solely based on her not being able to offer a B in time for your bday, ( all leather is in short supply nowadsys) but I might change depending on the strength of above. An SA has to be herself approved to make any offers and yours will have many clients of longer standing and spend waiting patiently. It is up to the SA to persuade the SM who will then compare your profile with others.

+1 with @acrowcounted. I don’t think you have any ground for complaint bc she offered you an expensive mens watch. (I hope you are not including that as one of your unpleasant interactions above). Given how much H would like to grow its mens watch sales, your SA’s SM might have literally promised that if she could sell this watch, she might be allowed to offer you the bag. (When my DH purchased a H08 watch, I received my first three offers during the same visit ). I would go so far as to suggest that a complaint of this nature would adversely impact your profile in this particular location.

I also agree 100% with @acrowcounted that three months is insufficient time for a first offer these days. i am a NY client, not SF, but quite frankly, my SA has many clients who spend high five figures in a single visit (I am not one of them). For NY, your spend would not stand out in any way, and I assume that most US flagships are similar. Prespend is not always the prime factor, but also strength of relationship, longevity, and likelihood of a clients future ability to continue or ratchet up sustained spend in desirable categories, post offer. SA - client rapport is an intangible that is difficult to quantify. You mentioned that you stopped spending bc you figured your spend was sufficient. An SA and SM may feel that this type of client is problematic or entitled bc only spends to get an offer is a form of quid pro quo.

ETA: agree with @grace-lee, @catin, and others . if you want a bag in that timeframe, go reseller. (I buy both, as there are lots of things in the boutique that I enjoy as well as beautiful vintage bags no longer made). I don’t buy anything I don’t truly love, and months can go by without spending, but I don’t really count prespend and I don’t have a wish list) I truly suggest that you only buy boutique merchandise if you love it and consider an offer as simply a nice bonus. If you truly are unhappy with this and cannot adjust expectations, I fear you will be continually disappointed with boutique experiences, no matter the SA. one last thing, a VIP friend of mine is also astonished that there are no SLG. You are not alone in that.

ETA: I truly believe SAs and SMs can sense bag desperation and more transactional clients both of which tend to get in the way of fostering a solid SA relationship. If you are that unhappy with your current SA, you are free to change. I just honestly don’t think you would have gotten a different outcome.
 
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Just make sure you truly enjoy the other things you are buying versus viewing those purchases as lining the path to a bag - Otherwise to Grace's point, just get out of the store game and go with a reseller
Just realized it took me five paragraphs to say what @catin did in two lines :biggrin:

but one of my favorite bits of advice of all time is lifted below, from this thread, post 2506, page 168, by @acrowcounted

There are no rules about prespend in the USA, it’s just a gauge for market competitiveness. It’s not you vs a rulebook, it’s you vs all the other clients. There needs to be a reason to give you the bag over everyone else that shops at your store who also want that bag. The reason could be you’ve spent more, you visit more often, you’ve never made a return, you were finally the one to buy that unsalable poncho that’s been on display for three years, you’ve never gotten a bag before, you’ve been shopping there the longest, it’s been three years since your last quota bag, you’re the only one who can make it to the store to purchase before the month ends tomorrow, you happen to ask right as the manager gets a second date confirmation with the hottie from the bar, or they just plain like you more for whatever reason. None of these factors alone guarantee you a bag and none of them automatically take you out of the running. Your profile doesn’t expire so just be the best well rounded easy to work with client and good things will eventually follow.

 
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It sounds like the SF boutique doesn't have too many bags in stock. Does anyone who frequents this store know whether it's hard to get a Bolide 1923 in the 25cm? I don't see much talk about it. Thanks in advance!
 
It sounds like the SF boutique doesn't have too many bags in stock. Does anyone who frequents this store know whether it's hard to get a Bolide 1923 in the 25cm? I don't see much talk about it. Thanks in advance!
I asked my SA about the same bag but she said she rarely sees them come into the SF store. Maybe next year for the centennial anniversary of the bolide, we’ll see more stock.
 
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