I wouldn't want to learn B/K strategy (reached my purse peace), just curious as I was a strategist in marketing for a while but in credit cards business lol. Sorry for the off topic but very interesting.Would be waaaaay off topic lol plus they don't offer any solution
Small talk: Ratio of expenses for a Sellier K25
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It is actually taught at HBSnot as a full case study but well discussed in terms of marketing with scarcity.
As QF has preemptively mentioned this thread is veering off-course.
For scholars of marketing and global business strategy there are plenty of books on cultivating status through non-selling and the scarcity principle.
Meanwhile on this thread back to topic
ALL we really want is for H to be crystal clear about everything, yet when SAs in Asia do that we are disgusted that the luxury experience is made so mercenary. We would like Kelly bags to continue to be handmade in France by a single highly-trained craftsperson and be absolutely flawless quality, but we want H to crank out enough of them, fast enough that there is no scarcity whatsoever, and every man, woman and child can get all of the bags they want in every color they want at the exact moment they want them. Preferably without having to “waste money” on a lot of other H cra@p beforehand. (Although we DO LOVE THE BRAND! ) We expect H to retain its mystery, elegance, standards and dignity but we are appalled at any suggestion that H might expect the same of its customers. We want the retail price to be reasonable but the resale to be high and easy. We think working closely with a professional sales associate is “playing games,” and we don’t want to be reminded that the SA is making a living from our purchases, yet we want to be taken seriously (they need to keep in mind we’re spending a lot of money) and we expect perfect, luxurious, personalized customer service. We want the freedom to change our minds and for our returns to be accepted instantly and without question, but we don’t want to buy someone else’s returns or worry about being re-sold counterfeit goods. And we believe it is Hermes that is being capricious and unreasonable?
Some day maybe H will post a big sign smack in the center of the front door with the exact spend amount that one needs to get a B/K/C with breakdowns for K25s and Pink B25s and Evelyne TPMs and so forth, so no one has to dilly-dally around. Walk in, take a number, wait in a fast-moving line (maybe H could have a drive through so one would not have to get out of one’s car) collect one’s pile of adorable mini Birkins and Kellys as quickly and efficiently as possible and get the H out of there.
) We expect H to retain its mystery, elegance, standards and dignity but we are appalled at any suggestion that H might expect the same of its customers. We want the retail price to be reasonable but the resale to be high and easy. We think working closely with a professional sales associate is “playing games,” and we don’t want to be reminded that the SA is making a living from our purchases, yet we want to be taken seriously (they need to keep in mind we’re spending a lot of money) and we expect perfect, luxurious, personalized customer service. We want the freedom to change our minds and for our returns to be accepted instantly and without question, but we don’t want to buy someone else’s returns or worry about being re-sold counterfeit goods. And we believe it is Hermes that is being capricious and unreasonable? Some day maybe H will post a big sign smack in the center of the front door with the exact spend amount that one needs to get a B/K/C with breakdowns for K25s and Pink B25s and Evelyne TPMs and so forth, so no one has to dilly-dally around. Walk in, take a number, wait in a fast-moving line (maybe H could have a drive through so one would not have to get out of one’s car) collect one’s pile of adorable mini Birkins and Kellys as quickly and efficiently as possible and get the H out of there.
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ALL we really want is for H to be crystal clear about everything, yet when SAs in Asia do that we are disgusted that the luxury experience is made so mercenary. We would like Kelly bags to continue to be handmade in France by a single highly-trained craftsperson and be absolutely flawless quality, but we want H to crank out enough of them, fast enough that there is no scarcity whatsoever, and every man, woman and child can get all of the bags they want in every color they want at the exact moment they want them. Preferably without having to “waste money” on a lot of other H cra@p beforehand. (Although we DO LOVE THE BRAND!
Some day maybe H will post a big sign smack in the center of the front door with the exact spend amount that one needs to get a B/K/C with breakdowns for K25s and Pink B25s and Evelyne TPMs and so forth, so no one has to dilly-dally around. Walk in, take a number, wait in a fast-moving line (maybe H could have a drive through so one would not have to get out of one’s car) collect one’s pile of adorable mini Birkins and Kellys as quickly and efficiently as possible and get the H out of there.
the funniest post I have read in a long time
Sounds a bit strange. SO as a consolation for not getting a k25 sounds even stranger being that 3 years from now, you might still be waiting for a special order that doesn't exist. SO are more elusive...no way to confirm if this SA really put something in the system for you. Have you considered pacing yourself? Sometimes the worst kind of pressure is the one we put on ourselves. As a strategy to not walk away from $12k, maybe spread out your purchaseS on 4-6 weeks schedule. Don't be anyone's commission lotto if you know what I mean
ALL we really want is for H to be crystal clear about everything, yet when SAs in Asia do that we are disgusted that the luxury experience is made so mercenary. We would like Kelly bags to continue to be handmade in France by a single highly-trained craftsperson and be absolutely flawless quality, but we want H to crank out enough of them, fast enough that there is no scarcity whatsoever, and every man, woman and child can get all of the bags they want in every color they want at the exact moment they want them. Preferably without having to “waste money” on a lot of other H cra@p beforehand. (Although we DO LOVE THE BRAND!
Some day maybe H will post a big sign smack in the center of the front door with the exact spend amount that one needs to get a B/K/C with breakdowns for K25s and Pink B25s and Evelyne TPMs and so forth, so no one has to dilly-dally around. Walk in, take a number, wait in a fast-moving line (maybe H could have a drive through so one would not have to get out of one’s car) collect one’s pile of adorable mini Birkins and Kellys as quickly and efficiently as possible and get the H out of there.
My French is a bit rusty so I had to look up the meaning of your quote because it peeked my curiosity. So here is the translation for others who may wish to know it:
mener quelqu'un en bateau =
to lead someone on a boat
Thank you. I was going to wait for my son’s French tutor to explain it to me.
Well said and we are on the same wavelength.ALL we really want is for H to be crystal clear about everything, yet when SAs in Asia do that we are disgusted that the luxury experience is made so mercenary. We would like Kelly bags to continue to be handmade in France by a single highly-trained craftsperson and be absolutely flawless quality, but we want H to crank out enough of them, fast enough that there is no scarcity whatsoever, and every man, woman and child can get all of the bags they want in every color they want at the exact moment they want them. Preferably without having to “waste money” on a lot of other H cra@p beforehand. (Although we DO LOVE THE BRAND!
Some day maybe H will post a big sign smack in the center of the front door with the exact spend amount that one needs to get a B/K/C with breakdowns for K25s and Pink B25s and Evelyne TPMs and so forth, so no one has to dilly-dally around. Walk in, take a number, wait in a fast-moving line (maybe H could have a drive through so one would not have to get out of one’s car) collect one’s pile of adorable mini Birkins and Kellys as quickly and efficiently as possible and get the H out of there.
This is perfect as an “Hermès Customer Rights” document. LOVE it!!!!!ALL we really want is for H to be crystal clear about everything, yet when SAs in Asia do that we are disgusted that the luxury experience is made so mercenary. We would like Kelly bags to continue to be handmade in France by a single highly-trained craftsperson and be absolutely flawless quality, but we want H to crank out enough of them, fast enough that there is no scarcity whatsoever, and every man, woman and child can get all of the bags they want in every color they want at the exact moment they want them. Preferably without having to “waste money” on a lot of other H cra@p beforehand. (Although we DO LOVE THE BRAND!
Some day maybe H will post a big sign smack in the center of the front door with the exact spend amount that one needs to get a B/K/C with breakdowns for K25s and Pink B25s and Evelyne TPMs and so forth, so no one has to dilly-dally around. Walk in, take a number, wait in a fast-moving line (maybe H could have a drive through so one would not have to get out of one’s car) collect one’s pile of adorable mini Birkins and Kellys as quickly and efficiently as possible and get the H out of there.
ALL we really want is for H to be crystal clear about everything, yet when SAs in Asia do that we are disgusted that the luxury experience is made so mercenary. We would like Kelly bags to continue to be handmade in France by a single highly-trained craftsperson and be absolutely flawless quality, but we want H to crank out enough of them, fast enough that there is no scarcity whatsoever, and every man, woman and child can get all of the bags they want in every color they want at the exact moment they want them. Preferably without having to “waste money” on a lot of other H cra@p beforehand. (Although we DO LOVE THE BRAND!
Some day maybe H will post a big sign smack in the center of the front door with the exact spend amount that one needs to get a B/K/C with breakdowns for K25s and Pink B25s and Evelyne TPMs and so forth, so no one has to dilly-dally around. Walk in, take a number, wait in a fast-moving line (maybe H could have a drive through so one would not have to get out of one’s car) collect one’s pile of adorable mini Birkins and Kellys as quickly and efficiently as possible and get the H out of there.
Too good!
This post sums up the contrasting things we want from Hermès quite well. Still, even though i am a newbie, i’d like to respectfully disagree, it sounds like “Hermès is a best in class for quality and it’s trying it best, we should continue to play by its rules as this is the only we can continue to have Hermès items at the quality it is now.” That’s not true, is it? The point of this thread was that the rules are not set between different locations and different SAs, that’s why people are confused and frustrated. It’s most likely that Hermès leaves the decision up to stores so much that that the standard varies so wildly between every customers’ experience. There must be things Hermès could do at the corporate level to improve customer experience and streamline it (eg. Maybe the SAs don’t have to be on commission for only non-bag items? Maybe they don’t have to be on commission at all?) but it seems to me they can’t be bothered because the money keeps rolling in.ALL we really want is for H to be crystal clear about everything, yet when SAs in Asia do that we are disgusted that the luxury experience is made so mercenary. We would like Kelly bags to continue to be handmade in France by a single highly-trained craftsperson and be absolutely flawless quality, but we want H to crank out enough of them, fast enough that there is no scarcity whatsoever, and every man, woman and child can get all of the bags they want in every color they want at the exact moment they want them. Preferably without having to “waste money” on a lot of other H cra@p beforehand. (Although we DO LOVE THE BRAND!
Some day maybe H will post a big sign smack in the center of the front door with the exact spend amount that one needs to get a B/K/C with breakdowns for K25s and Pink B25s and Evelyne TPMs and so forth, so no one has to dilly-dally around. Walk in, take a number, wait in a fast-moving line (maybe H could have a drive through so one would not have to get out of one’s car) collect one’s pile of adorable mini Birkins and Kellys as quickly and efficiently as possible and get the H out of there.
ALL we really want is for H to be crystal clear about everything, yet when SAs in Asia do that we are disgusted that the luxury experience is made so mercenary. We would like Kelly bags to continue to be handmade in France by a single highly-trained craftsperson and be absolutely flawless quality, but we want H to crank out enough of them, fast enough that there is no scarcity whatsoever, and every man, woman and child can get all of the bags they want in every color they want at the exact moment they want them. Preferably without having to “waste money” on a lot of other H cra@p beforehand. (Although we DO LOVE THE BRAND!
Some day maybe H will post a big sign smack in the center of the front door with the exact spend amount that one needs to get a B/K/C with breakdowns for K25s and Pink B25s and Evelyne TPMs and so forth, so no one has to dilly-dally around. Walk in, take a number, wait in a fast-moving line (maybe H could have a drive through so one would not have to get out of one’s car) collect one’s pile of adorable mini Birkins and Kellys as quickly and efficiently as possible and get the H out of there.
I think these are interesting points, but I'd like to say that there are a couple things to keep in mind.
1) There are other luxury brands that don't use the H tactic but bear the same expectations. We can argue if any of them manage to do it better (or even as well as) H does, and if any of them offer products on par with H products...but it's not like what you said in the first paragraph is unique to H. Meanwhile, the "game" model is as far as I know unique to H. So what exactly is that different about H?...is the tactic *itself* part of why H feels so different? (I think that's the case. Things somehow are more desirable when they are harder to get...look at all the limited edition / limited quantity drops brands are so in love with nowadays!)
2) Like you said, customers are giving something in exchange of the products - money. IMO at the price point of H, that money is paying for more than the product itself, it includes other things such as good customer service. I'm in total agreement that H gets seriously entitled and bad customers! I chat with my SA a lot and hear basically horror stories. I've even had the "luck" of running into a couple of them. I feel a lot of sympathy for my SA / store and I try to be the best customer I can. But I think at the heart we have a business relationship, an exchange of money for goods and services. When I do my part (which definitely includes more than just handing over money! Be nice and polite and have manners for a start...that's however something one should do just as a general principle in life, so not restricted to H and not restricted to business transactions), I do hope the other partner do their part too.
3) I've heard that some places the H SA will give a full break down of exact spend requirements - i.e. directly say what colors/sizes/leathers they have in stock for B/K/C, and what is the different level of ratio spend the customer needs to drop to make a specific bag available for them (this is in Asia by the way). This means if you hear they don't have the color you want you are welcome to walk away. Some people find this a good thing and saves them time and money. I think that's not unreasonable. This is perhaps a matter of personal styles and preferences. In my own case, while I do place value on my H boutique trips as an experience, if I am traveling instead of spending time at my home store plus looking for very specific bags, I can get behind this style.
I'm definitely not arguing against a lot of the things you pointed out! I too roll my eyes at some of the behaviors you listed. But again, I do think the whole H game is, for the lack of a better word, pretty ridiculous. I fully understand why some people refuse to play it even when they have money and taste.
Sorry I will try to stop being off-topic...that being said, I think based on previous posts from the OP she may not be returning anymore!
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I agree that it is confusing. Some experiences vary so much especially at the Paris flagship, even for well established clients. It’s disappointing, corporate is completely disorganised and seems to have no customer relations strategy.
To be specific to the thread topic, some customers can buy 2 quota bags a year and need buy nothing else. SAs can read out the entire 25K stock list to me. Others have completely opposite treatment and as far as I know no SA at FSH has ever mentioned what spend is needed to get a 25K. Right?
To be specific to the thread topic, some customers can buy 2 quota bags a year and need buy nothing else. SAs can read out the entire 25K stock list to me. Others have completely opposite treatment and as far as I know no SA at FSH has ever mentioned what spend is needed to get a 25K. Right?