Treatment in Hermes Stores

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I know there have been a lot of negative comments about how poor service is in Hermes stores. In the past I've always bought on line. I decided with much apprehension after reading some of the horror stories on this thread to go to the flagship store in Toronto for the first time last month. I wasn't really dressed up - wearing jeans but with a nice coat and a Hermes cashmere shawl. Anyways I was pleasantly surprised, associates said hello to me, I was offered to be shown a bollide, but I was just looking and not really interested in buying anything. But that initial experience gave me more courage so I went back yesterday. Again I was greeted by a couple of associates who weren't busy but I did have to ask for help, But the associate was who helped me was very nice and friendly and I ended up walking out with a new shawl and 90 scarf from the spring collection. So it can happen!

So happy that you had a great experience! Many of us here have had nothing but truly positive experiences when shopping at H!! I hope you will do a reveal of your new shawl and scarf!:smile1: Congrats on your new H goodies!
 
From reading so many posts, I see a lot of customers immediately walk in asking for a Birkin or Kelly bag. They don't say it in this thread, but they infer it in other threads. I think in a lot of cases, there are two to blame concerning poor treatment.


Your right I think that's part of it but I also think some SAs think there @@@@ don't stink too. As I said above it could be various factors why some have bad experiences. However there is no reason why you should fear or expect the worst going in to a boutique. You are the customer.
 
I've met great SAs at H here in Scandinavia. My first purchase was made in Copenhagen last summer where i spotted a sunhat in the window I liked and went into the store to check it out. It came home with me. I met a great SA there. After I had decided to buy the sunhat I told her that I had not really looked at H items before. She then took the time to show me their different types of objects, bracelets, scarves and perfumes.

Also in STH I've met friendly SAs. I wanted an orange KDT but I needed xs and they promised to put one aside for me if they recieved any because I don't live close to the store. It came a month later. Really helpful.

I think what annoys me from reading posts here at tfp, this thread and the Paris Birkin one, is that it seems that when it comes to bags, some stores judge the clients and decide who to sell to or not. I understand if there are no bags to sell but then choosing who can buy and not when they do have bags in the store, that is not cool. It would be more fair if it was first come first buy basis. They don't seem to be selective in who they sell other items to. Then they are glad to sell. I am glad not all stores work like that. Imagine if the grocery store would do that!!

I also think that both customers and SAs should respect each other. Customers who can't behave and gets upset in the store is not cool either.
 
Nahreen - thankfully the groceries stores don't operate this way! I agree with most of your post except with your comment about allowing the purses to be purchased on a first come first serve basis. These purses are in such high demand that it seems right to me that loyal customers of the brand get first dibs on these coveted items, and not the one off customer who comes in only looking for a B/K and nothing else (that customer can always buy through a reseller). Having said that, there is absolutely no need for any SA to engage in racial profiling and there is no reason why anyone should have to dress a "certain way" to get service (the posts that I read where people plan how they should dress in order to score a purse baffle me - it is not like you are meeting the *****).
 
Nahreen - thankfully the groceries stores don't operate this way! I agree with most of your post except with your comment about allowing the purses to be purchased on a first come first serve basis. These purses are in such high demand that it seems right to me that loyal customers of the brand get first dibs on these coveted items, and not the one off customer who comes in only looking for a B/K and nothing else (that customer can always buy through a reseller). Having said that, there is absolutely no need for any SA to engage in racial profiling and there is no reason why anyone should have to dress a "certain way" to get service (the posts that I read where people plan how they should dress in order to score a purse baffle me - it is not like you are meeting the *****).

I don't understand how the SAs knows if a client has bought any other items or not from H. Many buy things on-line or from different stores. We don't have a store close by. I therefore have to take the chance when I travel to go into H stores. But in the end if I buy from this or that store should not matter, the money goes to H anyway. Besides I wonder where the line goes when it comes to H, what is considered a loyal customer. What does one have to spend and on what items? Someone wrote that other leather goods does not count and it has to be china or fine jewlery.

Re sellers is a no for me. I don't want to encourage those that have made re selling into a profession. The extra money they charge, I'd rather spend on other H items from a store. Besides I know that if I do buy a bag one day, I am going to need a lot of acessories from H to match. I have already started collecting acessories matching an orange K. I could easily go to Paris, it only takes a few hours from Sweden, and try my luck but I love shopping quality items and excellent customer service is part of why I'd spend such amounts on one item. Being subjected to passport scrutiny is not my idea of a luxury shopping experience. Besides I'd rather buy from our local store but it is really small so they don't get many bags in.
 
From reading so many posts, I see a lot of customers immediately walk in asking for a Birkin or Kelly bag. They don't say it in this thread, but they infer it in other threads. I think in a lot of cases, there are two to blame concerning poor treatment.


But how would these new customers know that they are expected to go through a certain ritual before they can buy a bag? These bags are sported by almost every "Real Housewife," and people on those shows talk about them, not the scarves, not the bracelets, but the Birkins. These Housewives are not royalty. So to me it would be quite natural to go into a store and ask to see a Kelly or a Birkin. That is what people do in every store. If people want a Chanel watch, they don't go into Chanel and ask to see Chanel no 5. The customer shouldn't be treated rudely in any circumstance.


I've always been treated very nicely, but in my life I've bought only scarves and fragrance.


As for their computer records, I wouldn't want to rely on them. I bought something yesterday, and the S/A could not find me in the system, although I'd bought in the same store four or 5 times last year. She found my niece with the same name, different city.
 
But how would these new customers know that they are expected to go through a certain ritual before they can buy a bag? These bags are sported by almost every "Real Housewife," and people on those shows talk about them, not the scarves, not the bracelets, but the Birkins. These Housewives are not royalty. So to me it would be quite natural to go into a store and ask to see a Kelly or a Birkin. That is what people do in every store. If people want a Chanel watch, they don't go into Chanel and ask to see Chanel no 5. The customer shouldn't be treated rudely in any circumstance.


I've always been treated very nicely, but in my life I've bought only scarves and fragrance.


As for their computer records, I wouldn't want to rely on them. I bought something yesterday, and the S/A could not find me in the system, although I'd bought in the same store four or 5 times last year. She found my niece with the same name, different city.

I've never been asked for contact details in the different stores I've been to and purchased things so they would not know that I've bought things. LV and Ralph Lauren and Gucci asked me to fill in a form and now I get e-mails, catalogues etc.
 
But how would these new customers know that they are expected to go through a certain ritual before they can buy a bag? These bags are sported by almost every "Real Housewife," and people on those shows talk about them, not the scarves, not the bracelets, but the Birkins. These Housewives are not royalty. So to me it would be quite natural to go into a store and ask to see a Kelly or a Birkin. That is what people do in every store. If people want a Chanel watch, they don't go into Chanel and ask to see Chanel no 5. The customer shouldn't be treated rudely in any circumstance.


I've always been treated very nicely, but in my life I've bought only scarves and fragrance.


As for their computer records, I wouldn't want to rely on them. I bought something yesterday, and the S/A could not find me in the system, although I'd bought in the same store four or 5 times last year. She found my niece with the same name, different city.
This is true. We are fairly, um, attached to this brand, but it is totally ok for someone to not understand and to stroll in looking for Birkins.
What's not OK is to be rude about it. I have had people try to buy MY bag while it is on the counter - grabbing my floopy, well loved, full of things Birkin and trying to pull it away. Not nice.
 
I've had mixed experiences with h stores. I had lovely sas in all Paris stores. Even though I was young and I'm Australian (I don't care what anyone says, people do get treated differently according to race in h) and ended up walking it with a scarf a tie for my bf and a CDC. In the Harrods h I was ignored. In dubai I was ignored.
My home store in Brisbane is amazing. All the SA's know me and the store manager will always come talk to me if she is there. I have never had an issue. Then again I've never asked for a b or k. I joke about it with them and they say it's very annoying when people come in demanding one straight up.
The southport store is different. They deal with tourists and although I've never been treated rudely. It's not overly pleasant.
Sydney is horrific and I will never buy anything from them ever. I waited 15 mins to look at a bracelet and had my card out ready to pay. After 15 mins and asking 2 SA for help I left and called my
SA in Brisbane to get it sent up. This has been my experience everytime I've gone to sydney h.

It really depends on the stores attitude and the SA's that are on at the time I think.
 
I've had mixed experiences with h stores. I had lovely sas in all Paris stores. Even though I was young and I'm Australian (I don't care what anyone says, people do get treated differently according to race in h) and ended up walking it with a scarf a tie for my bf and a CDC. In the Harrods h I was ignored. In dubai I was ignored.
My home store in Brisbane is amazing. All the SA's know me and the store manager will always come talk to me if she is there. I have never had an issue. Then again I've never asked for a b or k. I joke about it with them and they say it's very annoying when people come in demanding one straight up.
The southport store is different. They deal with tourists and although I've never been treated rudely. It's not overly pleasant.
Sydney is horrific and I will never buy anything from them ever. I waited 15 mins to look at a bracelet and had my card out ready to pay. After 15 mins and asking 2 SA for help I left and called my
SA in Brisbane to get it sent up. This has been my experience everytime I've gone to sydney h.

It really depends on the stores attitude and the SA's that are on at the time I think.

The race issue really bothers me. I had hoped we had come longer as humans. I was born in Bangladesh but was adopted as a baby and have lived all my life in Sweden. I've never had an issue here in the designer stores, always been treated nicely. Some of the SAs working in the stores here also seem to be non-Swedish originally. Partly the thought of being rejected at FSH because of how I look, scares me and is one of the reasons I've never gone there. No bag is worth that humiliation.
 
I'm only speculating but I'd bet in New York, Asians would if anything get better treatment because they are stereotyped, rightly or wrongly, as big spenders.


About 10 - 15 years ago my friend worked in Tiffany's. She said S/A's killed to wait on any Japanese tourist who walked in the door, because they came loaded with cash and ready to buy.
 
I'm only speculating but I'd bet in New York, Asians would if anything get better treatment because they are stereotyped, rightly or wrongly, as big spenders.


About 10 - 15 years ago my friend worked in Tiffany's. She said S/A's killed to wait on any Japanese tourist who walked in the door, because they came loaded with cash and ready to buy.

Whether or not it is a stereotype, I find this to still be true in NYC at least. I have been to NYC and not even been able to get into the Louis Vuitton store, and when I finally do it is packed to the brim with Asian tourists buying 10+ bags. It actually makes it quite difficult to shop there, especially on the weekends.

I now prefer to fly to Vegas occasionally for shopping. They are very open there and there are 3 H stores all within walking distance of very nice hotels.
 
Whether or not it is a stereotype, I find this to still be true in NYC at least. I have been to NYC and not even been able to get into the Louis Vuitton store, and when I finally do it is packed to the brim with Asian tourists buying 10+ bags. It actually makes it quite difficult to shop there, especially on the weekends.

I now prefer to fly to Vegas occasionally for shopping. They are very open there and there are 3 H stores all within walking distance of very nice hotels.
Yeah, I agree, on weekends the main store is filled with Asian tourists. They are catching up on all those years consumer goods were not available to them.
 
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