Hello ladies,
I was looking forward to telling you all about my exciting trip to the unveiling of the newly refurbished flagship store in New Bond Street, London, but sadly things did not go as well as expected!
I arrived at the store after a 5 hour drive and was so excited that I couldn't wait another minute! 😄
The visit didn't start well with the doorman only bothering to open the door for me after a short wait and then us trying to open the door for ourselves...
However, that aside, when we did get in, we were greeted by two lovely ladies who spent a minute or two chatting with us and saying how they thought we would LOVE what the newly refurbished store had to offer! 😄
Sadly, this is where the problems really began...
I explained that I wanted to look at the much acclaimed Maison department and also to look at a couple of items of jewellery, shawls, shoes and a summer handbag and was directed to the first floor.
I asked if one of the SA's could show me where the lift was please and was told that the lift was not available and that I would have to use the stairs. I explained that I could not use the stairs (for those on the forum who do not know, I am disabled).
The SA went to speak to her manager and came back to say there was a 'minor glitch' with the lift so it was not possible to use it.
I said that I completely understood how new store openings often came with teething troubles so I asked if they knew when the lift would be fixed saying that I would happily come back the following day to make my purchases.
The SA again went to speak to her manager (who glanced over the SA's shoulder at my son and I) and she returned saying she had been told the lift was out of order and they had no idea when anyone was coming to look at it OR when it would be fixed.
This was not the corner shop in a small village out in the countryside and this was not a run of the mill day where the lift just happened to develop a 'small glitch', this was the FLAGSHIP store of Hermes on their grand re-opening after many months of work and after a great deal of money had been spent getting the store ready for opening... surely the lift should have been one of the items on the 'this MUST be ready' list for a store like Hermes?
Instead of feeling we were part of a special day and treated with the great attention and courtesy expected from a high end boutique, we were made to feel dismissed and disregarded with the general feeling being one of welcome to the store and all we have to offer, but if you cannot make the stairs then you have to leave...
I do not for a second think that Hermes were not wanting to welcome disabled people into the store, but once in through the front door they had made it impossible to access the store any further and in effect, sadly, really didn't seem to care very much at all about me as a customer...it was all very disappointing.
The SA did say that she could ask her manager if she was allowed to bring something down for me to look at in the entrance if I knew what I wanted, but shopping - for me at least - is as much about looking round at the lovely displays etc and soaking up the atmosphere of the store as it is about making a purchase, not being sat in a corner on the ground floor and shown one or two items chosen by the SA's who had no more than 2 minutes knowledge of me as a customer...
The manager did not come over to me at any point to explain or to apologise for the situation (despite the store being very quiet - the ground floor was in fact almost completely empty).
Also, despite them knowing that I had travelled 5 hours to be there for the opening, I was not even offered a seat let alone a glass of water or a celebratory glass of champagne.
By way of comparison, we left and went next door to Chanel where we were immediately greeted with the usual enthusiasm and welcome, where we were waited on from department to department and where we were immediately served champagne, sparking water and snacks. We were attended to wonderfully for a couple of hours and also have a private appointment arranged there for today.
We then went on to Louis Vuitton who were also wonderfully helpful and attentive - we were again offered Champagne and were attended by a lovely lady who showed us the exotics bags with great enthusiasm and obvious enjoyment. What a stark contrast in both cases to the lack of care felt in Hermes?
I told both Chanel and LV what had happened at Hermes (at the end of my visit with them) and both were appalled at what had happened. I also telephoned my SA's in Manchester who have asked me to put it in writing to them so that they can escalate it to senior managers at the highest level.
Having gone to the expense of booking a few days here to be part of the opening and to be able to browse and shop at leisure from all Hermes had to offer, I was left unable to get more than a couple of metres inside the store and made to feel both unwelcome and unwanted and was actually left feeling quite upset that no one really seemed to care one way or the other
I shall update you with what happens ladies, but meanwhile what a very great shame and what a missed opportunity all round... 😔 xx
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