Has anyone had bad experience with Hermes shops?
I was made feel humiliated and embarrassed by the cashier at Sloan square branch in London UK. She insulted, humiliated, embarrassed and bullied me. She was clearily discriminating against me and probably being racist.
The SA helped me a put an online transaction through a credit card which had my husband's name on. I payed with a card machine and used PIN. She left me with the cashier to process purchase of a pair of Paris loafer of 830 pounds.
The cashier rejected this same credit card moments later and said due to 'fraud reason' she won't do transaction because I was using husband's card. That was a slap.on the face when I have been shopping there for a while and was carrying the Birkin bag I bought from that shop just a couple of weeks ago. And the fact that she implied I could be a fraud was shocking to me. She might have had bad experiences before, but it was wrong to profile customers and discriminate (maybe she was racist as well?) I felt completely insulted and embarrassed.
When she was aware that I don't have other ways to pay - I left my debit card at home and my credit card happen to be maxed out. She went, 'maybe your husband could transfer some money to you.' I have never been in a situation when I was not able to pay or afford an item, and I happen to forgot my wallet that's why using husband's credit car and he was in the car with my baby outside. she was disrespectful to me and belittling me. By this point I was being very apologetic, and feeling completely humiliated.
She then suggested to send me an online link to pay - which the shops do for customer not present transactions during lock down period. When I agreed and went along with her suggestion, she bullied me further and said, 'you need to use your own card though'. I could NOT believe she felt the need to twist the dagger she stab in me to inflict more pain.
When I accepted that too and just want it over with (I mean of course I can afford it, why else would I be shopping here with my Birkin), she then shouted across the floor to get attention of SA who helped me. I tried to contain the situation as there are a few SAs and customers on the floor and I was already devastated.
She complained to me 'the SA should have given me the details but you see she didn't'. She made me write down all of my personal details on a piece of paper. It seemed she might have problem with the SA, maybe she expect the SA to stand next to her when she does a transaction, but it is unprofessional to display that negativity in front of customer. She was also in breach of GDPR personal data protection.
She then asked me to come back to the store to pick up the item after online payment (as I told her I will pay in the evening ). By that point I couldn't help rolling my eyes. I told her to send the item to me. But I had to tell her more than once as she was being passive agreeing saying 'you are welcome to pick it up anytime that is convenient to you '. That was pretty much the nicest thing she said to me, dispite I made my preference dead clear to her already and had to reiterate - post to me.
Due to her unprofessionalism actions, I felt the need to ask her to distory the personal detail I left to her after she finished using it to process online link, as my right under personal data protection . But every time I tried to speak, she talked over me. I had to say, 'can I please finish', for her to stop her loudly talking over me.
I have raised a formal complain to Hermes. I respect their payment policy but I am against how badly I was treated, it was about what the cashier said to me and how she said them. I am suspending any shopping with Hermes at the mean time.