Why are SA so entitled !!!!
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Could be. Just has not been the case for me in all of the last 13 years l have shopped at Chanel so it did make me feel very uncomfortable.
I prefer Chanel at NM in Troy vs Saks. They are always wonderful at Neimans and so accommodating. Those ladies at Saks in Troy leave alot to be desired.
Oh, i am so sorry it has happened to you, I know that NM in Troy is not the nicest but i had great experience with Saks (thanks to TPF i had a great referral). I think that is really depends on the location. I had this experience at LV in Japan and Gucci in Firenze. Anywa, I can provide you with the info if you are interested. PM me.Hi everyone I am new here but a long long time reader and a CHANEL lover, but my question is why are SA from Chanel so mean??? I shopped at Chanel before at Neiman Marcus in Troy, MI and at Saks Boutiques. I understand i might not have a full history list of a lot of items and plus i don't own a classic bag, but I have a couple of SLGs and a few jewelry pieces. Sometimes i just like to walk around and admire certain pieces, but i feel that most of them are pretentious and entitled, they don't even approach or ask if I need something, did anyone here have a similar experience??? I was looking for a classic flap card holder and when I ask if they had one available they look at me like I was an alien weird out.
I don't know if it's corporate personality or the personality of the SAs. I love the handbag SAs at my NM but the Chanel SAs? eh While the Chanel SA sales leader at my Saks is the best.
(In London and SG, I found more snobby SAs.)
I was just in Las Vegas. Went for a quick shop, was not dressed up.
Chanel SA in the Wynn hardly helped us at all. She basically told us to look in the drawers ourselves- very unfriendly and definitely wasn’t going to help us find what we were looking for.
Walked over to Chanel in Encore and the SA (Lin) was so helpful and kind. I ended up purchasing items through her.
I have no desire to go back to that Wynn store now. SAs and their CS makes all the difference to your association with the brand and the specific store.
Chanel SA in the Wynn hardly helped us at all. She basically told us to look in the drawers ourselves- very unfriendly and definitely wasn’t going to help us find what we were looking for.
Walked over to Chanel in Encore and the SA (Lin) was so helpful and kind. I ended up purchasing items through her.
I have no desire to go back to that Wynn store now. SAs and their CS makes all the difference to your association with the brand and the specific store.
I partly agree but also disagree. Yes - each of us has bad days and you can’t buy kindness or passion for serving customers/sell things. But Chanel represents a luxurious experience. It has been discussed several times that buying luxury is more than possessing sth nice. Chanel presents themselves as an experience, a lifestyle. They don’t offer online shopping - because you are supposed to „feel“ the Chanel shopping experience. I don’t expect someone to like me because I‘m paying high prices but I expect professional and polite behavior. This is what falls under the „Luxe-Umbrella“ for me. Meaning to at least make the effort to fulfill a clients request unless he’s showing unacceptable behavior. It’s legitimate to be annoyed by multiple phone calls, extravagant, entitled customers, personal shoppers, people who don’t buy anything but want to try everything and the daily hunt for unicorn items as a SA but nevertheless if you can’t handle that stress or find a balance working in luxe retail you should look for a new job. As we are not forced to buy Chanel no SA is forced to work there as I don’t think their salary is significantly higher than with other retailers.
I am sorry you had this experience. I have been a Chanel shopper for 20 years and have always experienced very nice and personable SAs. I love the Chanel inside Neiman the most
I’ve personally experienced very nice service in the boutiques (Hermes, Chanel, Dior, and Brunello are my mainstays), but I deal pretty much exclusively with the same SAs, somewhat regularly over a long period of years. ive received spotty, but not unpleasant service from department stores. I’m sorry that people have had this experience and I would recommend, if one is new to the brand or the boutique, simply continuing to browse and asking for help from another SA. I would not buy any item from someone who was rude or unpleasant. I will say though that my experience may be somewhat different bc my primary focus from the start has always been RTW. And, once I know an SA (and they get to know my taste and style) I will follow that SA into different brands should they leave the boutique. Although SAs generally do not work on commission any more, they do have sales goals, and they gain very little from selling any leather goods like bags. I also sometimes Am very surprised when I go into a boutique and see how entitled some other customers are. I agree that everyone including customers and SAs should be given the benefit of the doubt as to a good or bad day. JMO of course.
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I also wanted to add my recollection of a topic of conversation that I’ve had with more than one SA at more than one premier luxury brand
1. they actually don’t judge many prospective clients by what that client wears in the store to shop. What the SA can tell almost immediately is whether that client is just after a popular bag, and that client, even one that racks up minimum prespend, is usually not considered a desirable or top tier client. An H or chanel SA wants to bang their head against a table for the fiftieth client who walks in asking to see x popular bag, even if it’s not a B/K/C. They want the clients who will shop season after season that they can call whenever they think there is something that client will like and purchase without regard to prespend. The luxury brand business model is focused on the few clients who spend enough that prespend is not an issue. (I think of them as those ladies with magnificent collections that @Notorious Pink sees every week in her home store. Sadly the truth is that even with covid, the 1% simply grew wealthier and a tiny portion of that 1% that spends enough on luxury goods, commands the lion’s share of the best product and service. And a chanel flagships rent is probably paid by sunglasses, perfume, cosmetics and nail polish. CF bags are just expensive icing on the Main event which is RTW (@TraceySH and others have explained this very well elsewhere on the forum).
2. part of this viewpoint is a direct result of the corporate brand creating such high monetary goal for the Individual SA to meet that they have to sell so much $$$$ stuff per shift. Time is money, and leather goods like bags usually don’t count towards the sales goals (bc bags sell themselves). If an SA doesnt meet those goals, it’s a serious problem with their manager.
3. Even though the high cost of bags makes clients naturally demand perfection, it’s just not worth it to an SA to have to deal with repeat returns or overly picky clients, bc the SAs honestly aren’t compensated that way.
4. There are a few different ways to look at quality control. One can legitimately argue that to serve the burgeoning Chinese market alone, Hermes opened a ton of new stores, and each of those stores naturally had to have BKC bags to meet demand. It’s not like new craftspeople have the luxury of years to hone their craft in the same way as in previous decades. The increased demand also happened with chanel and other premier brands. These brands also created an artificial shortage of these bags to keep demand high, and decided that RTW clients and other special clients should get first dibs on other coveted pieces. But the companies are still producing much more product than say twenty years ago. That naturally translates fewer truly special orders and lesser merchandise.
5. several SAs have said to me please do not to pass their contact info along bc they literally cannot handle more clients. Their plate is full with their current roster due to the intensive personal service required to service the top tier. BC that tiny segment can of course shop anywhere. I kind of feel fortunate to have been grandfathered in (due to very kind personal referrals and my own purchase history) bc while I do spend quite a bit, i am NOT top tier, (I don’t have a rolls Royce or boat to deck out in H leather) and I feel that the service I get is due to my being likeable and loyal. Loyal means, if I see something that I like on TPF or Neimans, I ask my SA at the boutique. If I’m in another city, Id rather wait until I’m back in my home area to find it. If my friend spends a lot bc Bergdorfs has a great sale, I wait. In return, I get a call when the SA thinks something is perfect for me, even though she has wealthier clients who might also like it. My SAs know what looks good on me, what suits my style and personality, and has better taste than I do. I kind of feel like why should I second guess them Bc they are the professionals. And, my H SA also understands why I shop vintage bags bc what I sometimes want is simply not available at H, not in Horizons program or special order. He gets it. I feel very passionate about this subject, thus the length of this post
p.s. some SAs ARE just mean or grouchy, so don’t shop with them. In 1989, I was buying my first grown up designer suit and the SA at Suzanne in Boston told me that their stuff was not for me (or I was not suitable for them); so I went down the Street to Guy LaRoche and bought two suits there. I still have both (Will post in the vintage wardrobe thread)
1. they actually don’t judge many prospective clients by what that client wears in the store to shop. What the SA can tell almost immediately is whether that client is just after a popular bag, and that client, even one that racks up minimum prespend, is usually not considered a desirable or top tier client. An H or chanel SA wants to bang their head against a table for the fiftieth client who walks in asking to see x popular bag, even if it’s not a B/K/C. They want the clients who will shop season after season that they can call whenever they think there is something that client will like and purchase without regard to prespend. The luxury brand business model is focused on the few clients who spend enough that prespend is not an issue. (I think of them as those ladies with magnificent collections that @Notorious Pink sees every week in her home store. Sadly the truth is that even with covid, the 1% simply grew wealthier and a tiny portion of that 1% that spends enough on luxury goods, commands the lion’s share of the best product and service. And a chanel flagships rent is probably paid by sunglasses, perfume, cosmetics and nail polish. CF bags are just expensive icing on the Main event which is RTW (@TraceySH and others have explained this very well elsewhere on the forum).
2. part of this viewpoint is a direct result of the corporate brand creating such high monetary goal for the Individual SA to meet that they have to sell so much $$$$ stuff per shift. Time is money, and leather goods like bags usually don’t count towards the sales goals (bc bags sell themselves). If an SA doesnt meet those goals, it’s a serious problem with their manager.
3. Even though the high cost of bags makes clients naturally demand perfection, it’s just not worth it to an SA to have to deal with repeat returns or overly picky clients, bc the SAs honestly aren’t compensated that way.
4. There are a few different ways to look at quality control. One can legitimately argue that to serve the burgeoning Chinese market alone, Hermes opened a ton of new stores, and each of those stores naturally had to have BKC bags to meet demand. It’s not like new craftspeople have the luxury of years to hone their craft in the same way as in previous decades. The increased demand also happened with chanel and other premier brands. These brands also created an artificial shortage of these bags to keep demand high, and decided that RTW clients and other special clients should get first dibs on other coveted pieces. But the companies are still producing much more product than say twenty years ago. That naturally translates fewer truly special orders and lesser merchandise.
5. several SAs have said to me please do not to pass their contact info along bc they literally cannot handle more clients. Their plate is full with their current roster due to the intensive personal service required to service the top tier. BC that tiny segment can of course shop anywhere. I kind of feel fortunate to have been grandfathered in (due to very kind personal referrals and my own purchase history) bc while I do spend quite a bit, i am NOT top tier, (I don’t have a rolls Royce or boat to deck out in H leather) and I feel that the service I get is due to my being likeable and loyal. Loyal means, if I see something that I like on TPF or Neimans, I ask my SA at the boutique. If I’m in another city, Id rather wait until I’m back in my home area to find it. If my friend spends a lot bc Bergdorfs has a great sale, I wait. In return, I get a call when the SA thinks something is perfect for me, even though she has wealthier clients who might also like it. My SAs know what looks good on me, what suits my style and personality, and has better taste than I do. I kind of feel like why should I second guess them Bc they are the professionals. And, my H SA also understands why I shop vintage bags bc what I sometimes want is simply not available at H, not in Horizons program or special order. He gets it. I feel very passionate about this subject, thus the length of this post
p.s. some SAs ARE just mean or grouchy, so don’t shop with them. In 1989, I was buying my first grown up designer suit and the SA at Suzanne in Boston told me that their stuff was not for me (or I was not suitable for them); so I went down the Street to Guy LaRoche and bought two suits there. I still have both (Will post in the vintage wardrobe thread)
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Thank you for your reply - I find these informations very interesting. May I ask why the rent is paid with beauty, perfume and sunglasses? I didn’t understand that part and couldn't find more info in the search.I also wanted to add my recollection of a topic of conversation that I’ve had with more than one SA at more than one premier luxury brand
1. they actually don’t judge many prospective clients by what that client wears in the store to shop. What the SA can tell almost immediately is whether that client is just after a popular bag, and that client, even one that racks up minimum prespend, is usually not considered a desirable or top tier client. An H or chanel SA wants to bang their head against a table for the fiftieth client who walks in asking to see x popular bag, even if it’s not a B/K/C. They want the clients who will shop season after season that they can call whenever they think there is something that client will like and purchase without regard to prespend. The luxury brand business model is focused on the few clients who spend enough that prespend is not an issue. (I think of them as those ladies with magnificent collections that @Notorious Pink sees every week in her home store. Sadly the truth is that even with covid, the 1% simply grew wealthier and a tiny portion of that 1% that spends enough on luxury goods, commands the lion’s share of the best product and service. And a chanel flagships rent is probably paid by sunglasses, perfume, cosmetics and nail polish. CF bags are just expensive icing on the Main event which is RTW (@TraceySH and others have explained this very well elsewhere on the forum).
2. part of this viewpoint is a direct result of the corporate brand creating such high monetary goal for the Individual SA to meet that they have to sell so much $$$$ stuff per shift. Time is money, and leather goods like bags usually don’t count towards the sales goals (bc bags sell themselves). If an SA doesnt meet those goals, it’s a serious problem with their manager.
3. Even though the high cost of bags makes clients naturally demand perfection, it’s just not worth it to an SA to have to deal with repeat returns or overly picky clients, bc the SAs honestly aren’t compensated that way.
4. There are a few different ways to look at quality control. One can legitimately argue that to serve the burgeoning Chinese market alone, Hermes opened a ton of new stores, and each of those stores naturally had to have BKC bags to meet demand. It’s not like new craftspeople have the luxury of years to hone their craft in the same way as in previous decades. The increased demand also happened with chanel and other premier brands. These brands also created an artificial shortage of these bags to keep demand high, and decided that RTW clients and other special clients should get first dibs on other coveted pieces. But the companies are still producing much more product than say twenty years ago. That naturally translates fewer truly special orders and lesser merchandise.
5. several SAs have said to me please do not to pass their contact info along bc they literally cannot handle more clients. Their plate is full with their current roster due to the intensive personal service required to service the top tier. BC that tiny segment can of course shop anywhere. I kind of feel fortunate to have been grandfathered in (due to very kind personal referrals and my own purchase history) bc while I do spend quite a bit, i am NOT top tier, (I don’t have a rolls Royce or boat to deck out in H leather) and I feel that the service I get is due to my being likeable and loyal. Loyal means, if I see something that I like on TPF or Neimans, I ask my SA at the boutique. If I’m in another city, Id rather wait until I’m back in my home area to find it. If my friend spends a lot bc Bergdorfs has a great sale, I wait. In return, I get a call when the SA thinks something is perfect for me, even though she has wealthier clients who might also like it. My SAs know what looks good on me, what suits my style and personality, and has better taste than I do. I kind of feel like why should I second guess them Bc they are the professionals. And, my H SA also understands why I shop vintage bags bc what I sometimes want is simply not available at H, not in Horizons program or special order. He gets it. I feel very passionate about this subject, thus the length of this post
p.s. some SAs ARE just mean or grouchy, so don’t shop with them. In 1989, I was buying my first grown up designer suit and the SA at Suzanne in Boston told me that their stuff was not for me (or I was not suitable for them); so I went down the Street to Guy LaRoche and bought two suits there. I still have both (Will post in the vintage wardrobe thread)
my apologies, I used rent as a general euphemism to cover business overhead. I simply meant to convey that the lesser aspirational items, cosmetics and accessories, generate the most profit (they cost less to produce and more people buy an entry level lipstick). Even Hermes has started cosmetics
But, the premier companies don’t really value those customers bc aspirational entry items will sell themselves.I always been told that haute couture loses money, but the brand values them the most. Second are the huge RTW spenders that buy significant amounts in each of six seasons. At one point or other, I’ve heard SAs at all premier brands express the view that occasional RTW customer or bag customer is a less desired client.
I’m so sorry you have this experience! It shouldn’t be like that, at the end of the day it is a store, nothing more, nothing less.
I have shopped Chanel in France, USA, Spain, Denmark and England.
In general I’ve had only positive experiences and good service from going in to a Chanel store, when I’ve gone in to department stores the service level has always been lower.
I try to always go in to the store when I know they won’t be super busy and when I kind of know what I’m looking for.
Out of all these places the BEST service has been in France (Paris, Cannes, St Tropez and Nice) without a doubt, the least good has been in USA, they were polite but felt not very knowledgeable about the products.
I have shopped Chanel in France, USA, Spain, Denmark and England.
In general I’ve had only positive experiences and good service from going in to a Chanel store, when I’ve gone in to department stores the service level has always been lower.
I try to always go in to the store when I know they won’t be super busy and when I kind of know what I’m looking for.
Out of all these places the BEST service has been in France (Paris, Cannes, St Tropez and Nice) without a doubt, the least good has been in USA, they were polite but felt not very knowledgeable about the products.
As someone who shops regularly in Hermès as well as other luxury stores, Chanel in the US has the worst service by leaps and bounds. The only nice SA I've ever met was in the New Orleans Neiman Marcus. And no, doesn't matter if I'm in gym clothes or headed to dinner covered in special order Birkins, they just seem to be rude and unfriendly. The 57th Street store in the US is unbelievable.
In, say, Paris, they are much nicer.
YMMV and probably does
In, say, Paris, they are much nicer.
YMMV and probably does