5 Tips for Building a Great Relationship with Your Hermès SA

[@hellocatwalkcity]

Please excuse the lighting changes throughout the video. I don’t use artificial lighting. It’s all natural sunlight coming through the windows and the sun kept peeking in and out throughout filming. 🌞 Also, I recently got a new phone and the microphone is more powerful than my old phone 😆 so please bear with me as I learn to adjust. Finally, the 5 tips that I share in this video are purely based on my personal experiences - please determine for yourself what may or may not work for you. I would REALLY like to know your thoughts on the question I posed at the end (about gifting). I think it would be an interesting dialogue for the comments section! As always, thanks for watching! xx

[@nathalienguyen6860]

I buy a box of desserts to my SA and they share with the entire staff and they all love and appreciate it! I do that for my boutique in Miami and I’ve done the same at the George V boutique in Paris. Always makes them happy and they take it. The rule is if you buy them something, it must be something that can be shared with the entire staff. So desserts and chocolate is welcome and appreciated!

[@fashionandluxury101]

Great practical tips. I have done the same with my SA. Proper manners, and genuine love the house is a plus. Communication is key .
My SA told me gifts are unacceptable! No gifts . Like you stated “ a thank you” is a great gesture.

[@hellocatwalkcity]

Good to know!!! 👍

[@lisaandrews7125]

Love this video! In the past, when I have been working with an SA that was extra nice, but was having a tough morning, I have brought them a coffee (I offer to do so and ask what they want). It has always been very much appreciated. Bonus: they definitely remember me the next time I come in.

[@hellocatwalkcity]

Aw that’s really thoughtful. 👍

[@melishamcalister1570]

All good tips, as usual! 😊I have not gifted sales associates from LV, Chanel or Hermes. Nearly a decade+ ago, though, I gifted a Nordstrom sales associate (personal shopper) whom I had worked with for many years, but not for reasons of gain. She and her husband had been trying to conceive. When it finally happened, just before her baby shower, I gave her a sweet card with a monetary gift because I was genuinely happy for her. Later, she shared photos from the shower (which I did not attend) and we maintained our existing 'business' friendly relationship until she became a stay at home mom.

[@heatheryonker8860]

This is a great example of an appropriate gift!

[@hellocatwalkcity]

This is so so sweet! I think this is absolutely appropriate and so thoughtful! First-class.
👍

[@krisrogan7002]

I’ve never shopped in Hermes because I’ve been so intimidated, but I shopped at Chanel quite frequently and my SA was such a superstar. She managed to get me 90% of my wish list. I was so grateful that every time I visited to collect my item from the store I would either give cupcakes, $10 Tim Hortons gift card, $20 Starbucks gift card, etc.. just to show that I’m appreciative. I wanted to tip her, but she said they can’t accept monetary gifts. That’s why I just gave her gift cards and food.

[@hellocatwalkcity]

Oh girl, if you can shop at Chanel, you will feel perfectly fine at Hermes!! Don’t be intimidated. In my personal experience, the Chanel environment can be quite harsh 😂 and Hermès feels like a cake walk in comparison.

[@Hantesis]

After a few month messaging on WhatsApp with my SA I've asked her for small bag and week later she offered me Constance to go in gold and palladium. I drove 5h from Scotland to Manchester boutique to pick it up. I was so happy and I decided to buy for her something. I was also wondering if that will be ok but I thought that something sweet will be ok. I bought high quality dark chocolate, small French macaroni and small natural soy hand made candle. Few minutes after I left boutique with my new bag I came back and I gave her this present and she was extra happy.

[@hellocatwalkcity]

Aww wow, love this story! Happy for you! And it sounds like the thoughtful gifts you chose for your SA were well received and appreciated. Thank you for sharing!!

[@ReneeSLiu]

I also like to go to the store at a quiet time. Usually I schedule my appointment on a weekday afternoon, if not, early Saturday. I found myself have a better shopping experience when it's less crowded.

[@hellocatwalkcity]

💯! Makes a world of a difference in the shopping experience!

[@Farenfran]

Best tips I’ve heard so far. I do gifts my SAs. When I was diagnosed with BC, I started looking for other alternatives, better health habits, better personal products and I started making homemade soaps. I use the best available ingredients for my soaps. I do not sell but I gift them to my friends, family ( I just have two brothers in the States), donate them, etc. So I gift my sopas to them as a token of my appreciation when they find something for me. Like you said, I text them asking them to find a specific product and whether they find it or not, I appreciate their effort.

[@marias7351]

I asked my SA if i was allowed to give them appreciation gifts and was told no. Not sure if it’s the same practice across the board, but the only acceptable gifts are food items for the store (not specific SA), and has to be valued under $100. Agree with you 100% about being patient, respectful, and show genuine interest in the SA as fellow human beings. Retail work is quite challenging. Showing respect and appreciation will go a long way

[@hellocatwalkcity]

Ah interesting. I figured there would be some policy in place at most brands. Under $100 and edible items to be shared with the staff… not too bad actually. I guess they don’t want any risk of bribery or grand gestures leading to favoritism which makes sense. Which brand was this by the way?

[@marias7351]

@@hellocatwalkcity this was an Hermes boutique in the US. Yes, they want to make sure there’s not even an appearance of bribery or impropriety.

[@hellocatwalkcity]

@@marias7351 Makes sense!!

[@dianedayekim]

I agree with you! Being genuine and friendly with them is most important. When it comes to gift giving, unless there is something specific that you know they will love then that'd be a thoughtful gift but I wouldn't give them general things people buy just to gift them.

[@hellocatwalkcity]

Yes!! Sometimes the best gifts are a genuine smile and a friendly attitude. 😊

[@meizchou]

Thanks for sharing! ♥️
I once gave my LV SA a necklace I brought from my trip to the Philippines that was made of local shells but has the Van Cleef & Arpels mother of Pearl vibes. At first she was a but hesitant but I told her it’s just a small little souvenir I got from my trip so she happily accepted it.

[@hellocatwalkcity]

Oh wow, thanks for sharing your story!!

[@rubiirae]

Very solid tips on building relationship with the SA's! I'm fairly new to the H journey as my home store used to be in Paris but I haven't been traveling much since the pandemic. I did struggle a little in the beginning with the SA from the local boutique, few I didn't really bond with and one left soon after I made a $3,000+ purchase. I was losing hope until I came across the SA I'm working with now, who seems super sweet and responsive via texts. It's also funny and weird that we bonded over getting into car accidents on the same week so we were updating each other on the repair status 😂I think I've only purchased a twilly and a perfume through her, but she still managed to hunt down a mini Lindy for me in the exact color/hardware combination for me, merely two weeks after I casually asked her about it. I was expecting a 6 month wait if lucky. She didn't have to work that hard to help me find the items I want but she did, that's why I know I can count on her with more wish list items down the road. I think she appreciate the fact that I never push her to get me anything, if I see something I like on the website, I just screenshot the item with the SKU# and send her a very short text about it, try to make it easy for her. Also text her a week in advance if I plan on dropping by the boutique so she doesn't have to scramble around her appointments with other clients. I never really thought of sending gifts to the SA either, could be a cultural thing as I can see this being a common practice in Asia. I did once gave my SA a protein bar to try, we were chatting about stuff we love to get from Trader's Joe and she said she wanted to try the protein bar I recommended, and I happened to have one in my purse since I'm anemic and always carry a few around. I don't think I would go out of my way to get her anything though, afraid that I'm giving the SA or the SM the wrong impression, like I'm desperate to get a quota bag😅

[@stephan1emar1e]

Giving a gift after receiving a special treatment, special exception, selected for an item, etc. I don’t think feels good. Feels like a trade. However, around the holiday season, it’s the time of gifts, I tip all my service providers with a visa gift card or a more specific one, and I treat my SA’s the same way. I feel it’s a genuine and thoughtful way to show appreciation for all he does for me all year.

[@hellocatwalkcity]

Good point!! It’s always extra nice to surprise people around the holidays.

[@kimng9179]

Thank you for all the helpful and genuine tips! I will definitely take into consideration the “not coming in at busy times!” 🙏🏼💕

[@hellocatwalkcity]

You’re so welcome!

[@danielle2661]

I don't think gifts are necessary, but I do think if you have a warm relationship with an SA you can give them small tokens on holidays. Maybe you spoke about your shared love of sweets. A small box of nice chocolates or tin of the best local cookies at christmas is perfectly acceptable. Did you travel to France recently? Maybe save a homemade lavender soap you purchased from a market in the french countryside for his/her birthday. I think limiting the gifts to these thoughtful, yet small tokens on a few occasions is great. Otherwise if you are getting them random gifts every time you go in it feels like you are trying to buy preferential treatment. It's no longer a thoughtful gesture, it's more of a quid pro quo. A "look, I'm giving you all this stuff, the least you can do is get me a bag," kind of thing. Contrary to how it might look, gifts too often seems desperate. I feel the same about sharing allllll your business to an SA. If you bond over a specific topic, great. But s/he doesn't need to know your health status, all your aches and pains, your almost terrible diagnosis, your birthday and your kid's birthdays and your mom's birthday and your second cousin's dog's birthday and your anniversary and the anniversary of the first day you set foot in a boutique and the day you first kissed your husband, and the day your kids are going back to school all in the Hope of a getting a "special occasion/oh no you're sick here's a bag offer for you."

[@hellocatwalkcity]

Well said!! 👏

[@michelleyeoh909]

Thanks Hannah sharing with us how to deal with Hermes sales person

[@hellocatwalkcity]

My pleasure! I hope some of the tips will be helpful. xx

[@carnishagilder1114]

These are excellent tips. Never have a sense of entitlement and always be grateful for their time and effort.

[@hellocatwalkcity]

💯

[@elinalall3475]

Great tips, I pretty much follow the same. On the topic of gift giving, in general, to SAs, I have given gifts to some of my SAs. It's always appreciated and it's something small around Christmas, like high quality chocolates, tea and/or Starbucks gift cards just to say thank you. I don't think anyone should feel obligated to give a gift and I did ask if it was okay to give a small item. I think food/perishable items, gift cards do make a good token of appreciation if someone is looking for something to give and it doesn't feel or come across as bribery or you have an expectation of receiving something back but even with material objects, I think it depends on the context. Thanks for sharing ❤

[@hellocatwalkcity]

Thanks for sharing what has worked for you! I agree, context matters.

[@sexyalleycat]

I have given my LV SA a thank you card with money. He is such a sweetheart and I wanted to show my appreciation by treating him with dinner and drinks. That might sound unorthodox, but that's how I am. Blessings dear 💕💕💕

[@hellocatwalkcity]

Unorthodox or not, I’m sure your LV SA appreciated that. 💕 I wonder if there is a policy restricting SAs from accepting gifts or limiting gifts to below a certain monetary value. 🤔 I see mixed comments here.

[@sexyalleycat]

@@hellocatwalkcity I am not sure love because if there were something in place, I am quite sure he would of said something to avoid me making the same mistake twice. He is really upfront and open with me and I really appreciate him for that. I couldn't ask for a better SA.

[@heatheryonker8860]

So happy to hear that you didn't have to spend 1 to 1 or be a known influencer! This gives me hope hahahaah. I would love to see your whole hermes collection, including items other than bags. I went to the boutique and made a youtube video. Many of the items were masculine, plain, or just... Not my style. But I did find a couple things I liked.

[@hellocatwalkcity]

So funny, the words “masculine” and “plain” are also words I’ve used to describe many Hermès items! Glad to know I’m not the only one. 😂 I show my entire collection bit by bit in various videos if you’d like to check out my Hermès playlist!

[@realchuckp]

really enjoyed this. i know you are not very interested in watches (watch collecting) but these tips are exactly the same that work well when building a relationship with a rolex AD ('authorized dealer'). in fact, there are many many similarities between how hermès 'quota bags' and rolex 'hard to get pieces' are sold and who gets to buy them. so, if you ever decide to buy yourself another watch, i think you will do very well! :)

[@hellocatwalkcity]

Very interesting! Thank you for sharing! Let’s not encourage me to start a whole new obsession though. 😂

[@realchuckp]

@@hellocatwalkcity haha, sorry!
i do suspect, however, that with your eye for detail, quality and design, there could be a lot of fun for you out there in the watch world. if you are ever near a store that sells brands like patek philippe, a. lange & söhne, vacheron constantin, jaeger lecoultre or even grand seiko - go in, tell an SA you are new to mechanical watches and ask if they could show you some interesting pieces - and ask to use a loupe to look at them! they are little handmade works of art, tbh.
the watch world needs more women. :)

[@hellocatwalkcity]

@@realchuckp Wow, I’m intrigued!

[@realchuckp]

@@hellocatwalkcity would be very interested to hear about your experience if you ever decide to look into that sort of thing (mechanical wristwatches) at a local multibrand retailer/boutique. thanks again for the interesting channel. best, c

[@johnlee8959]

find it truly useful, thank you!

[@vffashionista7429]

I’ve been shopping with the same SA at Hermes for over 5 yrs. I love the brand. I decided 2 yrs ago to purchase a Birkin. My SA said you need to increase your sales. In 2021, I spent 6k & in Feb 2022 I spent 4k. I chk periodically on the status of my wish list. 2 wks ago she texted me that her Manager disapproved me & it’s not in her control. I was shocked & I called her for clarification, but she wldnt take my call. I have given her references, which made purchases from her. What do you recommend I do? I’m so distraught - I made all the purchases she recommended to keep my account active. Should I contact the corporate office??

[@keodi1]

Switch your SA

[@premeyumlife443]

All great tips, i think the SAs r human n can pick up if u r not genuine. Always be polite cuz they r providing a service. 🙏🏼 thanks for sharing my lady. ❤️🍊😘😘😘Sandy

[@hellocatwalkcity]

Absolutely, authenticity and good manners go a long way! 😉

[@JO-hy1fj]

I really enjoy your videos thanks 😊

[@tara_nguyen]

First!
And thanks

[@yesseniapena693]

thank you so much for all this info 🥰

[@hellocatwalkcity]

You’re so welcome!

[@bostonandbeyondfrenchbulld7335]

I have given my SA a Starbucks GC. She isn’t allowed to accept but her manager was able to buy for the store with it. They are not allowed to accept any gifts. It could be seen as bribery.

[@Sunset553]

The ability to build rapport and to think of opportunities to be polite are skills not everyone has. I don’t have the background socialization which provides those skills; it would take me multiple lifetimes just to get the eye contact right.

[@majanice]

Thanks for the tips 🥰

[@Oncloudbeauty]

Thank you! This is very helpful. Question for you. What is your advice on how I can go about switching SA’s? I go to the Chicago boutique and have tried to build a relationship with my SA but she is not very warm and I feel regretful for starting a wishlist with her. How would you navigate this situation? I’m looking to purchase a pair of boots but want to purchase them from a different SA. I would really appreciate your advice on this!

[@janetsuh5967]

Can you comment on attire when shopping at these luxury houses? Would you only wear a piece that is from the same brand?

[@hellocatwalkcity]

I wear whatever I’m in the mood for. The last two times I was wearing Chanel and another time I was dressed super sporty and casual because I biked to the store! 😂 I don’t think the SAs care or at least I haven’t noticed.

[@shananick1128]

You know my SA in Hermes, just because i do not spend much or just 1 occasion, when i texted her if they have the Bastia coin purse in the store, since practically there are not much to sell in the store still now even they have opened up since last year Oct, she did not even bother to reply me. Frankly with this type of service, i do not need to shop with her anymore. As for Channel, at least the SA is slidely better. She at least replied my text. I do not want to call them since my understanding with most of them are if i am looking for any item, i can just text them and no point going into the store here because there is nothing that i can buy without ordering or put my name in the queue unless the pieces is a seasonal one that i need to check it out first. I know is good to see them once in a while which i do not mind, but no response at all would not go any further for me. Is like begging them to take my money. Really a bad taste to my mouth and this is really attitude issue. Thanks for sharing.

[@tumejorpose]

If I've known my SA for a long time, I'll pick up small gifts as a thank you for their help around the holidays or after a very large purchase that they worked hard to get for me...but definitely not new ones. These are SAs that I've worked with for a minimum of 10 years. Usually it's a bottle of champagne.

[@hellocatwalkcity]

A bottle of champagne sounds very nice. 👌

[@daggnow9407]

Thank you for the video. I have been following the same rules for quite few years. I got my dream B30. :). Now I have an opportunity to get B25 in gold togo. My dilemma is PHW or GHW. I like both options. How do you like your PHW with gold togo combo?

[@hellocatwalkcity]

Aw so happy for you!! I really like my Birkin with the palladium hdw. It was my first choice because I tend to mix my metals when it comes to jewelry and I felt palladium would blend right in - not too fancy either. But you choose what you love!!! Can’t really go wrong. 😉

[@daggnow9407]

@@hellocatwalkcity Thank you. In general, I find PHW more youthful and universal. Wasn't sure if gold togo would clash with it, but I love your bag and PHW. 😊

[@GKD0615]

I think if you order on the Hermes website and have it shipped to the store for pick up your SA will get credit for the sale. I am not sure about this and wonder if anyone else knows.

[@heatherwhite2788]

I believe only if your SA orders for you, which mine has done

[@christinel5347]

I live in Toronto, I don’t think I would have a chance to score a birken of kelly

[@catherineholloway16]

I welcome your videos and content. And thank you for all the research you do. I don't dispare your bag purchase growth and knowledge. I am genuine happy for you. But you are native to think they don't know you as a you tube influencer. They know exactly who you are, Hannah. And that is okay but don't pretend they don't. ☺️

[@hellocatwalkcity]

How would they know? I don’t publish my face or my name and my channel is quite small relative to the YT world. I started shopping with Hermes well before becoming a CZcamsr, do you think they really care to try find out who I am? I’m not even a big spender for them. 🤔 If they don’t gift bags to celebrities (as other luxury brands do) for exposure, why would they give preferential treatment of any kind to small-time “influencers.” I appreciate your perspective but I do think sometimes it’s all in our heads.

[@fannychan3268]

Thank you for sharing these excellent tips ❤️

[@asq4867]

Regarding gifts, I'd imagine it would go against company policy

[@hellocatwalkcity]

I would think so too, but I think some brands allow nominal gifts - as you can see from some of the stories shared in the comments.

[@stellalife7040]

Which New York store do you shop?

[@Seemstobereal]

Not sure about SAs being interested in the brand initially. I met a new SA in Hermes New York and I knew more than my SA about the brand. Lol

[@esgara8446]

I have established a good relationship with my SA but their store policy is that I must spend 50000$ just to get offered a BK. So I just buy things I like. If I get offered a bag without that much spending so be it.

[@hellocatwalkcity]

Wow! What city/country is this in, may I ask?

[@hymcopy]

Personal customization, welcome to contact, the most trustworthy business you!

[@Sunset553]

.

[@riem2078]

The whole thing is weird to me, you pay way more taxes than them, I assume.Being polite and respectful would be important, I am going to, SA or stranger or my patients... Sometimes I enjoy conversations with SA, sometimes not, I really don't care...if they are so special, why do Harvard graduates or oxford graduates try to be SA?! It's nothing, just a weird power of the small world...