Help! My Hermès SA is Moving To Another Location; Do I Follow or Stay at My Home Location?

Dear PurseBop,

My SA told me yesterday she’s transferring in a few months to a new store several states away. My SA has been so good to me over the years, and we both shed a few tears. She’s always bringing in the best items and I fall in love with them all. I haven’t received any quota bag offers yet this year and my pre-spend is very good.

My first question – do I follow her to the new store? I won’t be able to go as often, but I’m sure she’ll have items I love ready for me when I come.

My second question is should I try to get my quota bags at my current store, or hope that she can get them for me at the new store? Will my pre-spend transfer with my SA? Or will I have to transition to a new SA (there isn’t really another SA at my store that I really jive with) and stay at my home store for the rest of the year?

I need your safe advice!

Thank you in advance!

Dear SA Dilemma:

It is always a difficult situation when a beloved and long term SA leaves one location for another or leaves the company for good. There is no right or wrong answer which ever direction you decide to go, but here are our suggestions.

Whether to follow your SA to the new location?

Every Hermès boutique is free to operate independently and follow rules appropriate for their location and the clientele they service. It is best to have an honest and open conversation with your SA about whether you should stay with her and visit when you can or stay with your home store. New rules have recently been established making it more difficult for SA’s to ship bags and inventory to their clients in other locations. Your SA may need to speak with the manager of the new location before helping you decide how to proceed.

Whether to try to get your quota bag before your SA leaves?

We recommend trying to secure a quota bag before your SA leaves if possible. Speaking with a manager or directly with your SA will be your best option before they leave. If you are able to be offered a quota bag that you accept, your pre-spend will not be an issue. However, if you decide to follow your SA, rest assured that your overall spend profile follows you to the new store.

If you stay at your home location you will have to build a new relationship with a SA:

If your SA leaves and you stay at your home store with a new SA and do not receive a quota bag before they leave, your pre-spend remains intact but your new SA will have to be motivated to get you a quota bag when the time is appropriate. In this situation, it is best to speak with a manager and ask how best to proceed. The manager will usually insure you are treated fairly once the SA moves to a new location.

Hermès prefers its clients to stay at their home store and build a relationship with a new SA instead of following an existing SA to a new distant location.