Since I recently had the incredible experience of having my first quota bag offer from Hermes I figured I would share with you my journey to get a Birkin offer and what myths were debunked regarding the Hermes game.
Quota Bag Myth #1
First off, the idea that you need to spend 1:1 or 2:1 to receive a quota bag offer is false. While I have spent a good amount on items from Hermes that I love, I was nowhere near a 1:1 spend for the bag I was offered. I did make purchases from a few product categories like, shoes and fashion jewelry. I also have a number of Hermes pieces that I purchased resale before starting my in-store Hermes journey. But, I haven’t purchased any items from home or ready to wear yet. I did mention to my Sales Associate (SA) that once we either remodel our house or purchase another I’d love to add some of their home decor to my collection. I truly do love the brand and I think that really helps.
Quota Bag Myth #2
The idea that you need to wait a year or more from the time you first meet your SA to get a bag offer is also false. When I first started my journey to when I was offered my first quota bag was only 8 months. I started out purchasing online and didn’t get an in-store appointment till months later when I met my SA. We hit it off right away which was super helpful. I will say that if the first SA you meet doesn’t feel like a good fit then definitely meet others before locking yourself in. After I connected with my SA, I only shopped with him. I stopped ordering online and if something wasn’t available in my home store I’d have my SA order the item for me. While he told me that it was ok if he was busy to get help from someone else, I always opted for coming back to the store when he was available. The loyalty to one Sales Associate I think is a major key to getting a quota bag offer. Because not only did he notice and appreciate that I would wait and come back sometimes over an hour later, the store manager also noticed. Since all SA’s need to run quota bag offers by their store manager first, I think that was a factor in her letting him offer me the exotic Birkin 30.
Quota Bag Myth #3
I will say that in my experience I do believe that dressing the part is important to a certain degree. I didn’t always show up in store looking absolutely fabulous but even when dressing super casually, I was always put together. The day I got my Birkin 30 offer I was wearing a pair of distressed denim, a sleeveless cable knit sweater, Golden Goose shearing open back sneakers, my camel Kinross Cashmere coat, and a Chanel pearl brooch. The bag definitely fit perfectly with my outfit and what I would say is my put together mom uniform. Usually my bag of choice to go into the store before I got my quota bag was either one of my Chanel bags or my Louis Vuitton bags. I was never offered an Hermes bag before my quota bag so I didn’t (and still don’t) have any other Hermes bags to wear.
Quota Bag Myth #4
After being offered my first quota bag I was hesitant to accept it as it was not on my wishlist. I was hoping to start off my Hermes Birkin collection with a B30 in Togo leather in Gold with GHW or Etoupe with PHW. I would have of course been open to any neutral colors since I know both Gold and Etoupe are highly desirable and hard to get in store. But instead I was offered an exotic! My SA did ask me when we were looking at other pieces what my thoughts/feelings were about ostrich leather. I said I wasn’t necessarily for or against it. I said as long as it’s a neutral I am open. To my surprise he said he had something to show me and took me to the “semi-private” room since my home store doesn’t really have a private room to view quota bags from. He came back with a big orange box and as soon as he opened it and pulled out my Bleu Roi Ostrich Leather Hermes Birkin 30 my heart stopped. She was so, so beautiful.
But, if I’m being honest, it was WAY more than I was planning to spend on that visit. Exotic quota bags are significantly more expensive than their other leather options and when I thought I was nowhere near getting a Quota bag offer I wasn’t sure if I should accept it. The myth here is that you should never decline a quota bag offer even if it’s not your desired bag. Because I had heard that myth before, I straight up asked my SA about it. I felt comfortable doing so because we do have a good relationship. He told me that was a total myth. All SA’s want you to be happy with your purchase. If your initial bag offer is not the bag for you don’t accept. It will not hurt your chances for an offer in the future. It actually shows your SA that you truly love the brand and want a bag that you will love and use and not just resell.
Granted in the end I did accept my bag offer but not until after I called my husband, got his blessing, then still drove home empty handed because I was so torn. It wasn’t till that evening when my husband got home and asked to see the bag that I told him I didn’t get it. We talked about it for quite some time that night and he suggested I text my SA to see if it was still available and if so, if I could come back the next day to purchase. I had to wait all night and could barely sleep because I was just thinking and dreaming about the bag. Luckily, he hadn’t offered it to anyone else that day and he said if I came in by 11am that morning it would be mine! I drove back up and secured the bag!!!
If you’re wondering why I was so torn or couldn’t make up my mind it came down to two things. One, this bag was way more than I felt comfortable spending on myself. This was my dream bag that I thought might be offered to me say, 10 years down the road. And two, we were gearing up to start a major renovation/addition and I was concerned that the cost was going to be way more than we budgeted for and that the money spent on the bag might need to be used to complete our project.
As always, thank you so much for stopping by the blog today! I hope you enjoyed the post. If you have any questions regarding my Hermes journey to getting offered my first quota bag or if you feel I left something out please feel free to reach out to me! I’m happy to help any way I can.
