More than a week after the fact, luxury store Hermes apologized to Oprah Winfrey — one of the richest, most powerful and best loved women in America — for turning her away last week when she tried to shop at its Paris store.
The New York Post, in its Monday Page Six gossip column, reported she was turned away because the store said it had been “having a problem with North Africans lately.”
A Week Today is Like Six Months 10 Years Ago
How a company as prominent as Hermes could be so completely out of touch with the realities of today’s media is mind boggling.
A week today is like six months 10 years ago. You cannot wait a week to react to a PR crisis.
The only way to respond to such negative press from traditional media and bloggers is with an immediate and honest response.
This situation also underlines the fact that the highest paid, most at stake people in a company are the ones who should deal with the public –not ill-paid, poorly trained clerks.
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Hermes: Dumb and Dumber in Oprah PR Crisis
BL Ochman | June 23, 2005 | Permanent Link | Comments (4) | TrackBack (
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Well, I come from France and let me tell you this, even if it is hard to imagine for some people here in the US:
Nobody in France has ever heard of Oprah Winfrey! I repeat: Nobody in France has ever heard of Oprah Winfrey!
If she knocks on the door of a store that is closed anywhere in world but the US, she will be treated just like anybody else. And that’s because in all other countries she is just that: somebody else.
So, please, just get over it. Except for some movie and music stars, nobody in Europe neither cares about nor knows any Amercian celebrities. Or put differently: Would you find it unnacceptbale if Michel Drucker were to be unable to enter Tiffany’s in New York after the store is closed? I mean, we are talking about Michel Drucker!! THE talk show host in France.
Come on, people. This is America, not the entire world. If you care about baseball and football and nobody else does, that means that the “world series” is not a world championship, it’s just the American national championship and only America cares about it.
With Oprah, it is just the same.
Excuse me “Pierre”, I come from the United States, and people in France, as well as in other parts of the world HAVE heard of Oprah. In fact, her show appears in many countries outside the U.S. Did you know that recently she aired a show from FRANCE (Paris to be exact) with the designer Valentino? HE has heard of her — she is one of his clients. Were you aware “Pierre” that Tina Tuner remains a major, much-loved, and enduring celebrity in Europe — even more so than in the U.S.? I’m sure “Pierre” that you know that stores like Hermes routinely open their doors after hours in order to accommodate their top clients. This is not a race issue, this is about customer service — something Hermes obviously dosen’t know much about. This is about someone who has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars and Euros, over the years as an Hermes client. And “Pierre” with all due respect, if Michel Drucker wanted to shop at Tiffany’s, and has/had been a committed customer, shutting him out would be about customer service, not race, nationality or gender, and he would have every right to complain if he so desired. And finally “Pierre”, just in case you completely missed the whole point, this isn’t about the World Series or football. Get it?? Good!
I am an American, but agree with Pierre. The store was closed, they were trying to finish up with the people inside. I don’t care if you were white, black, famous, infamous, rich or poor, the store was closed. Get over yourself Oprah!! I have so much respect with all the good Oprah tries to do with her success, but again get over yourself. There are people dying in the Middle East daily, so many people without roofs over their heads, so I am sorry if you couldn’t buy a $1500 purse cause you were late!! You asked if you could come in, they said sorry. We have all been there. If you wanted special treatment you should have arranged it in advance. Let’s focus on the real issues in the world!!
The big problem with that affair is that Oprah claims the Hermes store has been racist, so it is not merely a complaint on customer service, as you put it, Sandrine. And let me tell you Hermes’ salespeople are probably selected carefully and trained so that they give full satisfaction to all the rich Middle-Eastern and African rulers/oligarchs which represent the most of their sales.
I don’t agree at all with you when you say Oprah is very well known outside the US. Maybe in English-speaking countries, but I doubt she is known elsewhere. Her making a show in Paris doesn’t prove anything: I spent many years in France and I’ve never seen one of her shows air; even on cable TV. When the famous French singer Johnny Halliday plays in Las Vegas, what American cares? Does that increase his popularity in the US? I doubt it. And I miss your point on Tina Turner. Obviously she is very well known. But was she with Oprah on that evening in front of the Hermes store? No, so it isn’t about her.
Finally, are you aware that the Hermes CEO sent a full collection of Hermes watches to Oprah as an apology, which she immediately – rashly – sent back. So it just seems she is too proud, too conceited to accept any apology. She is too angry not to be the international superstar she expects to be. And Hermes is an easy target now: it can even help her increase the popularity of her show.