AD’s attitudes

[M@2]

My AD is nice enough, but I fully agree the "process" for buying a Rolex is pretty silly these days. I's almost rather have an actual list that counts down then a seemingly random allocation.

[rockysw]

well my problem with the process is lack of transparency. You dont even know on what basis the allocations are made? Is there a gender bias, ethnic bias, i just dont like you bias etc etc.

[Bald Angus]

I have had very positive experiences with my AD and SA. I walked in for the first time ever and told them the DJ that I wanted.

My SA said they would call me when they could order the exact DJ I wanted. They called me about a month later and said they could place my order. I paid a 50% deposit.

Six weeks later, I got the call and picked up the exact DJ that I wanted.

Overall, a very positive experience.

BTW, Some members here were shocked I paid a deposit. I guess they have never worked in business before.

Good AD’s and SA’s are out there.


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[SmokinV10]

I’ve had mixed experiences with AD’s in Houston. One was friendly and spent time despite a lack of inventory. The one in the Galleria mall had the infamous attitude that so many here have alluded to. The best AD experience I’ve had and built a relationship with is with the Tourneau store in Vegas.

[KatGirl]

Originally Posted by Stebinners

What does this whole relationship, mean i as a customer have to beg?


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Numerous threads already exist on this topic of relationship building. I was lucky enough to find a great AD right off the bat, just a short drive from my house. No complaints here. No games. To answer your question, they want you to buy other jewelry from them or watches you don’t need or want, in order to get the one you do want. Odd they would play that game for a Datejust, though. Generally, you can order those, to your specification, with a deposit. I got lucky My AD doesn’t do that. Having said that, if I want other jewelry, I do give them my business. It’s a very nice jewelry store.

Kat


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[77T]

Originally Posted by Stebinners

Is there anyone sick of the attitude of AD’s, trying to make you bend over backwards to buy any watches? Rolex AD’s have terrible customer experience.


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None ask you to bend over backwards - it's not that - they want a greater share of wallet.

Why are you not buying all your jewelry here?


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[enjoythemusic]

Originally Posted by Stebinners

Is there anyone sick of the attitude of AD’s, trying to make you bend over backwards to buy any watches? Rolex AD’s have terrible customer experience.

Love my AD. In fact so do quite a few here on TRF. Time for you to move to Florida. No nasty VAT, great weather year around, lovely people too.

[L_S_SHOE]

Clearly, some love their ADs while others can’t stand them. I suspect there’s more to it than, “this AD got me the watch and this other AD didn’t.”

In an effort to get at the root of it, would anyone agree with the following generalization:

“Established ADs and older SAs tend to be good. Newer ADs and younger SAs tend to act entitled and the overall customer experience is worse.”

I, for one, would agree with that statement. Older SAs remember what it was like before the hype, and they habitually treat customers better. Younger SAs don’t remember and treat customers worse.


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[bluestreak]

Originally Posted by L_S_SHOE

Clearly, some love their ADs while others can’t stand them. I suspect there’s more to it than, “this AD got me the watch and this other AD didn’t.”

In an effort to get at the root of it, would anyone agree with the following generalization:

“Established ADs and older SAs tend to be good. Newer ADs and younger SAs tend to act entitled and the overall customer experience is worse.”

I, for one, would agree with that statement. Older SAs remember what it was like before the hype, and they habitually treat customers better. Younger SAs don’t remember and treat customers worse.


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Yeah. This isn’t true. My SA is young and was hired at the AD during the pandemic. When I first came in, some would have probably said he was aloof. I just saw it as, “we get scads of people asking about the same watches. The only way you’re going to get one is to be an established customer or wait a long long time.”
I took it as honesty and appreciated it. I bought a Tudor, which I wore the hell out of and came in like once a quarter. I bought watches at other places and wore them in the store and chatted about them. If I wanted a watch that they sold, I bought it there. If I wanted one they didn’t sell, I bought it elsewhere. When I needed a specific Cartier last minute for my wife’s birthday, he tracked it down in 24 hours. When I wanted a Zenith, he put me in touch with a friend at another AD who got me a sizable discount.
Once i was established myself (I am not a big spender by any stretch) I got some decent allocations. I’m happy, they are happy. All is good.

If you’re coming in and asking for the same watch that ten other people have asked for that day, I don’t see why anyone would expect to walk out with something.

Maybe I’m an AD apologist, but my strategy has worked for me.

[Harry-57]

Originally Posted by L_S_SHOE

In an effort to get at the root of it, would anyone agree with the following generalization:

Not really. What it usually comes down to is management. Good managers run good stores who have good customer relationships. It takes one idiot to bring it all down.

[Mr Ben]

I think management/ ownership drives the way the messaging and process works. But at the end of the day, it’s just cash.

My local chain owned AD’s seem to just churn enquiries quickly: “1) what are you looking for? And “2) what’s your spend history”? are inevitably the first two questions. If the answer to 2 is nothing significant (& recent), that’s the end of the interaction.

Of the two family owned ones, one is very friendly and dutifully takes details but doesn’t produce the goods without spend; one is shameless in saying nothing will happen without spending significantly in the store - and they are pushing homeware as well as jewellery - crystal, silver tableware and ornaments etc.

Three different approaches but at the end of the day, you need to spend a lot of cash in any of them or be a long established customer of the privately owned ones to get anywhere.

So my take is the people that love their AD’s are the ones being allocated watches. And they are the same people dropping piles of cash. Simple.

[alphadweller]

I don't take it personally, try to keep emotions at the door. A bit lke a job. Be always nice and polite, there's nothing personal, it's only business.

[travisb]

There's still some great ADs out there. No complaints from me but I've witnessed some of the bad ones. Just move on.

[fooey]

Originally Posted by Stupot

I would say the UK has a severe problem with their Rolex distribution, it’s specifically a Watches Of Switzerland Group issue.



They have too big a stranglehold on the market. It’s stifled competition. You can only register with one outlet, so there is absolutely no competition between their own branches for business, and they have such a large footprint now they can be the only Rolex outlet for miles. I visit a lot of UK cities on business and almost everywhere I visit it’s a WOS outlet, so no point even asking. It’s almost a monopoly.



Very, very difficult to get anything out of them, and I have mid tier spend history.



I don’t really understand where they channel the watches to market.



Supply certainly doesn’t appear to me to have loosened any.

Unfortunately. This is spot on!!!

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[Gunnersaurus]

Agree WoS aren't great at all. They just don't seem interested unless you have a massive spend history.

Haven't got a watch from them yet, but Bucherer seem to be making much better noises about me getting the piece I want

[padi56]

Originally Posted by Stebinners

Is there anyone sick of the attitude of AD’s, trying to make you bend over backwards to buy any watches? Rolex AD’s have terrible customer experience.


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Well in reality its the buyers fault some think they got to treat ADs as some sort of god. And must do what ever the AD states to buy a mass produced watch, and as their are many willing to play these ADs games. Cannot blame the ADs for jumping on the AD kiss ar#se extra money off buyer bandwagon. Now if prospective buyers stopped playing these ADs games, as in the real world they are just shops that sells watches nothing more perhaps we could get back to normally.

[Ash1dreamcast]

What is defined as a good spend history specific question for those based in the UK and looking for a allocation from WOS group?

[Oystersteel92]

Originally Posted by Stebinners

Is there anyone sick of the attitude of AD’s, trying to make you bend over backwards to buy any watches? Rolex AD’s have terrible customer experience.


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I think it's like Congress. I don't like AD's in general, but I love MY AD.

[1William]

No issues for me. Good service, bad service or no service does not move me. I will address rudeness but I have found someone always wants my money and if not this place, another.

[metallic]

Unfortunately it is just the reality of business. Econ 101. Supply and demand sets the price structure. In this case, Rolex, the mothership locks in the price structure but the dealers (AD's) manipulate it behind the scenes by selling the desirable fixed price watches to their most profit generating whales. Buy this item with a 300% markup and you are allowed to buy this desirable Rolex with a 35% (estimated) markup.

It's clandestine price gouging. Home Depot will not raise the price of plywood to exorbitant levels during a hurricane because they do not want to destroy their reputation. Jewelers can do the clandestine price gouging because the practice is cloaked.

[ArtNouveau]

Originally Posted by SmokinV10

I’ve had mixed experiences with AD’s in Houston. One was friendly and spent time despite a lack of inventory. The one in the Galleria mall had the infamous attitude that so many here have alluded to. The best AD experience I’ve had and built a relationship with is with the Tourneau store in Vegas.

Your infamous attitude store has sold me five desirable SS models over the last few years. They move lots of watches, I can’t really define how to “crack the code.” All I know is I have a great SA I have known a long time and the store manager treats me well too.

[Calatrava r]

It is still brutal to buy a Rolex from an AD. I too think many ADs are onboard with the furtherance of the "scarcity", so the days of available watches sitting in the cases may never return.

[S.Explorer]

Originally Posted by padi56

Well in reality its the buyers fault some think they got to treat ADs as some sort of god. And must do what ever the AD states to buy a mass produced watch, and as their are many willing to play these ADs games. Cannot blame the ADs for jumping on the AD kiss ar#se extra money off buyer bandwagon. Now if prospective buyers stopped playing these ADs games, as in the real world they are just shops that sells watches nothing more perhaps we could get back to normally.

Difficult to disagree with the above...

Just to provide some balance to the thread re WOS Group, I've had two Rolex watches from them in recent years (SS OP and SS Professional model), both were on my wishlist and I've not bought jewellery, etc. I think it really depends on the sales person and dealer.

[Bald Angus]

I think some of these bad actor AD's are skating on thin ice. Yes, right now, they have the upper hand but things are changing...

In the next few years, Rolex will near double production and other luxury watch manufacturers are making some really, really nice watches.

AD's will not have the upper hand forever. As in all business, when supply and demand equalize, the good AD's will be fine. Costumers have long memories, the bad AD's will suffer.

[Neil McCauley]

OP - Sorry you didn't get great experience. Sadly for you I can assure you that's not the case for everyone, thankfully.

I must say though, in WoS here in the UK I have had a similar experience I never walked in there again. Goldsmiths (A WoS owned company lol) are much better to me.

I suggest that you itemise what you have bought and when you bought it, when you have had services carried out, drop that info into ChatGPT and ask it to write a letter of complaint, and send it to:

client.experience@thewosgroup.com

It sounds absurd, but I promise you, the outputs for this on ChatGPT are incredible. I've used it to full effect on a lot of other things like this and it writes some amazing complaint letters that would make the CEO's toes curl.

[enjoythemusic]

I'm looking forward to 2030 when Rolex opens their expanded production.

Am sure everyone knows retailers would LOVE to sell you a timepiece, it helps their company thrive. Salespeople sometimes work on commission and am sure they would LOVE to see you a timepiece.

Please consider working for Rolex as a watchmaker, help be the solution

[FinanceProf]

Wouldn't it be nice if ALL people were simply treated with respect and dignity?

Imagine if the process were:
1. Indicate your interest and place a 10% deposit
2. Get placed on a list and be told transparently (you are number 6)
3. When you occasionally stop in, they could tell you how the list has moved (you are now number 4)
4. Suddenly everyone who hates the AD customer experience would be happy to wait, knowing the watch is coming and approximately how long it might be.....

After 2-1/2 years on the waiting list for a Bluesy....in the meantime purchased a Tissot and a Tudor....I finally gave up and bought a blue Omega 300M this week from the gray market.

For a long time, the gray market has scared me to death (because of super fakes that I can't tell from the real thing). To "dip my toe in the water" for the first time, I bought this Omega from DavidSW and the experience was very good.

[Brich436]

Even in the same AD different salespeople have different attitudes. The key is to find a great SA and then give them business (I refer a lot of people to mine) and all referrals have been very happy.

Case in point. I asked for Batgirl. Store manager laughed at me and told me I’d be waiting a long time for the watch after he obviously looked at my spend history. Was a real jerk.

My SA got me the watch 3 days later. The guy was a jerk but my SA is solid gold. Focus on the SA not necessarily the store.


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[Neil McCauley]

Originally Posted by FinanceProf

Wouldn't it be nice if ALL people were simply treated with respect and dignity?

Equally, I'm certain that SAs at the AD would also say the same.

I know for a fact that they are not. In fact, they get treated quite badly by a disproportionately large number of members of the public.

I've seen it first hand on multiple occasions where SAs in a couple of ADs are treated with disrespect for "refusing" to sell someone exhibition pieces they have in the windows. Demanding and shouting, "I've got the money, mate, why can't I buy it now?!"

And before you think I'm wrong, sadly, here in the UK, we have a bit of a problem with this kind of thing. I saw a sign in my dog's veterinarians this week saying, "Do not abuse our staff!" in the waiting room - it's a sad state of affairs, but sadly, we have become an entitled society that thinks that gobbing off will get you what you want. There are many places that have this kind of sign in there now, too.

We only see what we see for the 0.1% of the time that we are in there.

[~Ocho1~]

I really don't have too much positive experiences with AD's in my area. There was a nice guy at an AD, which did offer me a Tudor that I turned down & the a DJ41, which I had already acquired. After that nothing & that AD closed.

The other one in my area is a Rolex Boutique that I swear I felt like the girls was going to ask me what kind of car I drive to see if I was worthy of getting on the list.

I've purchased my last 2 Rolex's from grey market & basically paid what I would've paid if I go tthem from AD with tax. Both of those watches are still under warranty.