Sales Associate is Retiring

[AlaskanWatch]

Title says it all. In March I bought my first Rolex a TT Datejust, and I love the watch. I've been working with the same SA for two years who is a great guy and I have a lot of respect for. He just emailed me telling me that he is leaving the AD for personal reasons. I have another sales associate in mind to work with after he leaves, how has transitions like this worked for you in terms of building a new rapport with a SA? Do they keep past sales in mind or is it kind of wiping of the slate with working with a new SA?

[vh2k]

Great excuse to meet the manager and owner.

[jcdeng]

purchase history stays with the AD, so if you were a whale and get first priority in every hot watch, you still will.

[ink3027]

Originally Posted by vh2k

Great excuse to meet the manager and owner.

Exactly this.

[fskywalker]

Originally Posted by vh2k

Great excuse to meet the manager and owner.

[broham84]

I only work with the owner. SA don’t have the authority to only sell me hot models

[Harry-57]

My AD knows my history across all their departments and brands. We are not big spenders, but we buy more things than watches and more brands than Rolex. It all gets noted and it adds up.

I am contacted by different SAs and speak to different SAs when I'm visiting in person. I've met the store manager but don't know him well. I get on well with the department head and the Rolex buyer. Staff turn over from time to time, but not much. They appear to be interchangeable as far as ordering, selling and negotiating goes, but the store owner, store manager and head of department, in that order, have the most influence.

Last year I went on the list for the SS BLRO with the Rolex buyer. From then to last week I had a conversation with the head of department which included a confirmation I was on the list and crawling up it. Last week a SA rang me to ask which bracelet I want to be listed for. It appears that the interchangeability is still in operation.

What the situation is at your AD I couldn't guess. I imagine it unlikely that all SAs do their own thing. That doesn't sound like an efficient way to run the business. For a small store where the owner is the manager, buyer, stock controller and sells at the counter, this model would work better. You could ask.