Following up with AD’s

[Gold Coast]

As the others have said, drop by periodically. My AD always offers a drink and a chat. Something no one has mentioned yet, but request to receive invitations to different AD in-store events. In my experience, events are typically used to showcase other brands or jewellery. However they are a good opportunities to mingle and further build your AD relationship.

[jb335]

I tend to stop in every 4-6 weeks. Anything more often may make you look like a pest. I never email or text.

Also, I rarely even bring up the subject of the watches I am waiting for. Why ask “is my GMT in yet?” If it was, they would have told you!

Just stop in occasionally to say hi and talk watches and look at display models and be a friendly human.

I am lucky, while I don’t have delusions that my AD staff and I are actual friends, I do actually like chatting with them since they are pleasant and I believe it’s at least somewhat of a tolerable experience for them as well. Surely a better experience then the person that comes in always asking why there watch isn’t in and telling them “I can pay CASH right now!” As if that makes them special.


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[APhound]

Bring flowers. Kiss their ass. Repeat.


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[~Ocho1~]

I swing by an AD I know about once every couple of months & text him about once every month & a half.

He's a cool kid & we talk cars, guns & of course watches. He's offered me two watches, a Tudor GMT & a DJ 41. Both of which I've turned down. The Tudor because once I tried it on it just seemed too thick & the DJ because I had just purchased the exact DJ via gray a few months before he called me.

If I get the call cool.....if I don't, well that's ok too. it's not like I have a NEED to spend $10k+ on a watch.

[Flypanam]

My closest AD is 5 minutes from my house on a road I often take home, so it's never a pain to stop in. Maybe every couple months I drop by, try some stuff on, talk about watches. I don't consider doing this as kissing ass. Some days I do this at the AD. Some days I stop by Cabela's or REI just to window shop. Just because window shopping at the AD is seen as possibly getting you "higher on the list" people assume that it's a degrading experience... but it's really not?

I've also seen the argument that my time is valuable, so I shouldn't stop in. Okay, and how much is it worth to pay over retail on the gray market? Do I compare this to my hourly rate based on my salary?

I've never bought a non-Rolex at the AD, nor any jewelry, nor any Rolex I didn't actually want.

[dwjez14]

This is why I stopped going to ADs. We should not have to follow up , kiss butt , buy multiple watches or bundle to get a watch. I started going gray and it saved me so much stress from the AD games. I don’t even go in Ads anymore I just walk past them watching the people in line going in to nothing. I will be honest here at one of my Ads at the mail I have sat at a bench from time to time and watched people as they went in store and started to smile until they found out the watches are not for sale. Time is money right ? I would rather waste time on something else spends a little more gray and be treated with some respect. At the end of the day I feel like even most Rolex at Ad prices are still a bargain when you look at what you are actually getting? Break it down over 10,20,30 years it’s not that bad. Best of luck on your watch

[GrailTime]

Originally Posted by dwjez14

This is why I stopped going to ADs. We should not have to follow up , kiss butt , buy multiple watches or bundle to get a watch. I started going gray and it saved me so much stress from the AD games. I don’t even go in Ads anymore I just walk past them watching the people in line going in to nothing. I will be honest here at one of my Ads at the mail I have sat at a bench from time to time and watched people as they went in store and started to smile until they found out the watches are not for sale. Time is money right ? I would rather waste time on something else spends a little more gray and be treated with some respect. At the end of the day I feel like even most Rolex at Ad prices are still a bargain when you look at what you are actually getting? Break it down over 10,20,30 years it’s not that bad. Best of luck on your watch

Time is money, you say? Yet you find the time to sit on the bench outside the store watching others?

You are right though, having to suck up to a sales person isn’t my idea of fun but it it means getting the Rolex I want, so be it.

I think the whole process is just so alien because in many other stores the sales person is falling over themselves to please you.

[dwjez14]

Originally Posted by gaffs

Time is money, you say? Yet you find the time to sit on the bench outside the store watching others?

You are right though, having to suck up to a sales person isn’t my idea of fun but it it means getting the Rolex I want, so be it.

I think the whole process is just so alien because in many other stores the sales person is falling over themselves to please you.

Me sitting at the mall is probably because I didn’t want to go to a store my wife was in haha. . No I’m not some rich guy making money every second of the day. I am far from that just a construction guy
I just relate wasting my valuable time going to Ads to I could be doing something more valuable with my
Time is what I meant. If that is your path you choose the Ad route I really hope you get your desired watch ! Best of luck


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[OTX]

I don’t see it as ass kissing. I recently got my Sprite and I would say I spent an hour total at the AD talking and showing interest. Maybe a couple of emails so I can stay fresh on their mind. Bought the Sprite at MSRP. On the gray market, I would have paid $7000 more so I basically saved $7k for one hour worth of effort!. Totally worth it as far as I’m concerned. I’m sure it has a lot to do with the owner and I getting along real well!.

Sure you’re not guaranteed to get a watch but it doesn’t hurt to try. I also enjoy buying my Rolexes from an AD as it feels more special to me!. When I buy from an AD, I know I got the real deal and I was the first to wear the watch. However, I do understand how some people with no patience or tolerance for this kind of stuff will just go gray. Just depends what you’re comfortable with!.

[TickTockChuck]

Originally Posted by OTX

I don’t see it as ass kissing. I recently got my Sprite and I would say I spent an hour total at the AD talking and showing interest. Maybe a couple of emails so I can stay fresh on their mind. Bought the Sprite at MSRP. On the gray market, I would have paid $7000 more so I basically saved $7k for one hour worth of effort!. Totally worth it as far as I’m concerned. I’m sure it has a lot to do with the owner and I getting along real well!.

Sure you’re not guaranteed to get a watch but it doesn’t hurt to try. I also enjoy buying my Rolexes from an AD as it feels more special to me!. When I buy from an AD, I know I got the real deal and I was the first to wear the watch. However, I do understand how some people with no patience or tolerance for this kind of stuff will just go gray. Just depends what you’re comfortable with!.

I hear you! My very first AD purchase in the 2000's was a wonderful experience, but it's been progressively a downward spiral to the point I can't be bothered with the games. It shouldn't be that hard to spend so much money on a wrist watch. I've been finding joy instead on more readily accessible less expensive models from other brands. It's suppose to fun. Cheers!

[Carbon Brakes]

I registered interest at a few local AD's. I got lucky at my current AD. YOUNG sales associate, we hit it off pretty good. He's even been to my house a couple times. He gets me pretty much any watch I want. Meteorite GMT, steel subs and GMT's. I have bought other Jewelry off him too. We are both young and its likely to be a long term relationship.

[BillA]

When I go into an AD, I listen to 1/3rd and believe 1/9th.
Let’s step back a second, if it wasn’t for the fact that Rolex watches are in high demand and short supply, we would not even talk to most of these mental midgets. If people want to bring them chocolates and kiss their arse, go right ahead. Does this mean I will never get a certain piece I want? Yes it does. I can live with that.

So I go into Bucherer in the White Plains Mall from time to time. I ask for the last salesman who I dealt with. He/she no longer works here anymore. Rinse, repeat.

[KatGirl]

Originally Posted by BillA

When I go into an AD, I listen to 1/3rd and believe 1/9th.
Let’s step back a second, if it wasn’t for the fact that Rolex watches are in high demand and short supply, we would not even talk to most of these mental midgets. If people want to bring them chocolates and kiss their arse, go right ahead. Does this mean I will never get a certain piece I want? Yes it does. I can live with that.

So I go into Bucherer in the White Plains Mall from time to time. I ask for the last salesman who I dealt with. He/she no longer works here anymore. Rinse, repeat.

With all due respect, I think referring to Rolex AD staff as “mental midgets” is a “bridge too far”. There is no shame in being a Sales Associate, nor does having that job say anything about one’s intelligence level.

Kat


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[BillA]

Originally Posted by KatGirl

With all due respect, I think referring to Rolex AD staff as “mental midgets” is a “bridge too far”. There is no shame in being a Sales Associate, nor does having that job say anything about one’s intelligence level.

Kat


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That may be your experience, and it sounds great.
This has been mine, just reporting what I see.

[Flypanam]

Originally Posted by KatGirl

With all due respect, I think referring to Rolex AD staff as “mental midgets” is a “bridge too far”. There is no shame in being a Sales Associate, nor does having that job say anything about one’s intelligence level.

Kat


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Yeah.. there's quite a bit of superiority complex in these comments. Lots of people talk like the SA's aren't real people. I agree with you that chatting it up with an SA can very well be enjoyable. If I'm enjoying myself, it's not a waste of my time. If I go to a hobby shop and talk to the employee there about the hobby I am interested in, am I sucking up and kissing ass?

"I'm not going to go kiss ass for the privilege of spending my own money". "I'm, not playing the game". You think you'll get a Rolex you want just for being a special princess and not putting in an ounce of effort to treat the SA like a human being, when there are other customers willing to do the "ass kissing" you think you're above doing? Hah. People need to get over themselves.

If that's how you view it, good for you. You can go buy an Omega with a 10% discount. Hell, get a F91W on Amazon for $15 and it'll tell time better than any Rolex.

[jb335]

Originally Posted by Flypanam

Yeah.. there's quite a bit of superiority complex in these comments. Lots of people talk like the SA's aren't real people. I agree with you that chatting it up with an SA can very well be enjoyable. If I'm enjoying myself, it's not a waste of my time. If I go to a hobby shop and talk to the employee there about the hobby I am interested in, am I sucking up and kissing ass?

I totally agree.

The ppl talking down to sales reps and insulting their intelligence simply because of their job is not only gross but it makes me embarrassed to be associated with that crowd here.


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[codecow]

I find it most effective to stop by and purchase expensive jewelry or any high margin items. For example buying loose stones and having them set in a design that already came with stones as a custom order. If you do this often enough you’ll be able to get whatever watches you want from them.

[Kevin of Larchmont]

A lot of bitterness in some of these responses. I can’t argue with anyone’s experience but mine is vastly different. I’ve purchased twelve watches at my local AD in the last eight years, six Rolex and six non-Rolex, all of which I wanted, and wedding rings. No jewelry I didn’t want, no pressure to buy anything and I’ve never waited longer than 4-5 months for a Rolex. The only effort I’ve made is to be kind and friendly and decisive in what I want. One SA retired after twenty-five years and the second and current SA hasn’t skipped a beat. I’m friendly but I don’t hover, I’m kind in my interactions, I text before I show up to make sure my preferred SA has time for me, I’ve never taken them donuts or chocolate or booze and I have not once kissed ass. I’m reliable and my AD has been reliable for me. It’s really not that hard to be friendly.

[KatGirl]

Originally Posted by Kevin of Larchmont

A lot of bitterness in some of these responses. I can’t argue with anyone’s experience but mine is vastly different. I’ve purchased twelve watches at my local AD in the last eight years, six Rolex and six non-Rolex, all of which I wanted, and wedding rings. No jewelry I didn’t want, no pressure to buy anything and I’ve never waited longer than 4-5 months for a Rolex. The only effort I’ve made is to be kind and friendly and decisive in what I want. One SA retired after twenty-five years and the second and current SA hasn’t skipped a beat. I’m friendly but I don’t hover, I’m kind in my interactions, I text before I show up to make sure my preferred SA has time for me, I’ve never taken them donuts or chocolate or booze and I have not once kissed ass. I’m reliable and my AD has been reliable for me. It’s really not that hard to be friendly.

I agree with this. I don’t consider showing interest in a Sales associate’s life kissing up, in any way. I merely treat the staff, at my AD, with the same courtesy and respect, as I would anyone else. They’ve been kind and inviting to me, and I merely reciprocate. I’ve never brought gifts, or even coffee. Now that some of you have mentioned it, maybe I should.

Kat


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[Dave O]

Originally Posted by Kevin of Larchmont

A lot of bitterness in some of these responses. I can’t argue with anyone’s experience but mine is vastly different. I’ve purchased twelve watches at my local AD in the last eight years, six Rolex and six non-Rolex, all of which I wanted, and wedding rings. No jewelry I didn’t want, no pressure to buy anything and I’ve never waited longer than 4-5 months for a Rolex. The only effort I’ve made is to be kind and friendly and decisive in what I want. One SA retired after twenty-five years and the second and current SA hasn’t skipped a beat. I’m friendly but I don’t hover, I’m kind in my interactions, I text before I show up to make sure my preferred SA has time for me, I’ve never taken them donuts or chocolate or booze and I have not once kissed ass. I’m reliable and my AD has been reliable for me. It’s really not that hard to be friendly.

My experience as well. I visit around once/month to talk watches, baseball, family etc. They are all very pleasant conversations, and I have never done any "ass" kissing. I visit on the weekdays when they are less busy. If the store starts to get busy I'll take a back seat so the SA can engage with the other customers. I've never purchased any jewelry, or any watches I didn't ask for. Last Friday I picked up my grail watch (RG Daytona on OF) after only a little under a five month wait. In the past three years I have purchased seven watches from them, four of which were Rolex. Bottom line, it's a good business and personal relationship. I have been very good to them and they have been very good to me in return.

[Halifax Daytona UK]

Originally Posted by Kevin of Larchmont

A lot of bitterness in some of these responses. I can’t argue with anyone’s experience but mine is vastly different. I’ve purchased twelve watches at my local AD in the last eight years, six Rolex and six non-Rolex, all of which I wanted, and wedding rings. No jewelry I didn’t want, no pressure to buy anything and I’ve never waited longer than 4-5 months for a Rolex. The only effort I’ve made is to be kind and friendly and decisive in what I want. One SA retired after twenty-five years and the second and current SA hasn’t skipped a beat. I’m friendly but I don’t hover, I’m kind in my interactions, I text before I show up to make sure my preferred SA has time for me, I’ve never taken them donuts or chocolate or booze and I have not once kissed ass. I’m reliable and my AD has been reliable for me. It’s really not that hard to be friendly.

Your AD is reliable for you as you’ve bought 6 non Rolex watches , you are a dream customer

[KatGirl]

Originally Posted by Halifax Daytona UK

Your AD is reliable for you as you’ve bought 6 non Rolex watches , you are a dream customer

And I believe he said 6 Rolexes, too. He chose them all, because he wanted them all. A dream customer is one who treats AD staff, with the respect, that we all deserve. The SA’s have a difficult job. It must be hard for them to constantly feel like they are disappointing people, when they constantly have to tell customers they don’t know when, or even if, they can sell them the Rolex they want. Yet, at my AD, they are always welcoming, and smile when I stop by, just for a friendly chat. It’s always a pleasant experience, at least, for me.

Kat


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[dlddrrr]

Drop a hundred dollar bill in front of him, wink at him while maintaining awkward eye contact and silence. He will never forget you

[KatGirl]

I did not understand your response, Bill, but have a good evening.

Kat


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[Drew.rob]

I've primarily worked with two AD's. I've been collecting for about two years and now own a James Cameron and a Submariner (No Date).

I found the one AD I prefer and now will only go to that one. Build a relationship, be personable, and just show face a little. No need to suck up to them. Just be yourself! nothing complicated to it. You'll get your watch. Watches are becoming more available.

[ArtNouveau]

I’m another satisfied customer. I’ve been a watch guy for close to 40 years and I met my current SA in 1997. Bought a few watches from him over the years, have followed him to new stores when he moved around, and yes I consider us friends.
Reconnected when he moved to a newly opened Rolex only Boutique. Since 2017 he has delivered five high demand SS models and I’m hoping for another this year. It’s not the best time to be a new Rolex customer but simply being nice might just net you a watch.

[Halifax Daytona UK]

I find it very funny when reading numerous posts that people praise their AD for getting them a watch after just a few months then at the end of their post they reveal “ I’ve only known them for a few months and I bought my watch and OTHER JEWELLERY.” Yes the reason they got their watch isn’t down to their AD being a nice guy, or just hitting it off with them , you got the watch due to purchasing Jewellery which is only worth 30% of what you’ve paid for it

[Dave O]

Originally Posted by Halifax Daytona UK

I find it very funny when reading numerous posts that people praise their AD for getting them a watch after just a few months then at the end of their post they reveal “ I’ve only known them for a few months and I bought my watch and OTHER JEWELLERY.” Yes the reason they got their watch isn’t down to their AD being a nice guy, or just hitting it off with them , you got the watch due to purchasing Jewellery which is only worth 30% of what you’ve paid for it

Never purchased any jewelry from my AD. Never purchased a watch I didn't want. But just received my grail watch (RG Daytona on OF) in just a little over 4 months. Great relationship with my AD that I'm not ashamed of. Love visiting and talking watches, life, golf baseball etc. No different than the conversations I strike up at the guys in the pro shop at my golf course, or the sales clerk at my grocery store. It pays to be nice to people.

[bluestreak]

I find it funny that so many find that browsing in a shop and treating salespeople like human beings, and not as as servant, is somehow “demeaning.”

People must have some very fragile egos.

[GrailTime]

Originally Posted by bluestreak

I find it funny that so many find that browsing in a shop and treating salespeople like human beings, and not as as servant, is somehow “demeaning.”

People must have some very fragile egos.

Agree. Treating any salesperson with respect is the bare minimum.

But the issue is, that you are essentially competing with other customers for that salespersons attention.

I see Google reviews for ADs where people have written crazy, over the top reviews for the sales person after just one initial visit, obviously trying to curry favour with them in the hope they stay front of mind.