I'm annoyed with my AD

[airchitect]

Originally Posted by Tavli3

What demand? From where is this demand coming from? Hong Kong just announced a huge resurgence in infections so not much watch buying going on there, China saying new infections starting again due to foreign travelers?? Who in their right mind is traveling to China these days??

State by state here going into lockdown. France enacting Marshall Law! Eu shutting down. Who is Rolex selling too, who is even around to accept a delivery and who would they sell too?

Best thing for Rolex is to stay shut till the world gets control of this virus. These temporary 1 week, 2week shutdown announcements are ludicrous. This will not be over in the next 90-120 days maybe never mind 2 weeks!

If anything great comes from this virus it’s going to be these.....

A massive shift in how people work

A massive shift in how we educate

A massive shift in how we sell and service

And they won’t just be temporary..... once the infrastructures are in place to support the world working and being educated remotely and buying anything and everything curbside/mail order, AND we’ve experienced it for months or years, we will never go back. And those shifts I definitely welcome minus the raging respiratory virus

[DonRickles]

Originally Posted by airchitect

If anything great comes from this virus it’s going to be these.....

A massive shift in how people work

A massive shift in how we educate

A massive shift in how we sell and service

And they won’t just be temporary..... once the infrastructures are in place to support the world working and being educated remotely and buying anything and everything curbside/mail order, AND we’ve experienced it for months or years, we will never go back. And those shifts I definitely welcome minus the raging respiratory virus

Couldn't come any sooner! I'm all for it.

Every job that can be done from home, should be! Yes, there will be advantages and disadvantages, both will come with the learning. Surely the positives will outweigh the negatives.

[V25V]

It's not uncommon. Here's to hoping the current market conditions puts them into their place finally.


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[ratty]

Originally Posted by Greg 59

Hi Marco
Thanks for your feedback. I have enjoyed reading everyone's responses to my thread. All of them are valid even if I don't necessarily agree.
A couple of further comments that I wish to make. Firstly, I did prepare an email that I wanted to send to Rolex highlighting my experience and in particular the way I was made to feel when attempting to purchase one of their products. The CHNR is not a cheap watch at just over AU$20,000 but even that was considered inadequate expenditure for this AD. Unfortunately, my feelings of unworthiness were deflected onto the Rolex brand not the AD as surely they are for all intent and purpose 'Rolex'.
To prove my point, try and make contact with Rolex any other way than through their authorised network. It's impossible. There is no contact details anywhere, believe me I looked long and hard all over their website and the literature I have with my existing watches. Indeed, the complaint I prepared is still sitting in my drafts folder as there is nobody within their organisation that wants to deal with the general public.
Consequently, in my judgement when the AD tells me something they are speaking on behalf of Rolex whether Rolex accept that or not as there is no method of redress.
This is possibly why some AD's act and behave with impunity. They are fireproof in many ways.
Secondly, with regards to the suggestion that they have every right to bundle if they so wish then why all the cloak and dagger. Why are so many of the models locked away out of sight. I wandered around the store chatting for nearly half an hour commenting on the empty cabinets and display cases. Why wasn't this CHNR out there for all to see? Why was I even told about it if I'm not worthy to buy? They would be far better just closing the doors and when the shipment arrives each month, ringing up their trusted VIP's.
I am well aware that there are many well respected dealers out there and I hope that you don't all think that I'm taring them with the same brush.
Here in Australia there are only a few and they are thousands of miles apart. You don't get to choose. They all play games, they are only allowed to thrive because we the customers are too scared that we will be ostracised by them and our beloved hobby will be no more.
The only way this will change is if we stand up to these unethical practices and force Rolex to clean up their act. Some responders to this thread have said that what the AD's are doing isn't illegal. I agree it probably isn't but you know what, there's a toilet roll shortage at the moment. Why aren't the supermarkets forcing us all to buy something we don't want with every roll purchased? That wouldn't be illegal either.

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Have you sent a complaint the AD’s company head office stating your thoughts?

[Greg 59]

Originally Posted by ratty

Have you sent a complaint the AD’s company head office stating your thoughts?

It's a one off independent

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[Nairn1980]

Originally Posted by Greg 59

It's a one off independent

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What would your aim in the complaint be?

Your AD calling you offering it with no additional purchase? Rolex to dictate to independent ADs that they can’t insist on linked purchases?

What would you like the complaint to do?

[ganiccus]

Originally Posted by Greg 59

It's a one off independent

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More reason to write to Rolex then. Those small independent stores tend to disappear quite quickly from the face of the earth if Rolex thinks they don't behave properly.

[c41006]

Originally Posted by brandrea

Hi Greg,

Another way of handling it would’ve been to have a conversation with the SA you’ve purchased your previous watches from or manager to suss out the bundle deal request.

IMO, making a passive aggressive comment while leaving the store won’t help your situation

That kind of thing never helps and actually it does the opposite

[Flintstone]

Here's what my AD told me following my recent purchase:
"I appreciate your business, but I appreciate your friendship even more".

You need to find another AD.

[Ragna]

Originally Posted by gh0stleader

[...]i hate lumping Rolex w/ slimy A.D.'s but Rolex needs to get a handle on this before they "sega dreamcast" themselves...

This analogy made my day.

[C.C.H.]

Its really annoying when they do that. Its happened to me before, were they tell me that if I want to purchase any professional Rolex, I first have to buy them a 36 mm

[Fedpete]

Give it three months. They’ll be begging.


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[Harry-57]

Originally Posted by Greg 59

It really puts you off the brand.

It wouldn't put me off the brand. But it would put me off that AD. If ADs are widely spaced,then the brand might suffer, but probably to an extent that they would notice.

I've had poor experiences in a number of dealers selling a number of brands of a number of types of product. I just buy what I want from someone else. On one occasion I rang a car dealer principle (who had emailed me hoping to get me in for a sale) to inform him that I'd just bought a car from a rival brand because the last time I visited his dealership the salesman couldn't be bothered. But that was the exception. They haven't contacted me since, so I consider it a win win.

[bezler]

Originally Posted by C.C.H.

Its really annoying when they do that. Its happened to me before, were they tell me that if I want to purchase any professional Rolex, I first have to buy them a 36 mm

Wow. A few people here have given gifts to their ADs, but that's really over the top.

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[aw9nineteen]

Better than me. I would have purchased both.

And then returned two days later and returned the jewelry. They want to play checkers, but I'm playing chess :)

[michael8238]

I'd be quite pissed too.
Just wait and let them regret.

[MrMercedes]

Originally Posted by c41006

I’d have laughed in their face and walked out

WORD!

[Greg 59]

So. I thought i would update you on what happened since. I decided to write to Rolex and complain about the way i was treated by the AD. Now i realise that some might say that "I've shot myself in the foot" by doing that but the way i see it, my AD doesn't really give a damn about me anyway otherwise i wouldn't have been treated this way in the first place.
These current dismissive behaviours are characteristic of the times and if they go unchecked things won't improve.
Anyway, i sent my letter off and got an acknowledgment back the next day which was good. However, i was told that my complaint had been forwarded to the distributor for my part of the world.
A few days later my AD sends me an email telling me that they've been notified about my complaint and if i wished to discuss it further i should get in touch.
I never heard back from Rolex.
I did contact the AD and we did have a lengthy chat and his apology was accepted. It was all very magnanimous on the phone but I've yet to reenter the store so only time will tell if I've been blacklisted.
But, if nothing else i feel i have reclaimed a bit of respect.
The most interesting thing of all this to me is how quickly Rolex pushed the problem back onto the AD. They've never followed up. I would have really appreciated it if their customer services had come back to me just to check that everything had been resolved, this is how most businesses operate these days in my experience. Makes you realise that behind that glamorous facade is a pretty mediocre company in many respects. I guess that's the consequences of being so successful. You start to forget about what got you to where you are.

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[AshCashEmAll]

Originally Posted by Greg 59

So. I thought i would update you on what happened since. I decided to write to Rolex and complain about the way i was treated by the AD. Now i realise that some might say that "I've shot myself in the foot" by doing that but the way i see it, my AD doesn't really give a damn about me anyway otherwise i wouldn't have been treated this way in the first place.
These current dismissive behaviours are characteristic of the times and if they go unchecked things won't improve.
Anyway, i sent my letter off and got an acknowledgment back the next day which was good. However, i was told that my complaint had been forwarded to the distributor for my part of the world.
A few days later my AD sends me an email telling me that they've been notified about my complaint and if i wished to discuss it further i should get in touch.
I never heard back from Rolex.
I did contact the AD and we did have a lengthy chat and his apology was accepted. It was all very magnanimous on the phone but I've yet to reenter the store so only time will tell if I've been blacklisted.
But, if nothing else i feel i have reclaimed a bit of respect.
The most interesting thing of all this to me is how quickly Rolex pushed the problem back onto the AD. They've never followed up. I would have really appreciated it if their customer services had come back to me just to check that everything had been resolved, this is how most businesses operate these days in my experience. Makes you realise that behind that glamorous facade is a pretty mediocre company in many respects. I guess that's the consequences of being so successful. You start to forget about what got you to where you are.

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I am very impressed that you were able to get that much out of them. My dad's Hublot randomly broke down after his warranty expired so he took it to his AD where they quoted him a ridiculous number for a service. He was upset and decided to leave comments on Hublot's main instagram page about how their quality of craftmanship sucks. They reach out to him through private message and actually comped the entire service. Unfortunately, I think Rolex does such a good job selling themselves they do not care about nasty reviews or what others think about them. I'm glad that the AD did hear from them which is probably a reality check that they aren't untouchable and that there may be some consequences.

[horseShu]

I really find it funny that people here write "my AD". Your feelings are sadly one-way only.

So you bought a Rolex from "your AD". Well, big deal. Rolex is the most popular watch brand. Every customer in that AD has probably bought a Rolex too.

Buying a Rolex doesn't make you their best friend. You're just another guy they are trying to take your money from.

It's a good life lesson. Be thankful I didn't cost you any more than 10 minutes of your time.

[mmmmp]

Don't be annoyed at the AD. You're probably a really decent guy and operate on the "Do into to others" rule, that is decency and honesty. What you mistakenly assumed was you *had* a relationship with him. (Them)
You were just a customer: nothing more nothing less.

We're only dollar signs to these guys and once I came to terms with that, I realised, as always, business is business.

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[csaltphoto]

Originally Posted by mmmmp

Don't be annoyed at the AD. You're probably a really decent guy and operate on the "Do into to others" rule, that is decency and honesty. What you mistakenly assumed was you *had* a relationship with him. (Them)
You were just a customer: nothing more nothing less.

We're only dollar signs to these guys and once I came to terms with that, I realised, as always, business is business.

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Yeah, it took awhile for me to wrap my head around the idea that nearly every AD I walked into would be lying to me. Or that old chestnut, "We put everything we get right in the display case." I actually believed that until someone bought a hulk out of the safe on a bundle deal at an AD I had recently visited.

But after I got over it I moved on. So what, it's a business. Heck, my last employer lied to me plenty of times. I do like to browse the AD's and chat watches with them. I love the Rolex design aesthetic and seeing so many of them in one place. I just have trouble with a biz model that includes things like lying to customers, doing badly at things they are supposed to be good at like sizing bracelets without scratching them, yada. The Greys and TS's seem to do far more to earn our business than the AD's do. I guess I just have little patience for games although I do realize that games are pretty much how many businesses operate. I'm not naive, just don't enjoy it the way some people do.

[Ihatecheese]

I bang on about this a bit too much. But yes. To most shops and most salespeople (as written above) there is no friendship or relationship. It's an angle to sell you things. There are countless courses sales orgs take to hide that reality behind different methods. But it is the reality. Obsessive purchasers make their lives far easier.

[Yess]

I think we would all need to agree on what our definition of "friend" is!
I've yet to read anyone's description of their relationship with their AD that I would personally label a "friend". A relationship, yes, a friendship, no.

[RLXFRM]

Very Ridiculous treatment

[Macnavara]

Originally Posted by Nairn1980

The world isn’t in a great place right now.....I’d drop this and move on.

The AD don’t want your business for just that one watch, they want additional purchasing. They’ve offered, you’ve not accepted, move on

End of...well summed up....more to worry about for sure

[Rori]

Originally Posted by Greg 59

Happened to walk into my local AD the other day just to see what they had and also to keep the rapport alive. I've already bought 2 rolex watches from them in the past so they know me well. We talked about current affairs, availability of watches etc. Then out of the blue I was told they had a CHNR out the back. I said that I'd never seen one in real life and I would appreciate having a look.
The watch was brought from the safe. It was still in its coffin. I tried it on and under the lights in the store the colours just popped. I immediately fell in love. I was told I could buy it if I bought some jewellery aswell or a 36mm datejust.
I immediately found myself going from feeling very positive to a feeling of resentment and distrust. Earlier we had been talking about flippers and how bad they were for the industry and if anyone ever flipped a watch they had sold they would blacklist them and yet not 15 minutes later the AD is doing something I consider to be just as underhand.
I left the store shortly afterwards calling out so the manager could hear, "I'd have bought that watch today if you'd let me".
I wonder what Rolex would think if they knew. It really puts you off the brand.

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I would put that AD on my BLACKLIST for good.


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[mstauqir]

I’d laugh at his face and walk out. Be sure to leave a deserving feedback as well!

[N_Architect]

Originally Posted by Ihatecheese

...
To most shops and most salespeople (as written above) there is no friendship or relationship. It's an angle to sell you things. There are countless courses sales orgs take to hide that reality behind different methods. But it is the reality. Obsessive purchasers make their lives far easier.

^This.

There is no 'relationship' with an AD. Relationship you have with a good friend, with your girlfriend, with colleagues at work or with few others in your social circle.

Here this is just business. We buy things, and these retailers or trusted sellers supply us what we want. Yes, there can be mutual respect, but underneath of it all is the fact that this is a transaction between two parties.

Nothing more, nothing less.

Life and real relationships are out there to be enjoyed and lived to their fullest.
Materialistic transactions should surely be done responsibly but other than that they should actually occupy very little of our precious time.

[Andad]

I disagree.
There can be strong bonds between buyers and sellers.
It just depends on how high up the tree you are.