Asking/Venting for a friend...

[n3rd]

My friend bought a ROOC two years ago. It wasn't the best purchase experience he has ever had and felt the SA was a bit rude by pointing out his follicular challenges by saying he looks like a guy who must wear hats. He was then given an AP branded hat. He took it on the cheek in good humor but found it odd that one would, even jokingly, insult a client. After completing the purchase, he inquired about adding other watches to his wish list but was brushed off by the SA. He subsequently bought some accessories from that boutique. He tried a few more times and was offered code after code which he has zero desire in purchasing. The original SA moved to another site across the country.

Fast forward a few months… he went to another boutique and bought a different strap. He expressed interest in a ROC in either black, blue or (very boldly) green. He was offered various ROO’s. He really has his heart set on a ROC before another ROOC. The staff at the new store has been great but it seems as though his inquiries about a ROC fall of deaf ears and are always countered with a request to buy a code or ROO.

My friend thought it might be a good idea to get in touch with the original SA who had moved to another store. He called when he was driving with his wife. The conversation between the SA and my friend was a nuclear dumpster fire. He called the SA expressing that loved his ROOC (which he wears regularly) and asked about buying RO. He mentioned that it had been two years since he'd expressed an interest in a ROC and wanted to restart the conversation about buying one. He thought that buying an offshore would open the door to buying another watch he actually desired and not a code. The SA seemed very offended and agitated. For the sake of brevity, here are some cliff notes on the rest of the one-way conversation. The SA talked over him the entire time, told him that basically he needs to accept anything offered to him to build the relationship, and then told that him that maybe he’s a customer who should just buy from the grey market (since my friend doesn’t want ever want a code or another ROO before being allocated a ROC). I will add that my friend was exceptionally polite, and he bit tongue the entire time despite being talked over non-stop. It got so bad that my friend had to end the call but not before, very politely, "saying thank you for your time, I will try another store". My friend has never felt so talked down to in his life.

My friends wife says its time to move on to another brand or just buy gray based on that phone conversation. He wonders why he should spend another 40k or more on a different watch when they cannot even offer him the model he desires? Who is to say that if buys a beast or brick that they would ever offer him a ROC? What are your thoughts?

[Andad]

Your friend’s wife is on the right track.

[macrowatch]

Sorry to hear about your friend's rough treatment. Almost feels like a casino at this point. Some win the jackpot in SA relationships and are off to happier collections. Others end up at this point even after the diversified collection.

https://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=885077

[Gandor]

It sounds like your friend isn't built for the AD game and just wants a product. That's key sign someone should just pay the grey premium. Going the AD route means you

1) want to build a full collection of AP watches

2) you are willing to wait and compromise on what you want while you build that relationship.

Your friend sounds like he believes he's entitled to a ROC due to some quid-pro-quo transaction he's created in his head. He didn't buy a ticket to a ROC he bought a ROOC and had he handled his relationship better he would have likely had a ROC within a year.

Remember there's always a bigger fish that can outspend you at these places so allocations are going to go to people the store likes after the big customers are taken care of. Having arguments with your SA isn't how you get them to champion a watch for you.

[JettyOne]

Dump the SA. Write to AP NY, you’ll get a respond. Good luck.


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[gregouille]

Originally Posted by JettyOne

Dump the SA. Write to AP NY, you’ll get a respond. Good luck.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

This

[Kirk19]

I have had the same experience in Europe. I don’t have an AP house / boutique or dealer in my country. I buy what I like and don’t like playing games. I refuse to buy a code just to ‘maybe’ get a RO… I have a very large collection of Rolex already and a good relationship with my local AD there. Been hunting for an AP about 2years now visiting several AD’s outside the country but no luck. I recently decided to move on because of this. It’s just not worth the hassle and many great brands out there. I must say that I was always treated well but the undertone of the conversation was always buy this first to get that… I never had to do that with Rolex and I have got some pretty hard to get pieces from them. Strange way of doing business at AP and really disappointed in the whole brand/experience. So I feel for your friend. He should move on, he should listen to his wife. Go grey or go to other great brands. Sorry to say AP is done for me, it pains me to say this because I really like the watches they make. Small wrists thus ROO are not an option :-(

[LUDA]

Your friend, which clearly isn't you, should try with a whole new AP dealer.

Make clear that YOUR FRIEND is a true collector and knows very clear what he wants, started with an Offshore for everyday use and now loving the brand is interested in something a bit more special, a ROC.

[zinzanzigara]

Originally Posted by Gandor

It sounds like your friend isn't built for the AD game and just wants a product. That's key sign someone should just pay the grey premium. Going the AD route means you

1) want to build a full collection of AP watches

2) you are willing to wait and compromise on what you want while you build that relationship.

Your friend sounds like he believes he's entitled to a ROC due to some quid-pro-quo transaction he's created in his head. He didn't buy a ticket to a ROC he bought a ROOC and had he handled his relationship better he would have likely had a ROC within a year.

Remember there's always a bigger fish that can outspend you at these places so allocations are going to go to people the store likes after the big customers are taken care of. Having arguments with your SA isn't how you get them to champion a watch for you.

This is a seemingly unpopular opinion on here but is absolutely spot on.

[zinzanzigara]

"He thought that buying an offshore would open the door to buying another watch he actually desired and not a code."

Herein is the problem. It doesn't work like that and I'm not surprised the AD was annoyed by it.

[cascavel]

Originally Posted by LUDA

Your friend, which clearly isn't you, should try with a whole new AP dealer.

Make clear that YOUR FRIEND is a true collector and knows very clear what he wants, started with an Offshore for everyday use and now loving the brand is interested in something a bit more special, a ROC.

Hysterically funny!
Buying AP, PP, Journe and a few others, is a seven figure game, these days. If you (by which I mean your friend) can't roll out $1M per brand in the effort to establish a boutique (house, in the case of AP) relationship then buy in the grey market and get what you want.
Buying top brands requires 5-10 years of dedication and a million $ spend.

[brandrea]

I agree with the wife

[VogelPhoenix]

Originally Posted by Kirk19

I have had the same experience in Europe. I don’t have an AP house / boutique or dealer in my country. I buy what I like and don’t like playing games. I refuse to buy a code just to ‘maybe’ get a RO… I have a very large collection of Rolex already and a good relationship with my local AD there. Been hunting for an AP about 2years now visiting several AD’s outside the country but no luck. I recently decided to move on because of this. It’s just not worth the hassle and many great brands out there. I must say that I was always treated well but the undertone of the conversation was always buy this first to get that… I never had to do that with Rolex and I have got some pretty hard to get pieces from them. Strange way of doing business at AP and really disappointed in the whole brand/experience. So I feel for your friend. He should move on, he should listen to his wife. Go grey or go to other great brands. Sorry to say AP is done for me, it pains me to say this because I really like the watches they make. Small wrists thus ROO are not an option :-(

And if instead you had a very large collection of AP already and a good relationship with the local AP boutique there, you would be complaining now about the strange way of doing business at Rolex and be really disappointed in the whole brand/experience.

Over the last few years, starting a "relationship" with any of the popular brands has been challenging, and doubly so with an "I only buy what I want" approach, if what one wants is what everybody else wants as well.

[cornsyrup_bezel]

Originally Posted by zinzanzigara

"He thought that buying an offshore would open the door to buying another watch he actually desired and not a code."

Herein is the problem. It doesn't work like that and I'm not surprised the AD was annoyed by it.

How does it work? I think it's a bit confusing since many people can get the sense when working with AP that a code or certain offshores are needed to be considered for a royal oak.

[VogelPhoenix]

Originally Posted by cornsyrup_bezel

How does it work? I think it's a bit confusing since many people can get the sense when working with AP that a code or certain offshores are needed to be considered for a royal oak.

AP doesn't just want you to buy ROO/Codes, they want you to like them.

[cornsyrup_bezel]

[QUOTE=n3rd;12682930 After completing the purchase, he inquired about adding other watches to his wish list but was brushed off by the SA. He subsequently bought some accessories from that boutique. He tried a few more times and was offered code after code which he has zero desire in purchasing. The original SA moved to another site across the country.

Fast forward a few months… he went to another boutique and bought a different strap. He expressed interest in a ROC in either black, blue or (very boldly) green. He was offered various ROO’s. He really has his heart set on a ROC before another ROOC. The staff at the new store has been great but it seems as though his inquiries about a ROC fall of deaf ears and are always countered with a request to buy a code or ROO.
?[/QUOTE]

this is the issue that some of our frequent AP posters gloss over. It seems this fellow genuinely likes his offshore and understandably wants to add a royal oak not a code. Perhaps sales experience is different in Taipei.

[KVNNSCHNG]

Originally Posted by vogelphoenix

ap doesn't just want you to buy roo/codes, they want you to like them.

Bingo.

[NYG1121]

What a joke. So glad I left this brand’s shenanigans. It will come back to bite them one day.

[CactusTreeFiddy]

It truly sucks we all really love the pieces AP offers but damn, all of these anecdotes really make me think AP is just a shittier experience for your average customer

[mickyd329]

Experiences really do vary. I think it all depends on the luck of the draw with who your SA is. I've never been asked to purchase any reference I wasn't interested in. At the same time I see many on here sharing their experiences quite the opposite.

[WatchEater666]

Originally Posted by NYG1121

What a joke. So glad I left this brand’s shenanigans. It will come back to bite them one day.

Used prices dropping rapidly. Will impact their business soon