Audemars Piguet

So Mrs. NickO is in Atlanta last week and, as a huge AP fan, she stops by the new AP Boutique launched in conjunction with Mayors Jewelers. She has a couple Rose Gold Offshores and is interested in the new Camo Offshores. A nice sales associate helped her and it is no surprise he followed up by email this week. What is a surprise, are the personal and inappropriate questions Mayors management deems acceptable to ask potential customers.

I enclose the email below, check out the Bio questions. Even the young sales associate knew these questions were inappropriate and tried to distance himself from them in his email. Listen, I totally understand that when a retailer is selling very popular models that will immediately resell for above MSRP they want to ensure the watches go to true aficionados who genuinely appreciate the brand. However, if you are going to use questions to qualify a customer onto a wait list, you need to ensure those questions are appropriate to the purpose.

For example, asking for my "Family Structure". What? There are many "non-traditional" family structures in society today. If you don't like the way I have built my family you will not sell me a watch? Asking for my current collection. If my current watches are not impressive enough, then again I'm out? I wonder what the exact criteria is for determining if I am a serious enough collector? Asking for my Community Involvement and Charities I support? Okay, on what planet is this any of your business and what relevance has it to selling me a watch? I feel these questions are judging me as a person, and my social and life decisions, and I resent that being the basis for whether I am deemed to be a worthy owner of an AP timepiece. The only question I really don't mind I the first one - have I bought from Mayors before? Of course, if they had a good CRM they would know the answer to that question already.

MichaelC - I hope you decide to pass this onto your contacts in AP Corporate. I cannot for one minute believe AP sanctioned their partner to ask these type of questions. I think someone needs to call Mayors Atlanta management and educate them on what is and is not appropriate CRM. 

Here are some examples of questions I would have happily answered:

- Ask me how many APs I own

- Ask me how I got started in the brand, how long I've been an AP fan

- Ask me if I've ever visited the manufacturer HQ in Switzerland

- Ask me if I am actively involved in any watch forums or collector activities, especially around AP

- Ask me why I am interested in this particular piece and how I feel it fits into my collection

These are the type of qualifying questions I would hope had merit.

We will not frequent this particular boutique again.

NickO

Hi A., 

Hope you are well and nice to meet you the other day.  I recently learned that we are going to be getting at least one camo edition, it's the new green camo in September.  We also may be getting one of the brown 44mm camo as well in the very near future.  Our management/VP has added all of these to our "hot sellers" list, so there is a little bit of a process for these.  

So the process is this... I have to fill out a request form for these hard to get watches, then submit to management to review and make a decision.  I did not create the form questions, so sorry if they seem a little personal.  The management team just wants to have a better idea of who our clients are and to what home these great watches are going to.  

Can you please answer the questions below?  Only answer want you want to.  The more information provided does increase your chance when the upper level management is reviewing these forms.  To aid in trying to secure you a brown camo, I will say that you are local living in Atlanta.  One thing our VP looks at is... what other watches do they have in their collection?  He wants to see that they are true collectors, so please feel free to list as many timepieces you want.  I know you said that you collect limited edition Hublots and APs.

Client Bio questions:

Bought any watches, or Jewelry from Mayors? If so, what/which ones? 

Profession?

Interest/Hobbies?

Watch collection?

Family Structure?

Watch Purchasing habits?

Participate in any Community Involvement?  Which one(s)?

Involved in any charities?  Which one(s)?

Thanks,

 

XYZ

Sales Professional

Audemars Piguet (North America)

3393 Peachtree Road NE, Suite - 3038B

Atlanta, GA 30326

Boutique - 1.404.233.8202

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