Luxury store to Oprah: "Sorry, we thought you were just an ordinary serf"

[Goldmund]

(CNN) -- Luxury store Hermes on Wednesday apologized to Oprah Winfrey for turning her away last week, saying that the store was closed to set up for a public relations event when the talk show host stopped by its Paris store.

"Hermes regrets not having been able to accommodate Ms. Winfrey and her team and to provide her with the service and care that Hermes strives to provide to each and every one of its customers worldwide," the store said in a statement.

"Hermes apologizes for any offense taken due to such circumstances."

The store said the incident occurred on June 14 around 6:45 p.m., about 15 minutes after the store closed. It said Winfrey and her team arrived at a time when "a private PR event was being set up inside."

http://www.cnn.com/2005/SHOWBIZ/TV/06/22/oprah.apology/index.html

:wtf:

"We apologize for having the gall to subject you to the same rules we would subject those who aren't among the 100 richest people in America"?!

[AX10]

1. I'd like to own a financial firm and DENY that store

a loan and watch them go under.

[comsymp]

8. For refusing to cater to a big shot AFTER CLOSING HOURS???

Did you RTFA?

[philosophie_en_rose]

12. For claiming that they "have been having problems with North Africans."

People seem to remember the initial excuse of the clerks. They didn't accomodate Oprah, because they've been having problems with North Africans.

[smirkymonkey]

13. Did they think Oprah was a North African?

Maybe they didn't let her in because they knew she was an AMERICAN.

[philosophie_en_rose]

16. Apparently, they did.

It was the original excuse for turning her away.

[personman]

2. Oh The Humanity!!!

Treated like the average human being!

This is O-motha-fuckin-prah you heathens!

[Beaverhausen]

3. Come on! Oprah would have spent some major francs there

they now know they missed out on a HUGE sale.

Sacre Bleu!!!

[JohnyCanuck]

4. More likely - Oh MERDE! n/t

[Name removed]

9. Deleted message

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[Beaverhausen]

10. excuse me for living

and are you calling me a dummy? nice.

Stores do stay open for "special" customers.

[SlipperySlope]

5. Nice to know...

to provide her with the service and care that Hermes strives to provide to each and every one of its customers worldwide

That they will open a closed store for each and every one of their customers, worldwide. Good service, that is.

[Goldmund]

7. No shit!

:rofl:

[patdem]

6. The irony is they were setting up for a PR event when Oprah could

have given them more PR free than they could have EVER imagined! :D

[smirkymonkey]

11. That Oprah! She's Sooooo Spiritual!

:eyes:

[bdot]

14. Whine Whine Whine.

Store was closed and the doofus didn't get her way so now she's gonna try the race card?
Typical...

[LostinVA]

15. Oprah/Harps aren't the ones that reported this

Page Six got it from someone. Oprah is alot of things, but she doesn't usually splash stuff like this all over the news. And, stores DO stay open for special people all of the time. I can't believe the manager didn't let her in to shop. I worked at a Virgin in Florida years ago, and we were always opening early/staying open to late to accommodate famous/very rich people (Saudi proncesses, actors, simgers, etc.). A store like Hermes isn't stupid -- this is their clientele This press release is their version of a restaurant comping your meal for bad service.

And, Oprah didn't "use the race card." I loathe some of the stuff she's done, but she's very aware of race relations in this country, and works really hard to make them better.