Recently, " Can Tho rich lady" Ngan "Collagen" made waves online when she posted a close-up clip of what she called a "housewarming gift from LV", which was a green cake with a handwritten card - a gesture considered a sign of utmost respect from luxury brands.
The video immediately created a storm on social media, but not exactly in the way the owner expected. The online community quickly divided into two opposing opinions: on one side were words of admiration, marveling at the privileges of a VIP customer; on the other side was an army of skeptical "detectives", dissecting every smallest detail. They pointed out that the handwriting on the card was somewhat "scribbled", lacking the usual formality.
More importantly, the content was written entirely in Vietnamese - something considered unusual for a French brand's global communication process from its Singapore branch. A series of images of "standard" cards received by international stars or long-time customers were brought up for comparison, raising the big question: Is that card a valid proof of her "VIP" status at Louis Vuitton?
Beyond the personal, the debate has inadvertently opened the door to a secret and fascinating world : the art of elite customer service in the luxury industry. It forces us to ask: What is the value of a handwritten card from these empires? And why, in a world dominated by AI and automation, does ink on paper have such formidable power?
When handwriting is a luxury
The revival of handwriting isn’t romantic nostalgia, it’s a brilliant business strategy. In an age where everyone’s inbox is flooded with automated promotional emails, a physical card, carefully placed in a luxurious envelope, is a rare find. It doesn’t get erased with the click of a mouse. It’s held, it’s felt, and most importantly, it makes the recipient feel special.
According to an analysis by branding expert Marilisa Barbieri in Entrepreneur magazine, “time is the ultimate definition of luxury.” When a customer is willing to spend tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars on a handbag or a piece of jewelry, what they are buying is not just a product. They are buying an experience, a feeling of belonging to another level.
Having a Sales Associate (SA) take the time to handwrite a personalized note is an integral part of that luxury experience. It sends the message: "We don't just care about your transaction, we care about you."
In an article on PenLetters, the power of a handwritten card is described as a “multi-sensory experience.” Customers can feel the premium paper (tactile), see the delicate ink (visual), and feel the sincerity behind each letter. This is something that no email or automated text message can replicate. In an impersonal digital world, handwriting has become a true luxury.
LV's handwritten letter to Ngan Collagen is causing a stir on social networks (Photo: Screenshot).
Handwriting like drawing a customer portrait
These cards are never sent out randomly. Behind them lies a high-level Customer Relationship Management (CRM) strategy, where each stroke of the pen is a stroke that completes the portrait of the VIP customer.
The world's top brands have turned this into an art:
Louis Vuitton: Often sends handwritten thank you cards to customers who purchase iconic products like Capucines bags, exotic crocodile items, or custom-made orders.
Chanel: Famous for handwritten invitations to exclusive collection previews. Receiving one is not just an invitation, but also a recognition of status within the brand's inner circle.
Cartier and Tiffany & Co.: Often include cards with intricate calligraphy when delivering expensive jewelry. This not only elevates the unboxing experience, but also creates an “Instagrammable moment” that encourages customers to share their joy on social media, turning them into natural brand ambassadors.
This art is called “clienteling” – a term that originated in luxury retail and refers to building and nurturing one-on-one relationships with customers. Top SAs are more than just salespeople; they are trusted advisors.
They remember guests’ birthdays, wedding anniversaries, color preferences, even pet names. Sophisticated CRM systems automatically remind customers of these special occasions, but it’s the hands and minds of SAs who turn that dry data into a warm and heartfelt message.
A card, a loyalty contract
Do these seemingly “old-fashioned” efforts really work in the age of data and analytics? The answer is a resounding yes. Studies have shown the powerful psychological impact of personalized gestures.
A recent report found that customers who receive handwritten thank you notes are significantly more likely to be loyal and return customers. The reason is simple: it creates an emotional connection. In a world where customer loyalty is increasingly fragile, emotional connection is the strongest glue. A handwritten card says, “You are not a number on our sales sheet, you are an individual we value.”
The difference with email marketing is huge. While many promotional emails are considered spam, a handwritten card is almost always opened and read. It stays on a desk, on a bookshelf, becoming a tangible memento of the relationship between the customer and the brand.
In this age of “emotional industrialization,” where everything can be automated, taking the time to do something by hand is a powerful statement of sincerity. It’s more than just a card, it’s a “loyalty contract” signed with emotion.
Under pressure from digitization and automation, luxury brands are returning to one of the oldest but most powerful forms of communication: handwritten cards (Illustration: Rad Mora).
However, not everyone who walks into a Louis Vuitton store will receive a handwritten card. This is a privilege reserved for those the brand really wants to retain for the long term. So, who are the real VIPs?
This selection process is a complex matrix, based on many factors:
Purchase History: This is the most basic element. Total value and average value per transaction are the numbers that speak for themselves.
Frequency: A person who shops regularly, even if the value of each purchase is not too high, is sometimes valued higher than a person who only buys once with a large value.
Special Deals: Purchasing products from limited collections, bespoke products, or participating in brand auction events are clear signs of a high-end customer.
Personal relationship with the SA: This is the deciding factor. An SA can “nominate” their clients to the VIP list if they see potential and long-term engagement.
A card can be sent for many reasons: a birthday, a celebration of an important event in a customer's life (like a housewarming), a thank you after a big purchase, or simply an invitation to a private salon to see new arrivals that are not yet on display.
As one former luxury store manager once shared (on condition of anonymity): “The card is only for people we see a future with the brand. It’s an investment in the relationship, not a mass marketing exercise.”
Media effect or classy reality?
Returning to Ngân Collagen’s story, after understanding the strategic process behind a handwritten card, from font selection to personalization of the message, we have the right to ask critical questions. Was the card really sent from Louis Vuitton Singapore’s official CRM system? Was it accompanied by a recent invoice worth tens of thousands of dollars? Or was it simply a private gift from a sales person - a close “client advisor”?
Whatever the answer, the incident has exposed an interesting aspect of how the luxury industry operates in the glare of social media: the symbolic power of personalized experiences. A small, handwritten card can be a status symbol, creating a huge media impact and subtly suggesting a privileged customer in the public eye. But the card, however powerful, doesn’t say it all.
Luxury brands are always looking for new ways to express their uniqueness and superior class. In recent years, they have begun to focus on the art of handwriting greeting cards as a way to build deeper relationships with customers (Photo: Xiaohongshu).
In fact, true VIP clients, who fall into the VVIC (Very Very Important Client) category, often receive even more discreet and expensive privileges: a behind-the-scenes tour of the French atelier, a private dinner with the creative director, or the chance to own never-before-seen designs. For them, showing off a handwritten card is probably… unnecessary.
The fact that anyone can handwrite and show off cards is therefore also a reminder for luxury brands themselves: are they losing control of their most sophisticated emotional tools? When anyone can “borrow experiences to act” on social media, the line between real class and performance effects becomes more fragile than ever. And that is the biggest challenge that luxury empires face in the race to retain the super-rich in an age where media shapes every perception.
Source: https://dantri.com.vn/kinh-doanh/tu-vu-ngan-collagen-khoe-thiep-louis-vuitton-lo-cach-hang-xa-xi-cham-vip-20250730114125820.htm
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