Q. I would like to recommend fragrances that suit each customer, but I do not know other brands. What should I do?

A. First, the most necessary and important thing for “recommending fragrances that suit each customer,” and indeed for customer service itself, is “listening to the customer.” In my view, it is nothing more and nothing less than that. After all, unless you listen to the customer, you cannot know what they want. The Japanese word for customer service literally means engaging with a customer: it is about engagement, so imposing the seller’s wishes does not qualify as customer service. That is simply selling, not service. What matters even more is that you must not merely hear the words spoken, but listen to what is in their heart as well. Some people express it through their manner, while others cannot put everything into words. In other words, I believe the essence of customer service is to be attentive to every way a customer expresses themselves.

The same is entirely true of perfume sales. The most important attitude is to keep asking yourself, from the customer’s words and demeanor, “What kind of scent is this person looking for today?”, to put yourself in their position, and to care. It would hardly be an exaggeration to say that, if you can do that, you can satisfy them even without anything else. In other words, saying “I do not know other brands” really just means that you lack confidence in serving customers; knowledge of other brands can take second place. Before that, learn to “understand your own brand” and “listen to the customer.”
Nevertheless, it goes without saying that some knowledge is necessary to recommend a fragrance that is better suited to an individual customer.

To answer the question briefly, these two steps will resolve it: 1. Understand your own brand, and 2. Listen to the customer. Below, I will explain these two steps in detail.

Get to Know Your Own Brand

When recommending a fragrance to suit a customer, the first and most important thing to do is to know the brand you sell inside out. Just as you cannot sell yourself when looking for your first job or changing jobs if you do not know yourself, you cannot even get started if you do not know the brand and perfumes your company sells.

At this point, 90% of you may be thinking, “Of course I can introduce the brand and perfumes I sell.” Is that really true? Who founded the brand? In what year? What are its values? Why was it created? What are its characteristics? How is it different from other perfumes? What is its price range? How many different scents does it offer? What sort of person would you recommend each scent to? Who is each perfume’s perfumer, and what is the background to its creation? Can you answer these questions? Most people probably cannot. That is your answer.
In other words, most people only “think they know” the brand and perfumes they sell, but in fact do not. Some customers may say, “Perfume is about the scent, so I do not need a story or a detailed explanation.” Others may say, “I want to hear more about the perfume’s story and learn more about the brand.” What attitude, then, should the salesperson take? The answer is simple: be ready to help either kind of customer. You do not need to explain things to someone who does not want an explanation, but being unable to explain them to someone who does is negligence on the salesperson’s part. If you want to become a customer-service professional, knowledge is unavoidable.

Those even more inclined to make excuses may say, “There is nothing in the company’s materials,” but could you say that directly to a customer? In other words, it all comes down to your own negligence. If it is not in the company’s materials, you should look for it yourself; if it is not available in Japanese, you should look in English. If the brand has only just started, have thorough conversations with people at the company. Taking that action will lead to the kind of service you want to provide.

I have put together a list of questions below. Fill it in first, and if you have more time and energy, keep exploring further on your own.

Question	Answer
Founder
Year Founded
The Founder’s and Brand’s Values
Background to the Brand’s Creation
The Brand’s Distinctive Features and Particular Commitments Compared with Others
Product Price Range
Product Types, Fragrance Families, Lineup, and So On
Perfumer
The Perfume’s Story and Background
Main Fragrance Materials
Description of the Scent
Description of the Bottle and Packaging
Things It Might Have an Affinity with (Fashion, Art, or Anything Else)
The Kind of Person You Would Recommend It To

If you have been wondering why you need to know all this in such detail, or thinking that nobody has ever asked you what year the brand was founded, let me explain why.
The basic questions listed above are not all there simply so that you can answer customers’ questions. They are closely connected to “listening to the customer,” which I will discuss next, and are necessary if you want to tailor your introduction to what the other person says. For example, knowing the founder’s values may help you find something in common with a customer’s fashion or accessories and introduce the brand through that connection. Knowing the founder or perfumer might reveal a connection with a perfume the customer likes, giving you another way to introduce it.
In other words, customer service means finding the product that suits that customer now through a chain of conversation branching out like an endless network of tree roots. If you lack a piece of knowledge, that possible path disappears before you even begin. Without knowledge, you may fail to sell something that could otherwise have sold.

Listen to the Customer

Once you have acquired a reasonable amount of knowledge about your own brand, you should also practice listening to customers. There are three main things to keep in mind when talking with them.

By inferring these three things from the details of the customer’s words, their facial expressions, where they look, their clothing, and so on, you move closer to providing service that satisfies them.

With recent advances in AI technology, some people say they would be better off being served by AI. I think this is because they know it is AI and can simply keep the exchange matter-of-fact; when it comes to “customer service,” I still do not think AI comes anywhere close to a human professional. That is because an emotional connection allows a deeper conversation to develop.

Whenever customer service comes up, some people say, “I do not want anyone to approach me,” or “I would like to take my time looking on my own.” Naturally, those who work in customer service must respect that. It is important to sense this attitude too, responding to people who feel they do not need assistance in a way that suits them, and helping those who want assistance accordingly, adapting to each person at the level they want.

By now, it should be easy to imagine that customer service is not simple: it is very tiring work that requires you to think at full speed. Why go to such lengths? The answer is simple. That is what being a professional means.

Let us return to “recommending fragrances that suit each customer.” You understand that you need to listen, but how should you ask? There are two ways.

1. Ask Directly
   Beginners should probably start here. Follow the steps in your company’s customer-service manual, from greeting the customer onward, and carefully ask about each point one by one. Ignore online comments saying that people do not want to be asked, “What kind of scents do you like?” Unfortunately, the only way to practice customer service is with customers. As you gain experience serving them, think about how to phrase things so that you can smoothly draw out the information covered by the “Three Principles of Perfume Customer Service.”
2. Draw Out the Information Through Conversation, Adapting to the Person
   If you can do this, you are a professional. Some people do not want to talk, some want to talk only about perfume, some are interested in fashion but new to fragrance, some are considering a gift, and some have come because a favorite celebrity or other person they admire wears it. This approach means talking a little at a time, watching their reactions, and finding the shortest route to the information covered by the “Three Principles of Perfume Customer Service.” At this level, you are not “just asking”: you bring all your experience and knowledge to bear so that the customer feels comfortable sharing, with customer and salesperson working as one. The way you serve each individual should therefore be different.

So far, the discussion has been abstract. Let us now look more closely at what, specifically, to ask.

① What Kind of Scent Are They Looking for “Today”?

“Today” is the important word. The question “What perfume do you usually wear?” can feel pointless to some people because the perfume they are looking for today may be different from what they usually wear. If they know the type of perfume they like and are looking for something similar or a little different, that question will be useful in any case. But if they want something completely different from their usual perfume and you ask it first, they may think, “This person does not listen.” Nor is there much point in asking it of someone who is looking for a scented gift.

In other words, before asking that question, you need to talk about today, for example by asking, “What kind of fragrance are you looking for today?”

② What Are Their Preferences in Fragrance?

The next question is “What perfume do you usually wear?” But this assumes that they use perfume. One alternative expression, close to a closed question, is “Are there any scents you generally like, or perfumes you use?” Phrasing it this way gives the other person an easy way to say, “Actually, I do not usually wear perfume,” or “I am not sure what scents I like,” making it easier to answer. Even if they use many fragrances, you can ask about scents that are similar to or different from the one they want today.

Once you know the direction they want to explore, asking about their fragrance preferences makes the search easier.

③ What Do They Want That Fragrance to Do for Them Today?

Now for the final question. Whether or not you have established the customer’s fragrance preferences, you can move on to this one: “How do you want to feel or come across with the perfume you are looking for today?” You need to adjust the wording a little depending on the person. A beginner, for example, may not know where to start and wonder, “How do I want to be…?” Someone who simply wants to smell a scent they like may want to smell it just because they like it, with no particular idea of what they want to become. Read their reactions and the conversation, adding or leaving out words as you ask.

Here are some examples.

Conclusion

Is knowledge of other brands necessary for customer service? Not necessarily. Start with what you can do, and when you have more capacity, try other companies’ scents and expand your knowledge. If a customer says, “I like the scent from [brand name] and am looking for something similar,” but you do not know that fragrance, simply ask what kind of scent it is. Nearly 2,000 perfumes are released every year; nobody can remember all of them.

Knowledge of other brands is only supplementary: one aid to understanding someone’s fragrance preferences, and simply a way to make yourself appear more professional.

Conclusion: Become a Good Listener