Stop Stinking up the Joint - Scent in the Workplace

Think you don’t stink? If there are any scented products or scented individuals (perfumes, laundry “enhancers”, scented lotions, etc.) in your workspace, you best remove or sequester them if you want to make the right impression on customers. Stinky isn’t what any business wants to be considered. In other words...smell doesn't always sell.

There are many studies to suggest that certain scents, like citrus or mint, are beneficial for work activities. These studies are too general and leave out the very real psychological impact scent can have on an individual. You and I are never fully aware of another person’s history. What smells wonderful to you and evokes lovely memories can easily be the trigger for another person’s horrible memory. Maybe you love the smell of roses (a strong allergen for many people) and this gives you memories of your childhood garden. That same rose scent could remind someone of a hospital room and a suffering loved one. You see, we never know what is going on for someone else. You do not want your business to be the reason for some else’s discomfort.

Since scent is such a strong trigger for memory, the best idea is to move scented product away from doors and direct passageways. Ensure scented products are in an area that can be avoided by customers if they so choose. You do not want to trigger a difficult memory due to scent. Even when the trigger is not obvious to the customer, they will associate your place of business with a “bad feeling”, if not a bad smell, and now you have lost customer confidence and/or business. These people will “sell” the bad feeling they had to their friends and families and you again lose. No one wants that.

I have to share that one of the worst experiences I have had regarding scent was in a restaurant. The smell of food, whether the spice palate is your favourite or not, is always intended to invoke warm memories and associations with fun and sharing and nurturing. But if one goes to the washroom, like I did at this establishment, and one is overwhelmed by an “air freshener”, one might be pushed to “refund” their meal in place (if any of you enjoyed the show Seinfeld, you will understand). The scent was so strong that I had to cover my nose in the washroom and the scent permeated my olfactory zone well after I left the washroom. It greatly affected my taste and general experience and I will not return because of this. A restaurant should know better (and yes I did let them know) if not best about scent and the experience of their customers.

The same holds true for perfumed workers in your business. It can be so offensive to be overwhelmed by someone’s scent (no matter their intention), that business is very much compromised. Having a scent-free business environment allows everyone to make up their own minds with a clear head. It also encourages those who have allergies to support your business and share those good vibes with their people.

Make your place inviting and neutral so your products and services can be fully appreciated by all customers. Some of the customers might stink, but your unscented space will come out “smelling like a rose” and that is good for business.