Dear Stephen,
I have a great job. I'm a sales rep for a major manufacturer with a strong territory in the Southwest. We're one of the big four. We have a strong brand. I'm mostly on the road but I have an office in the showroom. The job is great. This is why I'm writing —
We have a new Regional Sales Director who just joined the company right after NeoCon. Part of his job is to come on calls with each of the salespeople, which means at least twice per month, I'm in the car with him traveling to call on A&D firms, dealers, and end-users. Right after he started the job, I noticed immediately that he wears an extremely strong cologne because it began wafting past me as he moved through our showroom. That didn't necessarily seem like a problem at first, but I noticed with time that he wears it in a way that you can't ignore, I am regretful to say. When we got in the car the first time, I realized how much this was going to be an issue for me. Many people I work with say, "Oh, I love that cologne!" (I think it's called Creed but I'm not exactly sure). I can't believe I am the only one that this smell bothers, but evidently so because no one in the office has said anything and sometimes I wonder what the customers think. Yet on one call, a client told him they loved the scent too!
Boss or not, I can't stand that smell, Stephen. In fact, it makes me nauseous. I can't escape it. Especially the days where I'm in the car with him. At first, I thought about politely explaining that I was one of those people who gets migraines from strong scents, but the truth is I'm not one of those people and everyone in the office who's known me for years will know I'm making it up.
If this were a co-worker or even a friend, I would just tell them. But he's a brand-new boss, and besides that, I can tell he's going to be a good boss; he seems like someone I can work well with and learn a lot from. Which is why I don't want to start out on the wrong foot by making suggestions regarding the cologne he wears. The truth is, I hate the way he smells. What do people do in a situation like this? I should mention, I'm a guy criticizing another guy's cologne. Any advice?
Signed,
Pee-Yew
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Dear Pee-Yew,
We've actually had variations of this question in this space before. Some readers will remember the person who wrote me about her boss wearing the same cologne as her ex-husband a while back. (She used to love the cologne, and the scent didn't bother her at first, until of course it became synonymous with her ex-husband and the horrible divorce they endured, which was affecting her ability to focus at work). Which is me saying I'm not new to this topic; perfume, cologne, deodorants and odors in general are always an issue at the workplace. I've gotten letters about body odor, letters about people not showering when they came back from work after the pandemic — so here we go again, another smell test.
I guess suggesting that you open the window while driving with your boss is not really much of an answer and a bit of a cop out on my part. But it is a start! I might also suggest that, for the good of your career, you just "buckle up" and get used to the smell so that over time it doesn't bother you because of the risk of mentioning it to him. After all, as you mentioned, no one else said a thing, and even customers complimented the scent. It may just be a 'you' problem.
Since I am very direct (but I also hate confrontation) I would probably tell a little white lie. Here goes. Explain that the cologne is giving you a headache since you're someone who is sensitive to smells and leave it at that. Hopefully, your coworkers don't call BS on that, and maybe you're not the only one who hates the smell of your new boss. I say take a chance there and hope for the best. A smart manager is not going to take it personally, they'll fully understand, and people who tend to wear cologne or perfume on a regular basis and make it a part of their identity typically know it's not for everyone. In fact, he might be so used to the smell he doesn't even notice it anymore.
What makes this situation awkward is the fact that he is your boss, like you said, and if this was just your colleague you could approach them politely and say you really like them as a friend and co-worker but that you don't like their cologne. Since he is the boss, and a new one at that, you're right to have the sensitivity impulse here. For those of you who do wear perfume or cologne in the workplace; whether you're a boss or an employee, be aware that people are sensitive to fragrance. By the way, it's not just your colleagues who may be turned off by your scent, but your customers as well!
Here's how I think about it:
Some people love a scented lobby in a building or hotel which is more common today, while others can't stand it. If you wear a lot of perfume or cologne, think to yourself, do you want to be that scented lobby that everybody notices? Or do you want people to focus on you, just you as you are? There's no right or wrong answer. I personally don't object to scents, but a little goes a long way, with everything.
Another thing: in my opinion, the brand of cologne you mentioned, which is very expensive, ($510 on Amazon!), is also very long lasting which is what makes it expensive and is why people wear it. Celebrities and people with money love to be identified by their scent, however even cheap cologne or perfume can smell bad to some. So, if you are a reader who wears cologne or perfume, be mindful of that and show consideration for your colleagues and your customers with some cognitive cologne control.
Signed,
Stephen