ismell

LegacyUser

I had a performance meeting in work yesterday. I am doing a good job but one thing got to me.
A customer complained about my personal hygiene, they complained that I smell.
It has got to me severely, and has shaken my confidence completely.
I am a clean person I know that. I shower before work, I brush my teeth I wear perfume and deodorant.
It's has just made me so upset, I cried my eyes out when they told me and it hasn't left my mind and I've cried since.

I'm so embarrassed by it. Work have been good about it. They told me I have fantastic potential and that I shouldn't take it to heart at all. They said they are willing to put me on a different section if i am that uncomfortable. I have a week to decide and I am considering to move to a different section away from customers.

I'm just so down by this and I don't know what to do.

Neyite

Did management see it as a valid complaint, or was it a case where they were more or less saying "this is a customer complaint about you but we don't believe it, we are on your side" ?

If its the latter, don't let it get to you. I've had all sorts of lies made up in complaints from customers who were bonkers. Only for phone recordings proved otherwise, I'd have been fired 10 times over by vindictive people who don't get the sun, moon and stars for free as a customer.

Merkin

+1. Did your employers actually agree this to be the case OP? Or did they say that a complaint had been lodged but that they have never noticed any issues with your personal hygiene?

wallycharlo

OP, how is your relationship in general with this particular customer? Could it be a case that they are being vindictive for some reason?

I agree that you should ask those close to you are work as to their own opinions.

Big Bag of Chips

Hi, was it "smell" in a poor personal hygiene sense or "smell" in an over powering, too much perfume sense?

You say you wear perfume and deodorant? I have a very sensitive sense of smell (and asthma) and occassionally could start coughing and wheezing in the company of people with too much perfume on.

I'd be slightly suspicious of your employer saying a "customer" complained and then offering to move you. If there was no issue your manager would not have mentioned it. Or may have mentioned it as a courtesy to you, but reassured you that it was an unfounded complaint and not gone any further.

Are you sure you don't suffer from either halitosis or bad BO? Even with proper basic hygiene these can still be problems for some. Do you sweat a lot?

I am really not trying to upset you further here, but either someone complained, and the manager felt it was a legitimate complaint, or the manager is using a "customer" as a way of bringing this up with you.

If you, and your manager, honestly feel that there is no basis for complaint then carry on about your work and forget the customer. Don't hide away in a different dept. Allow yourself to be a little upset, but then move on and accept it as an unfounded complaint, from miserable person with nothing better to give out about.

LegacyUser

OP here.

The move to another section is to do with something entirely different, that there are aspects of my current role that i have no confidence in. They want to see more of me around customers if i chose to, but at the moment i am not comfortable doing that.

I do sweat a lot, part of my job involves quite a bit of physical activity where i would sweat. Ive tried so many deodorants even driclor, then perfume also.

From management, it was more of a "this was said so we have to say it but its ridiculous" They themselves said they dont see a problem with my hygiene or anything. Its just protocol.

Merkin

Well it's good that management have conceded that there is no issue and that they don't recognize a problem. What an awful thing to have said about you, poor thing, I think I'd die!

Maybe you were just really unfortunate in that someone caught you on a bad day or that they mistakenly thought the smell was from you? If you are in a job which involves a lot of manual work, do your best to avoid synthetic fabrics and stick instead to loose fitting cotton materials instead.

Maybe just to put your own mind at ease ask a trusted friend or sibling if they have ever caught a whiff from you and ask them to tell you honestly? To be honest it just sounds like a vindictive customer more than anything so if that is the case please don't take it to heart.

JuliusCaesar

Sometimes the problem isn't personal hygiene but clothes not being washed often enough. You said there's physical exertion in the job. Do you wear a new outfit (including underwear) daily?

I had bad breath due to a medical condition and didn't know it until I saw someone flinch when I was chatting with them. I asked a family member and they told me that it was there. Until the medical condition was cleared up, I was totally paranoid about dental hygiene, and even had toothbrush and mouthwash at work. It's an awful feeling.

fillefatale

Merkin wrote: »

Well it's good that management have conceded that there is no issue and that they don't recognize a problem. What an awful thing to have said about you, poor thing, I think I'd die!

Maybe you were just really unfortunate in that someone caught you on a bad day or that they mistakenly thought the smell was from you? If you are in a job which involves a lot of manual work, do your best to avoid synthetic fabrics and stick instead to loose fitting cotton materials instead.

Maybe just to put your own mind at ease ask a trusted friend or sibling if they have ever caught a whiff from you and ask them to tell you honestly? To be honest it just sounds like a vindictive customer more than anything so if that is the case please don't take it to heart.

This, natural materials might be best, and there are underarm pads you can buy to attach to shirts and stuff if you're worried about sweat patches/excessive sweating.

I wouldn't worry about it too much OP, work on getting your confidence back - we all have off days!

lmos

Hi op if you are sweating excessively, it can be treated with botox injections. Its expensive but it works - no deodorant needed, bone dry armpits! It lasts 6-9 months, and I have noticed post botox I dont sweat half as much..not sure if this is a direct result. I was very conscious and it was destroying my clothes, it wasnt so much about smell...Just something maybe for you to consider, if its something that is bothering you...aside from what sounds like a silly complaint!