Vol.21

Key back-office personnel supporting web shipments

Ms. Nakayama, a member of the web team that handles orders and shipments from IKEUCHI ORGANIC's web store and telephone orders, is so trusted by her team that she received an award on behalf of the company at the Backyard Fest ( *1) held in Tokyo in April, a gathering of EC businesses. The interview proceeded in a calm atmosphere, but when we started talking about her favorite actor, she suddenly had a sparkling expression on her face!　During the interview, he showed us a surprising side of him that we wouldn't have noticed if we just worked with him.

Webmaster Nakayama

I grew up in Imabari, but I didn’t know much about Imabari towels

–Mr. Nakayama, were you born and raised in Imabari?

Yes, I was. But I didn’t know much about Imabari towels (laughs).

(laughs) — Why did you decide to join IKEUCHI ORGANIC (at that time, Ikeuchi Towel)?

Even though I lived in Imabari, I didn’t pay attention to the fact that it was a towel company. But I entered a training school ( *2) and studied towels, and then I was introduced to the company by the Employment Security Agency. So I didn’t really know where (the company) was located.

–I heard that it has been 6 years since you joined the company. Were you in charge of the web store from the beginning?

At first, I was in charge of inputting inventory at the Kaitan (unraveling) area. （I was in charge of inputting the inventory, such as how many towels (dyed at the dyeing factory) had arrived and what kind. At that time, the person who was in charge of the unrolling was a person who did not know how to use a PC at all. I had time to do that work alone, so I helped out with the web store, and that gradually increased (laughs).

Answering the phone so that customers can remember your name

–So, the web shop work that you were helping with became your main focus (laughs). (Laughs) I know that you sometimes deal directly with customers, but is there anything that has left a lasting impression on you?

I’ve been told by customers who order over the phone that they feel at ease when they hear your voice (laughs).

(Laughs) — The other day, there was a customer who bought about 50,000 yen worth of bath towels at the Tokyo Store. There was a customer who once told us, “When I called the head office, Mr. Nakayama gave me detailed instructions.

（It is nice to have a customer who remembers me (by name) and contacts me regularly to make purchases.

–Do you feel that things have changed since you started working on the Web, or is there anything you would like to do in the future?

In the past, I would receive an order from a customer and ship the product without much effort, but now I have to appeal to the customer in various ways. I feel strongly that we need to make more proposals to our customers.

–Do you have any suggestions for the company?

Hmmm. When I see other companies’ (towel) patterns, I sometimes think they are cute. But as IKEUCHI ORGANIC’s policy… (laughs).

(Laughs) — It is true that IKEUCHI ORGANIC’s policy is to make permanent standard products. It would be great if we could create products with cute patterns that are unique to IKEUCHI.

Organic Air is ideal for travel

–Then, please tell us about your favorite towel.

This one (Organic Air in your hand).

–Why did you choose Organic Air?

Because I like to travel. When I travel, I go to a hotel and they have towels, but I am not satisfied with the towels provided, so I carry a spare towel.

–Do you take a bath towel with you?

Yes, I do. It is not bulky.

–Do you like the color white?

I guess white.

–Many people say that white towels get dirty, but how do you feel when you use them?

（How do you feel when you use it? (The color) doesn’t change, although the texture does change after washing.

Embroidered towels for your favorite actors!

–Do you go to hot spring resorts when you travel?

Rather than hot springs, I often go to Korea.

–I often go to Korea. So your purpose is to eat and shop?

No, it’s a chase.

–Chasing?　I didn’t know that!　I didn’t know that!

That’s fun (laughs).

–Well, in that case, I have no choice but to promote IKEUCHI ORGANIC in Korea!

I brought it with me. （I took it to Korea. (One of the actors I’m chasing is on a racing team, and I embroidered the names of the racers on it and gave it to them. Then, during the race, he wrapped the towel around my neck!　They wrapped it around my neck right away.

–Isn’t that great!　By the way, what was the towel you gave them?

The towel at that time was the Mottainai Bamboo.

Towels that people living in Imabari would be happy to receive as gifts.

–I am glad to have worked for IKEUCHI ORGANIC. Do you have any particular things that make you think, “I am glad I work for IKEUCHI ORGANIC.

When I have friends and others use (our towels), I am happy when they say that IKEUCHI ORGANIC’s products are of good quality. People are also happy when I give them as gifts. People in Imabari don’t have the custom of buying towels.

–I heard many answers that people in Imabari don’t buy towels during the interview at the head office, but I can’t imagine that from a Tokyo person’s point of view. Do you mean that you always receive them from someone?

Yes, I do. We receive them from someone or we can buy them at a discount at towel fairs or factory sales because we are in the production area (of towels).

–So you are saying that people in Imabari, who are familiar with towels, would be willing to buy IKEUCHI ORGANIC’s towels?

Yes, of course.

Interview January 2016
Interview and text by Mutaguchi, Kamio
Photographer/ Yuji Kimura (Kimura Photo Office)

Notes
*1: A festival held on April 23 in Omotesando, Tokyo, attended by about 4,000 people involved in web stores.
Official website: https://cross-mall.jp/backyard_fes_2016/
*2: Imabari College of Technology. A vocational training school that offers a curriculum called “Imabari Towel Manufacturing Course” to develop human resources in the towel production area.