In the past five inteviews, we have introduced the ith staff's thoughts on the brand and how they work. This time, Mr. Nagata, who changed careers from a concierge to the Marketing Development Department, decided to interview his colleagues who joined in the same year and juniors with whom he spent time as a concierge, and asked them about their reasons for joining ith, what they learned while interacting with customers, and the joy and responsibility of making the one and only ring in the world.
Diverse backgrounds that give birth to individuality as a concierge
Mr. Nagata (Nagata): I wanted to be involved in the bridal industry after working part-time at a wedding hall when I was a student, so after graduating I worked at several bridal-related companies before moving to ith in 2018. Ms. Hatanaka and Ms. Amemiya joined ith in 2021, right? What did you learn or challenge yourself in your job search?
Ms. Hatanaka (Hatanaka) I went to jewellery school because I wanted to become a craftsman, but at the time I was told that the number of job openings would be fewer than in previous years due to the Covid, so I decided to broaden my horizons. After that, I became more aware of job hunting and participated in seminars to learn about company management and competitors. Looking back, the Covid was the catalyst for me to join ith and find a job that I felt was my true calling.
Ms. Amemiya (Amemiya): I went to a bridal vocational school to become a wedding planner. However, like Ms. Hatanaka, I expanded my job hunting horizons to bridal work in general because of the sharp decline in the number of jobs available due to the Covid. So at first, I never thought I would be involved in the production of custom-made rings. However, I sympathised with ith's customer service style of creating rings through dialogue with customers and its philosophy of "cherishing one more than many," and I decided to apply to join the company.
Mr. Sato (Sato) I joined ith in 2018 as a mid-career hire, so I am the same age as Nagata-san. After that, I left the company once in 2023 because I wanted to be involved in weddings more broadly. After changing jobs, I provided total support for customers' wedding preparations at Bridal Media, but I gradually became uncomfortable with a job that only ended with introductions, and after leaving ith, I realised anew how wonderful it is to be the concierge who gives shape to customers' thoughts in the form of rings, and I returned to work last year.
The Reality Gap
Nagata: Did you ever feel a reality gap before and after you joined? I was surprised at the amount of training I received and felt reassured that the company had a proper training system in place, unlike the image I had of Atelier that I had seen on the web. Also, the speed of the company's growth and change was beyond my imagination. New ateliers opened one after another, and there were transfers within the company accordingly. At first, it was difficult to keep up.
Hatanaka: I was surprised at the amount of discretion that each individual concierge has. In a typical jewellery store, the sales staff introduces the products in the store, but at ith, the concierges make all the decisions while guiding the customers. It was difficult even for me, who learned to make rings, so I think it must have been even more difficult for you, Amemiya-san.
Amemiya: There was certainly a lot of pressure, but my seniors and craftsmen helped me out, so I just had to focus on the customer in front of me. I think it is thanks to that environment that I am still able to enjoy working there today. The gap I felt in that environment is that a concierge needs to have a balance of listening skills as well as speaking skills. After listening to what the customer has to say, what words should be used to convey what he or she has to say? The process of choosing what to say and what not to say is a profound process that is both difficult and enjoyable.
Sato: I started my career in sales. In my previous job, each person was given a number to commit to, and the environment demanded results. At ith, on the other hand, it was less about selling products and more about understanding the customer's concerns and thoughts while reflecting what we could do at ith to propose rings.
Nagata: Concierges are often seen as standard jewellery salespeople, but we are required to be able to understand the customer's story and vague requests for a ring and draw out their wishes, so we have a counselor-like aspect to us.
An emotional experience beyond imagination, born from the atelier
Nagata: Mr. Sato returned to work at ith, and Ms. Hatanaka and Ms. Amemiya became chiefs in their fourth year. Do you have any impressive episodes in your work so far?
Hatanaka: About two years ago, a customer who had just started looking for a ring visited our Omotesando atelier. At that time, they decided on a design direction and left saying, "Please remember that I will definitely come back someday. Six months later, they really came back and made a wedding ring with the same design as the first time, saying, "I couldn't get the design we discussed last time out of my head". Furthermore, the other day, the customer came all the way to the atelier where I had moved to with a video of their wedding. We had a preview of the video in the atelier, and when I saw it, I was so moved that I cried!
Sato: You shared that episode with the entire staff, didn't you?
Hatanaka Yes, I had a chance to share it. I realised that for the customer,choosing a ring is a very precious opportunity in his/her lifetime, and I felt that I was involved in a very wonderful job.
Sato: I was asked to walk down the aisle as a ring boy at the wedding of a customer I was in charge of. This customer told me that they had thought about purchasing rings from different brands, but because of me, they both decided to make the rings here. They asked me to do it at the same time they were getting married, and my boss recommended me to do it. By the way, I was so nervous that I have almost no memory of that time!
Amemiya: I met a customer again for the first time in two years at ith's 10th anniversary photo event, and she looked so happy with her child! I didn't want to serve customers only on the spot, so I became the concierge of ith, and I was so happy to be able to see my customers into the future in this way that I cried so much!
Overcoming life's turning points
Nagata Have you ever felt any barriers to your work while working at ith?
For a while, I felt that each time my role changed due to transfers between Nagoya and Tokyo, a new challenge would arise. In order to overcome these barriers, I learned that it is important to rely on those around me rather than compensating for my weaknesses alone, and I gradually learned how to strike a balance between the two.
Sato: I understand that very well. There was a time when I was also juggling many tasks and it was difficult to control them well. I was able to overcome this by consulting with many people.
Amemiya: In my second year or so, I had a situation where I was struggling with a customer about a design, and I was not able to lead the customer to the ideal solution. I was too attuned to the customer and lacked the judgment to be objective about the situation. After I realised this, I was able to deal with the situation by taking advice from my seniors and visualizing the customer wearing the ring.
Hatanaka: What really troubled me was when I was assigned to the Omotesando Atelier and began working on full-custom orders and remakes. It was difficult not only to determine whether or not we could physically make the ring, but also whether or not we could maintain the quality of a wedding band that would be worn for a long time, and sometimes it was impossible for the concierge alone to determine. I overcame this difficulty by consulting with the craftsmen and Ms. Takahashi, the representative of the company, and gradually gaining knowledge. When a customer saw the successfully completed ring and said, "I am glad you were in charge," I felt very positive.
From left to right:
Mr. Nagata [Contents & Communication Group, Marketing Development Department]
Mr. Sato [Ginza Atelier]
Ms. Amemiya [Yokohama Motomachi Atelier]
Ms. Hatanaka[Kashiwa Atelier]
Profiles
Ms. Amemiya
Ms. Amemiya joined the company after graduating in 2021. Entered a two-year bridal vocational school to become a wedding planner. However, due to the Covid, corporate hiring declined, so she broadened her horizons to bridal work in general. In the process, she became interested in rings that would remain as a form for the rest of his life, and she joined the company because he empathised with ith's way of being as a concierge and the thoughts. Currently, as the chief of the atelier, she is involved in customer service as well as recruiting new graduates.
Ms. Hatanaka
Ms. Hatanaka joined the company as a new graduate in 2021, and studied traditional craft techniques such as metal engraving and jewellery design at a four-year jewellery college. Impressed by ith's philosophy, she joined the company because she thought she could make use of the knowledge and skills she had acquired at school.
Mr. Sato
Joined the company in mid-career in 2018. After working in sales, he decided to change jobs in search of a more challenging and rewarding career. In 2023, he switched to a bridal agent company, but in 2024, he returned to ith after rediscovering the appeal of being a concierge, who gives shape to the customer's wishes in the form of a ring.
Mr. Nagata
Joined ith in 2018 as a mid-career hire. Previously worked at a bridal photography and videography company but sought a career with more direct interaction with end users, leading to a decision to switch industries. Discovered a job opening for the launch of the Nagoya Atelier and was drawn to ith’s unique approach of managing everything in-house—from craftsmanship to sales. Started as a concierge at the Nagoya Atelier, where is also his hometown. After gaining five years of experience, transitioned to the Marketing & Development Department, where he now work to share ith’s appeal through content creation.
