KEE@FSWMAG.COM
DID YOU KNOW KIEHL’S
PIONEERED TODAY’S CUSTOMER SERVICE INDUSTRY 92 YEARS AGO?
The
company behind sampling and the “money back guarantee” continues to
revolutionize the industry
In our modern society, there are many experiences and things we
take for granted in our hectic, daily lives that were birthed from the
advancement of quiet pioneers in New York City history.
Did you know?
·
In 1633, the first public
brewery in America was established by Peter Minuit at the Market (“Marckvelt”)
field in Lower Manhattan.
·
The New York Post, established in 1803 by Alexander Hamilton, is the
oldest running newspaper in the United States.
·
In 1894, the first motion
picture was shown by Thomas Edison on Broadway.
Similarly, it is unknown to many that Kiehl’s, the 161-year-old
skincare purveyor, holds a unique position as an early pioneer in customer
service -- which has not only been studied by
Harvard Business School, but also has inspired the service models seen in some
of today’s Fortune 500 companies. In
today’s consumer culture, when purchasing skincare products, 76.8% of female
consumers wish they had access to more
expert advice and more samples.[1]
Kiehl’s has been sampling
since its days as an old-world pharmacy
“Customers
made pilgrimages from around the world to the original Kiehl’s [flagship] location
in New York’s East Village, where samples were handed out liberally to any
customer.” Harvard Business Review,
2005
Irving Morse, a founding family member of the Kiehl’s Pharmacy during the early
1900’s, valued the personal relationships he had with his customers and
encouraged them to experiment with his hand-made
remedies before choosing those best-suited for their needs. Our “Try before you buy” policy became the
pharmacy’s motto – and this principle of personalized customer service plus
customized sampling,
established by Morse, has remained a Kiehl’s tradition for more than 92 years. Kiehl’s
sampling practice has not only inspired similar programs in today’s beauty
industry; but it has inspired the creation of modern sampling “beauty box”
companies around the world.
“At Kiehl’s, we focus on the quality of our
ingredients and the efficacy of our formulations. We are so confident in our formulas that we
want you to ‘Try Before You Buy’,” shares Cheryl Vitali, Worldwide General Manager of Kiehl’s Since 1851. “In 2011, we provided over 40 million samples
to customers. We are certain that we have a formula to solve each customer’s
unique skin care needs and our customers appreciate that there is no risk. They can try the product and ensure it is
right for them before making a purchase.”
“We don’t sell our products, we share them.
We want you to be 100%
satisfied.”
There are no conventional
sales people at Kiehl’s. Visit any Kiehl’s store in the world and you’ll find
interesting, educated, friendly people in white lab coats ready to help you. But
don’t call them sales people. These lab
coat-clad individuals are Kiehl’s Customer Service Representatives (or KCRs, as
we affectionately refer to them) – and the only similarity to a traditional sales
person is their ability to process the sales transaction upon checkout.
At Kiehl’s, KCRs
are rewarded not through traditional commission-based selling, but through a
team rewards system that encourages each person to spend the necessary time
with each of their customers; instead of trying to make a sale, they offer appropriate
samples so that customers can try the products before they buy them. Allowing KCRs
this “no pressure” period of time to work with customers ensures the
appropriate products are selected. The customer ultimately feels more
confident, both in the service and advice they have received as well as in the
products themselves, which also minimizes the need for returns. However, if a
customer does want to return a product at any time and for any reason, our KCRs
will gladly find an appropriate alternative product – or offer a 100% money-back
guarantee.
“When we are educating our KCR’s, one of the first
things we teach is the Kiehl’s approach to service, for which our motto is,
‘We’d always rather make a friend than push a sale’. Those were our founding
family’s exact words to every employee – and we maintain that philosophy today,
“states
Cammie Cannella, Vice President of Global Education and Customer Relations. “Our KCRs tell us that they love coming to
work because, instead of selling, they get to be educators and problem
solvers.”
The Kiehl’s Way:
Our promise to every
customer in every Kiehl’s store, all over the world.
The
fundamentals and traditions of service that Kiehl’s pioneered more than 90
years ago are as follows:
We
listen to our customers. We introduce new products and select new store locations based primarily
on our customers’ suggestions and requests.
We provide personalized
consultations. Whenever a customer visits a Kiehl’s
store or counter anywhere in the world, they can always expect to receive a
personalized consultation complete with appropriate product and sample
recommendations.
We
believe in a “Try Before You Buy” sampling philosophy. We are so confident in our
products that we know that if we can just get our formulas into the hands of
our customers that they will appreciate their fine quality, and at the very
least they will leave having had a unique and memorable experience with us.
We offer 100% satisfaction guaranteed. At Kiehl’s,
we stand behind the quality of our products and our service. Our KCRs are
committed to ensuring that appropriate product selections and individualized
regimen advice are provided to every customer. Throughout our 162 years of
service, we at Kiehl’s have always offered a 100% satisfaction guarantee to our
customers.
Simple,
informative packaging. Kiehl’s has always believed
that the package doesn't make you beautiful; it’s only the quality of
ingredients that can truly help your skin and hair. Therefore, Kiehl’s has
always been dedicated to sourcing the highest quality ingredients and the
latest scientific advancements.
No
advertising. At Kiehl’s, we prefer to reach our customers
through word-of-mouth, personalized customer service of the highest level, and
sampling. This allows us to focus on the quality of our ingredients and product
development – and to efforts at giving back to our communities through
philanthropic work.
Give Kiehl’s 5 minutes
to change your skin!
In Malaysia, Kiehl’s
“Try Before You Buy” campaign begins in April 2013. Customers will be able to
receive 5 complimentary samples with every 5-minute skincare consultation
in-store.
“At Kiehl’s, we aim to fulfill the needs and concerns of each individual
customer with an efficacious solution. Unfortunately, with the thousands of
skincare products available on the market, choices are endless. “Try Before You Buy” is an
integral part of our services to ensure our customers of our sincerity as a
customer representative and the quality of our products.”
"Try
Before You Buy" has been our belief since a century ago. We
believe every customer deserves the opportunity to try a sample of
our product on their skin or hair before they decide
to purchase it. Your satisfaction is ours too."
Benny
Quar, Kiehl’s Store Manager, Sunway Pyramid
“At Kiehls, we
believe that every walk-in customer enters with a genuine interest in
skincare. We also understand that it is difficult
to convince those who are not familiar with our brand, to use
our products. Therefore, we happily provide complimentary
samples
to those who are interested, regardless of whether they make a purchase. Even
our regulars continue to take samples of our products today, it’s part of the
Kiehl’s experience!”
Miki Ang, Kiehl’s Customer
Representative, Mid Valley
CHERYL VITALI –
KIEHL’S WORLDWIDE GENERAL MANAGER
Cheryl remembers venturing into the
original Kiehl’s store at 109 Third Avenue in New York City over 20 years ago
and receiving hand-scooped samples of the classics: Creme de Corps and Ultra
Facial Lotion. She has been a diehard
fan ever since. “You know how you
daydream about working for your favorite brand?
For me, that brand is Kiehl’s.”
Appointed in March 2010, Ms. Vitali oversees Kiehl’s worldwide strategy,
product innovation and retail marketing plans out of the global home office in
New York’s West Village neighborhood.
After receiving her B.A. from Yale University, her first job was in
advertising. In 2008, she was awarded
the prestigious Cosmetic Executive Women Achievers
Award, a distinction that honors women in the beauty industry who have broken
through barriers to success and inspire young executives to do the same. Recognized for her keen understanding
of the varied skincare and beauty needs of the evolving global beauty customer,
Ms. Vitali has overseen the marketing efforts at some of the world’s most
coveted beauty brands, including Lancôme, Maybelline, Garnier and Revlon. At Kiehl’s, she develops efficacious and
naturally-derived facial skincare, hair and body products and helps to drive
the company’s successful international growth, especially new store and market
openings in North America, Asia and Europe.“My
goal is to introduce the wonderful world of Kiehl’s to as many new customers
around the world as possible. This means
bringing them what has made Kiehl’s so successful in New York since
its humble beginnings as an Apothecary in 1851 – great, highly efficacious,
personalized service and a strong commitment to the local communities in which
we do business.” Ms. Vitali’s career is unique, in part, because of her
commitment to her family and charity, while balancing big beauty industry
responsibilities. Her charitable
focuses are Autism Speaks, the largest Autism organization in the country and
the Special Olympics program. She
currently resides in Weston, CT with her husband James Shapiro, and sons Max
and Nicky.
CAMMIE CANNELLA
– KIEHL’S SINCE 1851 VICE PRESIDENT OF EDUCATION AND CUSTOMER RELATIONS, WORLDWIDE
Cammie Cannella is the Vice President of Global Education
Development for Kiehl’s Since 1851. She oversees the educational curriculum for
Kiehl’s Customer Representatives, sales force and corporate employees in
Kiehl’s stores and offices around the world.
Kiehl’s Customer Service model has been recognized across business
industries and year after year in the media, as a model program – a feat
Kiehl’s attributes to Cammie and her team. Cammie’s career with Kiehl’s Since
1851 began more than a decade ago at the original Kiehl’s Flagship store in New
York City. She is described by her co-workers as both eloquent and dynamic, and
serves as “the face of Kiehl’s” through her position as the company’s official
spokesperson. Of her role as company
spokesperson, Cammie says that she relishes the opportunity to share with
others the rich traditions and distinguishing values that Kiehl’s
represents.
Kiehl's was founded as an
old-world apothecary in New York's East Village neighborhood. Its unique,
extensive background represents a blend of cosmetic, pharmaceutical, herbal,
and medicinal knowledge developed and advanced through the generations. Available at all Kiehl’s stores in Malaysia: KLCC, Pavilion, Bangsar Shopping Complex,
Mid Valley Mega Mall, Sunway Pyramid, Empire Gallery (Subang), One Utama,
Gurney Plaza (Penang) One Borneo Hypermall (Sabah) & The Spring Mall
(Sarawak). Visit our website at kiehlstimes.com.my
# # #
[1] The survey,
conducted by VeraQuest Inc, sampled 2,110 U.S. adults aged 18 years and older
online within the United States between December 11th and December
14th. Results were weighted as needed to reflect the total U.S.
adult population aged 18 years and older. Respondents for this survey were
randomly selected from an online panel to be generally representative of the
age, sex, region, race/ethnicity, income and education strata of the U.S.,
based on U.S. Census proportions. The data have been weighted to reflect
the composition of the U.S. adult population. The estimated sampling error for
the sample of 2,110 respondents is +/- 1.8% at a 90% confidence level. These
statements conform to the principles of disclosure of the National Council on
Public Polls.
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