DID YOU KNOW KIEHL’S PIONEERED TODAY’S CUSTOMER SERVICE INDUSTRY 92 YEARS AGO?

The company behind sampling 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 samples¹.

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 store in New York’s East Village, where samples were handed out liberally to any customer.”

Harvard Business Review, 2005

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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. 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.

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’.”

“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.”

Cheryl Vitali
Worldwide General Manager of Kiehl’s Since 1851

Give Kiehl’s 5 minutes to change your skin!

In Singapore, Kiehl’s “Try Before You Buy” campaign begins in August 2013. We welcome everyone to book in for a consultation with one of our highly trained Kiehl’s Customer Representatives to address your individual skin concerns, and create a personally devised skin care regime to suit these needs.

In addition, our Kiehl’s Customer Representatives would be happy to offer you a follow up appointment to ensure the products selected continue to be most beneficial for you, given that lifestyle & physiological changes may be influencing and changing your skin periodically.

Serving a quality product through a strident commitment to each customer is a cornerstone of the Kiehl’s tradition. The people who comprise our extended family are committed to upholding our standards of excellence and quality, espoused and preserved for over 160 years.

In every Kiehl’s location, our Customer Representatives take time to address the individual needs of our patrons. When you visit a Kiehl’s store or counter anywhere in the world, you should expect to receive a personalised skin and hair care consultation, complete with appropriate product recommendations. This personalised service is extended throughout signature sampling program in which you, our customer, are welcomed to try a formulation before you buy it. In this manner, you are assured of the product efficacy, as well as it compatibility with a value to your own skin and hair – before you make a purchase.

How does it work?

Redeem your 5-minute consultation and 5 free samples by clicking on the image above.
Flash the confirmation page at any Kiehl’s store to receive a 5-minute consultation by a Kiehl’s Customer Representative (KCR).
The KCR will determine your skin needs and answers any queries you may have.
Enjoy 5 free samples most appropriate to your needs.

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Kiehl’s makes some of my favourite products and I really enjoy how generous they are with samples. Samples not only make great travel companion but also allows me to try different products without committing to full size (just in case I don’t like the product or it doesn’t work for me).

Sharing this piece of news with you because I want you all to enjoy the consultation and samples — only for the month of August!

Kiehl’s Since 1851 is available at:

Thank you for reading.

2 thoughts on “Kiehl’s Philosophy – Try Before You Buy”

Briamagee says:

August 30, 2013 at 1:15 pm

How I wish this is applicable for all products. It’s really a great catch to try before you buy policy. At least you’ll know if it really fits your skin.

- Joey Chong says:
  
  August 30, 2013 at 9:30 pm
  
  Hello Briamagee,
  I believe not all their products have samples — I tried requesting for a few but they don’t have them..
  However, it’s really not too bad as they have samples of so many of their products (compared to some other brands) and they are always very generous with the samples =)
  Totally agree with you — especially skincare, gotta try before buying sometimes if not we will end up with so many full sizes not doing good to our skin; which is such a waste..