Q & A Session With Benny Quar, Kiehl’s Store Manager Sunway Pyramid

 Kiehl’s Sunway Pyramid

Kiehl’s Sunway Pyramid, which opened 4 months ago, is the latest outlet to open in Malaysia, this being our country’s 10th Kiehl’s outlet. The brand offers products for top-to-toe care. Personally, I love the face and body scrubs, shower gels and wish I had an endless supply of the bodycare products. I’m sure everyone has their personal favourites from Kiehl’s. In every Kiehl’s outlet, there is a corner where you can view their customers’ Top 10 favourite products. I visited Kiehl’s Sunway Pyramid last week and had a chat with Benny Quar,  Store Manager of Kiehl’s Sunway Pyramid about his recommendations, customers’ satisfaction with Kiehl’s products and I left the store feeling more enlightened about the brand thanks to Kiehl’s young and knowledgeable Store Manager.

Benny Quar

What are Kiehl’s skincare trends of 2012 compared to 2013?

In 2012, the focus was more towards young skin (20s to 30s) so it was about oil-free and basic care products, In 2013, we are focusing on anti-ageing, whitening products and one of Kiehl’s customers’ favourites, Midnight Recovery Concentrate which rejuvenates skin.

Do you see more male customers come in nowadays and what is the basic skincare routine for men?

Yes, more men come in nowadays. The basic skincare routine for them would be to cleanse, tone, moisturise and apply sunblock. For those with less skin problems, I would recommend the Facial Fuel range and for those with acne, blemishes, active sebum skins, I’d recommend the Ultra Facial Oil-Free range. They can also use products from Kiehl’s Clearly Corrective (whitening) range. There is no need to get products from the same range, customers can mix-and-match from different ranges customised to their skin needs/concerns.

Skincare for men

What are the bestsellers for skincare, haircare and bodycare?

Skincare – Clearly Corrective Dark Spots Solutions.

Haircare – Amino Acid Shampoo and Conditioner (suitable for all hair types where mildness is desired) and Ultimate Thickening Shampoo (helps reinforce hair strands for a noticeably thicker, healthy-looking appearance and improved scalp coverage).

Bodycare – Aromatic Blends (4 scents available), launched in November 2012. Ingredients are sourced from all over the world. Also Creme de Corps Body Moisturiser which has been a Kiehl’s favourite for over four decades.

Ultimate Thickening & Amino Acid Shampoo

Products from Aromatic Blends range

What are your personal favourite products?

Clearly Corrective Dark Spots Solution as it helps diminish the appearance of dark spots and the Powerful Wrinkle Reducing Cream as it helps improve overall complexion.

Products for oily skins

What products would you recommend for oily and dry skins?

For oily skins – products from the Blue Herbal and Rare Earth range. There are different cleansers for different types of oily skin, e.g. Blue Herbal Gel Cleanser for those with very oily and acne-prone skin, Deep Pore Daily Cleanser for those with oily and pore concerns and Ultra Facial Oil-Free Cleanser for normal to oily skins, this one has hydrating properties.

Products for dry skins

For dry skins – Ultra Facial Cleanser, Ultra Facial Toner, Ultra Facial Cream, Ultra Facial Micro Serum and Ultra Facial Overnight Hydrating Masque.

What are some of your more memorable experiences with customers?

There are customers who come back to the store and say thank you when the products have worked for them. We have many customers who return to purchase the full-size products after they have used the samples. Mature customers purchase the sunblock and Midnight Recovery Concentrate. I have customers who tell me the results and findings of the product used before I tell them what the benefits are.

A product which received good feedback from customers is the Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate which get recommended to customers’ friends. It’s a Vitamin C concentrate and was relaunched in 2012. Another product is the Ultra Light UV Defense Sunscreen SPF50 PA+++ which customers say is the lightest sunscreen they can find. Male customers wear it like a moisturiser.

How important is hydration to all skin types?

Hydration is important for all skin types, even for oily skins as sebum becomes very active if skin is too dehydrated. The Blue Herbal Moisturizer is suitable for those with oily/acne concerns while the Rare Earth Pore Minimizing Lotion is suitable for those with oily/pore concerns.

Ultra Light Daily UV Defense SPF 50 PA+++

What are your tips for applying sunscreen?

Apply sunscreen 10-15 minutes before going out. To apply, spread a thin layer on skin and don’t apply it as you would a moisturizer. Just pat lightly into skin. When you apply moisturizer, it’s in upward motions so your pores are facing upwards. When you apply sunscreen, apply it downwards so your pores are facing down and in that way, it reduces sunlight penetration into skin. If you are at the beach, even if you are applying sunscreen with SPF130, you still need to re-apply as water and reflection at the beach affect the duration of the sunscreen efficacy.

Kiehl’s 100% Satisfaction & Money Back Guarantee

In line with Kiehls’s “Try Before You Buy” sampling philosophy and their confidence that if they can just get their formulas into the hands of their customers, they will appreciate their fine quality, and at the very least they will leave having had a unique and memorable experience with Kiehl’s, the brand has introduced their 100% Satisfaction & Money Back Guarantee!

Should a customer ever buy a product that does not please him or her, it may be returned at any time to its original point of purchase for a full refund. The period for refund or return is 30 days from the date of purchase. For a full refund, the customer would need to show proof of the receipt. Otherwise,  only a product exchange will be permitted. The 100% Satisfaction & Money Back Guarantee stems from Kiehl’s belief that their products will work for every customer. Kiehl’s wishes to establish a good and long-lasting rapport with their customers.

Thumbs up to Kiehl’s for giving this money back guarantee. I can’t think of any other brand which has given a similar guarantee to its customers. It really shows the amount of confidence Kiehl’s has in its products and belief in its customers not to take advantage of this guarantee unless they are truly not satisfied with the products for whatever reasons.