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Published on October 31, 2007

The enthusiasm that shines in someone's eyes when they talk about what they do is what Elizabeth Lamont is watching for. The vice president for international development for the venerable New York-based cosmetics chain Kiehl's is explaining the firm's "KCR" recruitment process while in Bangkok to open an outlet.

"You can just feel it when people do what they love and they can speak about it passionately and are ready to share. These are the type of people we want to be Kiehl's Customer Represent-atives."

Kiehl's began as a single, modest pharmacy in 1851. Today it's a leading brand in hair and skincare products. Its Bangkok store opens tomorrow at Siam Paragon.

What hasn't changed in a century and a half, says Lamont, is the good relations the company enjoys with its customers.

"Products that work are certainly the first priority in creating brand loyalty," she says, "but it's also our people - both management and the KCRs - who embody Kiehl's spirit of giving and kindness.

"Personally, I feel that working for Kiehl's is totally different from anywhere else. People have this spirit of sharing and are ready to help each other."

Lamont, an avid cook and yoga practitioner in her free time, is based at Kiehl headquarters in New York City, where she oversees its global expansion. She's a strong believer in giving back to the community and showing customers that they're appreciated.

When Kiehl's first drugstore opened on Third Avenue at 13th Street, there was a pear tree out front. That became its trademark of good service. Aaron Morse, whose family still runs the company, was the scientist who created fluoride and one of the first American manufacturers of penicillin.

"We've always sought out the most effective ingredients, with the support of advanced technology and science," Lamont says. "Our knowledge of medicine, herbs and cosmetics, passed on over the decades, is what makes Kiehl's unique."

The product labels are deliberately packed with information, not just the legally required list of components, but also the benefits, functions, recommended use, shelf life and packaging material.

The packaging is environmentally friendly, and the staff in New York spends Earth Day each spring cleaning up a park.

"On a larger scale we've created products that support organisations such as the American Foundation for Aids Research and Youth Aids. We've been in partnership with high-profile celebrities like Ashley Judd and Sharon Stone for those causes."

In Thailand, Kiehl's has approached Father Joe's much-admired Human Development Foundation, which helps the underprivileged children in Bangkok's Klong Toei community.

Sports and adventurous outdoor activities play a key role in Kiehl's philosophy too. Aaron Morse was a World War II aviator and a keen collector of Harley Davidson motorcycles, so it's not unusual for the stores to have displays in tribute to such interests.

There might be a motorbike on view, or an homage to alpine ski racing or horse jumping. In this way, Lamont says, the company and its customers share their enthusiasms and become an extended family. (Morse knew that putting his Harleys on show would bring more men into the pharmacies too.)

Lamont loves to tell stories about customers for whom Kiehl's represents an emotional touchstone. One woman wrote to the firm to share the tale of how her boyfriend had proposed to her on a skiing trip: He put a ring in the jar of Kiehl's lip balm she was using.

"One of our KCRs held her wedding in the store because she felt that Kiehl's and its customers are his one big family," Lamont beams.

"You find that many people find themselves at Kiehl's. Some people love the products most, some the decor, and some love our KCRs!"

 Kupluthai Pungkanon

 The Nation