The Humans of smrtPhone

Our “smrtie of the Month” is a breakdancing, coffee-loving, well-traveled team player.

Name

Paul Patrichi

Title / Role in the Company

As a Technical Support Specialist, I assist customers when they reach out with questions and technical issues. It’s important to me to deliver exceptional customer service. It’s my goal that every interaction leaves our customers feeling supported and satisfied.

Recently, I have had the privilege of taking on additional responsibilities and I was promoted to the Porting Department. In this role, I try my best for the customer to have a smooth transition of phone numbers. Whether troubleshooting technical issues or managing porting requests, I like to dive in, focus, and get to the solution as quickly as possible.

How long have you worked for smrtPhone?

I am excited to say that it has been 1 year and 3 months.

What’s your background?

When I was young, I loved to dance breakdance, sing hip hop, with a few appearances at a high school show, draw graffiti, play basketball, and soccer.

I enjoyed playing sports the most, especially soccer, from a young age. I was scouted by a club and played soccer for 9 years. I even made it to the selection process for Romania’s junior national team, but unfortunately, during a training camp, I had an accident that prevented me from continuing.

I graduated from high school with a specialization as a “Computer Technician”. I wanted to travel and decided to go to the UK in search of a job and new experiences.

I love coffee and the aroma of it, and in London I managed to get a job at a famous café. There, I met and learned from Italian colleagues how to make an exceptional coffee and add a bit of art by drawing patterns on the coffee to bring a smile to customers. I really enjoyed the human connection and brightening people’s days.

After living in London for 3 years, I returned to Romania and moved to Brasov, which was my first time living here. Brasov is the heart of Romania and it holds a special place in my heart.

Once here, I had the opportunity to work for 2 call center companies where I learned more communication and customer service skills. One project was on AOL, and the other was assisting on XBOX.

Paul Patrichi in mountains

After 4 years in Brasov, I decided to move to the Netherlands because I was curious to explore other countries. I love to travel, and I think it’s been beneficial for me to meet people from different nationalities and observe other cultures and landscapes.

After 4 years in the Netherlands, I returned to Romania where I met some wonderful people who are part of the smrtPhone team, and happily, I am also part of it now.

What was your first job?

My very first job was as a bartender at a restaurant in London, but I was more passionate about coffee, so I decided to get hired as a barista.
Paul Patrichi cafe latte art

What do you like about working for smrtPhone?

I enjoy working at smrtPhone because I’ve met some wonderful colleagues who have helped me grow and learn new things. The teamwork and family atmosphere gives me a pleasant feeling, just like when our customers are satisfied with the services we provide through assistance.

Describe smrtPhone in 3 words:

Smart, Reliable, Friendly!

Smart: Smart because we’re tech-savvy
Reliable: reliable because we’re always there for our customers
Friendly: friendly because we’re just nice folks!

Is there a particular moment/project at smrtPhone that stands out and makes you feel proud?

I can say that I’m proud to see our evolution, and along with it, I’ve evolved too. I felt happy when I had the opportunity to join the porting department, and the fact that I can be part of this team makes me proud.

What do you like to do in your free time?

In my free time, I enjoy going to the gym, doing grocery shopping, going for drives, and traveling out of town. I like taking walks in nature, hanging out with friends, going to restaurants, listening to music, watching movies, playing games, and cooking.

Paul Patrichi looking at the camera

Name something that is on your “bucket list”

I have a cousin in the USA whom I would like to visit, and I would love to go see the Grand Canyon and Niagara Falls.

I would also like to move back to Brasov because currently, I live in my hometown, which is a small city two hours away from Brasov.

I feel that in Brasov, my colleagues are like a family, and I would have the opportunity to interact more with them and build stronger relationships. We could have various activities together outside of work, and I love that Brasov is surrounded by mountains since I adore nature.

What is a fun fact people might not know about you?

I’m quite open and sociable, so there aren’t many things that people don’t know about me.

I already mentioned it above, but I don’t think a lot of people know I was a breakdancer in high school. It’s something I don’t talk about often, but it was a big part of my life and a lot of fun.