The Humans of smrtPhone

Our “smrtie of the Month” teaches prospects, new clients, and long-term clients the benefits of the smrtPhone platform and guides users to become super users.

Name

Vladimir Stoianovici – aka Vladi

Title / Role in the Company

I am a Client Success Agent. My role is to build meaningful relationships with potential clients while providing an introduction to the system. I help them understand how the platform works and demonstrate the features. I also follow up with current clients and make sure they are comfortable with everything  and are getting the full benefit of the capabilities. Basically, it’s our job as CSAs to help clients get the most out of their smrtPhone system.

How long have you worked for smrtPhone?

One year, and it’s been the best year of my professional life by far. It’s been lovely so far and I’m excited for what’s ahead.

What’s your background? 

When I was 18 and graduated high school, I got a job in financial consulting. They brought me on and trained me for about five weeks on all of the products, and ways to gain financial security. They were recruiting and I got a phone call and decided to go for it, but as much as I liked talking to people the products weren’t a good fit for me.

My next job was in a large call center here in Brasov. It’s a very common job among young people. I was in technical support and I learned a lot. The most important things being soft skills like active listening, empathy, asking clarifying questions. I learned a lot of sales skills. It also taught me a lot of patience!

After that, before smrtPhone, I was a content moderator for an online social media platform. When posts were flagged either by the bots or by humans, it would go into my team’s queue. There were 150 rules for what was acceptable content and I would remove it. You saw key clips and if there was something suspicious, you would have to watch the whole video. Luckily most of the day was 75% kids dancing, but I have seen a lot of bad stuff, too.

What was your first job? 

I was just 15 when I had my first job. It was in a small shop in my neighborhood, where I was a cashier and I put products away on the shelves. I was really focused on being independent, to be able to get my own things with my own efforts. But really the main focus was pocket money.

What do you like about working for smrtPhone? 

Everything! I love the team; we’re super united. The whole atmosphere is like a family because everyone is assisting each other. Also, the workflow is very well structured. I have time to research and prepare for my meetings. I can think out my strategy and plan which features to talk about, especially for current clients. It helps me be able to put my best foot forward. Plus, the clients are also really nice. I enjoy talking with them and learning about them. I have only had great experiences.

Describe smrtPhone in 3 words: 

Unity. We collaborate very well. We are always looking for ways to make things easier and improve our internal and external processes.

Innovative. We’re always building new stuff and wanting to be ahead of the market.

Ambitious. We are always looking to be better as a company and as individuals. I believe we all have a growth mindset, a “Let’s be better” attitude.

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

I can’t think of just one. It’s every day! I’m glad I can be part of the evolution of smrtPhone. And I get a lot of satisfaction by being of help to clients and teaching them to get the most value out of the system.

I’m excited about what the future holds for us. Even in just a year, I can look back and see how far we’ve come. I’m happy to be a part of the journey.

What do you like to do in your free time?

I like to hang out with my friends and my girlfriend. As an extrovert, I like to be in the company of my loved ones.

I like to be out in nature, doing hikes or walks. The environment around Brasov is very welcoming for that.

I like to ride bikes and I have a longboard which I use to get around the city.

I’m a little bit of a gamer. I like to play on the computer. But I also like to move and I’m trying to stay disciplined with sports (but that still needs some work.)

Most of all, I like hanging out with my girlfriend, watching movies and cooking.

Name something that is on your “bucket list”

I need to visit the US. I want to see the whole thing – New York City, Yellowstone National Park, the Grand Canyon, New Orleans during Mardi Gras, Miami, Los Angeles, Sequoia National Park. My dad would obsessively read National Geographic – and one issue I remember distinctly was focused on the Sequoia tree. I love trees and being in nature and feeling their energy.

But also, I want to see Japan – shifting from West to East!

To do that, I’d need a whole month for each.

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

When I was young, I wanted to be a football (soccer) goalkeeper, but I wore glasses. Then, I wanted to play basketball, but I was too short. Then, I wanted to swim, but I was too thin. The water was cold and after a minute, I’d freeze and shiver. So, I ended up as a chess player.