A journey from support leader to a specialist product role
After losing his role in tourism during the pandemic, Fotios joined Phorest in support. Today he drives product enablement across the DACH region.
L1 Support Agent
Handling emails and calls and working directly with customers.
Team Lead
Approached by leadership, without having applied.
Specialist, Product Enablement (DACH)
Supporting and driving product enablement across the region.
An unexpected crossroads
When the global pandemic brought international travel to a standstill, I suddenly found myself at an unexpected crossroads. After losing my long-term role in the tourism industry, I was contacted by a recruiter through Xing about an opportunity at Phorest.
At first, I wasn’t quite sure what to make of it. In fact, I even wondered if it was legitimate! But that quickly changed after my first interview. The people I met were relaxed, approachable and authentic. Nothing felt corporate or rehearsed, it just felt real. That was enough to convince me to take the leap.
Starting in support
I joined Phorest in 2020 as an L1 Support Agent, handling emails and calls and working directly with customers. Within a month or two, the role became fully remote as Phorest adapted to the pandemic.
Although I had no previous experience in the salon or beauty industry, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. I particularly loved working with salon owners; it was like working with artists - passionate, creative people who are deeply invested in what they do.
Making a difference
I joined at a challenging time. The Support team was dealing with a significant backlog of tickets and missed calls, and there wasn’t yet a clearly defined team structure in place. Rather than being overwhelmed by it, I saw an opportunity to make a difference.
I focused on clearing the backlog, improving response times and building stronger relationships with customers. The impact was clear: customer satisfaction scores improved, and positive feedback started coming through.
Opportunities that are created
Just a year after joining, I was approached about stepping into a Team Lead role. I hadn’t applied for the position; leadership had noticed my performance and saw the potential in me. For me, it was a great example of how opportunities at Phorest can be created.
Support is available at every level of the organisation, including from CEO Ronan Perceval, whose leadership style I describe as inspiring and human.
What keeps me here
The main reason I continue to stay in Phorest is the people. I feel seen as a person, not just an employee. I’ve always had a strong passion for our product, which led me to build deep product knowledge over the years. This opened another door for me, and I stepped out of leadership and into a specialist role supporting and driving product enablement across the DACH region.
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My advice for anyone joining Phorest: Dive deep into the product. Build relationships. Keep learning.
We asked Fotios what advice he would give to someone joining Phorest. He said: Dive deep into the product. Understanding the product and everything it can do is the foundation for understanding your customers and their needs. Build relationships. Ask questions, start conversations and make your voice heard. Keep learning. Whether that means improving your language skills, expanding your industry knowledge or taking advantage of regional and global development opportunities, there’s always something new to learn.
Fotios Polytakis
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