We’re pleased to introduce our inspiring interview with Stella Anestiadou, Customer Experience Manager at AVIS Greece, a company recognized for its customer-centric leadership in the industry, and Pisano Academy’s newest collaborator.
Stella has a knack for balancing the analytical side of CX with a human touch—a combination that makes her approach both insightful and relatable.
With an emphasis on real-world applications and thoughtful leadership, Stella’s insights offer something for anyone as passionate about CX as we are!
In this interview, Stella shares her journey, lessons learned, and thoughts on what’s next for the field. Let’s discover the wisdom of one of the industry’s most engaging voices!
Discovering the Person Behind the Professional
Before we start exploring the complex world of experience management, we wanted to get to know the person behind the expertise. Who is Stella when she's not leading CX transformations or shaping strategy? What are her passions, quirks and simple joys? Let's start by getting to know the person at the heart of her career.
- Q: We’re excited to hear about your professional experiences, but first, let’s get to know the person behind the resume. Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
- I live in the amazing city of Athens, the capital of Greece, and I am quite lucky to experience a mix of modern and ancient places, great beaches, and tasty food! I think I have both introvert and extrovert qualities, so my hobbies follow my personal traits. Pilates, mindful meditation (John Kabat-Zinn is my favorite author), and doing activities close to nature with my loved ones or eating out together keep me happy and balanced!
It’s refreshing to see that Stella finds joy in both mindful moments and shared experiences. Her words bring to mind that quote, “Find joy in the journey, not just the destination.” Her love for nature, meditation, and balance hints that she’s a grounded, thoughtful leader. We can already sense the empathy and balance she brings to her work.
Stella’s CX Journey: Lessons, Challenges, and Defining Moments
- Q: What inspired you to pursue a career in customer experience management, and what drives your passion for customer experience?
- I think I must have been born for the CX field! I am an empath and very analytical as a personality, so I found out quite soon that I am best suited to any profession around those personality traits. I just followed who I am, in a way.
Here, Stella sounds like customer experience found her as much as she found it—a bit like a career love story. Her innate mix of empathy and analysis is practically a recipe for CX success. It got us wondering: How often do people find that perfect fit, where both passion and profession align so naturally? Lucky for us, Stella has.
- Q: Looking back at your career, how would you describe your professional journey so far? What were some of the key moments that defined your path?
- My professional journey was full of surprises, challenges, and great moments. Taking over transformation projects such as call center integration, leading change within organizations, and working with different cultures was an amazing professional and personal experience.
Stella’s journey sounds a bit like a rollercoaster, the kind where each loop brings new insights and strength. Her blend of "surprises and challenges" paints a picture of resilience. For those of us in CX, this is a heartening reminder: every twist brings its own lesson, and each project can be a stepping stone to the next.
- Q: You have held various roles across different industries. How have these experiences shaped your approach to work?
- All my roles helped me develop a holistic approach and broaden my skills. Moving around different industries, I realized that the principles, skills, and competencies remain the same.
No matter what lyrics they whisper, what melodies they follow, there are elements such as instruments and rhythms that make songs common. Stella reminds us of this idea. Her message? Whether you're in retail, tech, or hospitality, certain principles in CX are timeless. It’s comforting to think that while industries vary, the heart of customer experience beats to the same tempo.
- Q: Can you share a story about a particularly challenging project you’ve managed? How did you overcome obstacles and achieve your objectives?
- A particularly challenging project involved integrating multiple call centers into a single point of contact. That was challenging due to the operational differences of each center, collecting numerical data from various sources, as well as managing the expectations of many stakeholders. In my case, I focused very much on building relationships with key stakeholders (not necessarily high in the hierarchy) and communicating the benefits of this transition from their perspective. It was about being able to answer this: 'What’s in it for me?'
Ah, the classic “What’s in it for me?” question. Stella’s answer reminds us that CX isn’t just about data—it’s about people and their motives. Her story shows how much impact thoughtful, human-centered leadership can have in bringing people together, especially when there’s a complex transformation at stake.
- Q: Effectively aligning customer experience metrics with outcomes is vital in today’s CX world. What is your approach to setting and achieving these goals?
- I consider it essential to define key metrics that result in tangible outcomes. Some metrics are more strategic, like NPS, while others are more operational, like Customer Effort Score. Everything is tied to the maturity of each organization, so flexibility and deep technical knowledge (e.g., being able to analyze multiple data sources) are vital.
Stella clearly sees metrics as more than just numbers—they’re the “guiding stars” that shape each CX journey. And like any good navigator, she knows that you have to adjust course depending on the ship you're steering. We couldn’t help but appreciate the thoughtful approach she brings to such a crucial part of CX.
Stella’s Insights on Aligning Strategy with Company Goals
Before we explore how Stella aligns strategy with company goals, it’s important to recognize the nature of customer experience in the automotive industry.
In a sector like automotive, customers interact with a variety of touchpoints—from booking a rental to vehicle pick-up and return. Stella’s empathic approach to CX at AVIS Greece focuses on understanding customer emotions and needs at each of these stages.
Her ability to connect with customers on a deeper level, ensuring they feel heard and valued, is especially crucial in a fast-paced environment where personalization and attention to detail can make or break the experience.
Let’s now dive into how Stella’s approach ensures CX aligns with the broader goals of her organization.
- Q: Can you describe your company’s overall approach to customer experience? What are the core principles guiding your CX strategy?
- Our core principles are Passion for what we do, Customer Focus, and Innovation. We make sure that all new products, systems, and processes align with those Values.
Reading Stella’s response, we’re reminded that these core principles—Passion, Customer Focus, Innovation—aren’t just catchy words. They’re like the DNA of her company’s CX strategy. It’s inspiring to see that Stella doesn’t just talk about values; she puts them into practice, ensuring they’re embedded in every layer of her work.
- Q: What are the key components of your current customer experience program? How do they align with your company’s broader goals?
- The approach is multidimensional and holistic. Core elements include the Voice of the Customer program, journey mapping, employee experience, and KPIs relevant to the business so as to align with the company’s strategic goals.
Listening to Stella talk about a “multidimensional” approach felt a bit like watching an orchestra at work—every instrument, every note playing its part to create harmony. Her perspective highlights the interconnectedness of CX, where each element feeds into the others, creating something bigger and more impactful.
- Q: What are some of the biggest challenges or pain points your company faces in managing your CX strategy?
- The challenges for most organizations striving to achieve best-of-class customer experience are fostering cross-functional collaboration and breaking down silos, ensuring decisions are data-driven, and putting customers’ needs at the heart of those decisions. This is easier said than done because the Voice of the Customer must be balanced with the Voice of the Business.
Stella brings us right to the heart of the CX balancing act. It’s like walking a tightrope—keeping both the customer’s needs and business goals in focus without tipping too far in either direction. Her answer reminded us just how essential it is to keep that balance steady, no matter how turbulent things may get.
Stella's Leadership Philosophy in Experience Management
- Q: Leaders always drive positive changes within teams and organizations. What leadership qualities do you consider crucial for driving positive change in customer experience?
- Having led various transformation projects, I would consider a good mix of empathy, self-awareness, and resilience essential. You need to connect with diverse audiences and their agendas, be able to manage your emotions during pressuring times, and keep up when facing resistance. Any change creates uncertainty or challenges the status quo, so it comes with resistance. So, take a heart and go ahead!
Stella’s take on leadership feels like advice you’d get from a seasoned mountain guide: “Bring empathy, pack resilience, and be ready for steep climbs.” Her emphasis on “taking heart” is a refreshing reminder that even when the path is tough, a CX leader can steer through with emotional intelligence as their compass.
- Q: How do you see the role of a customer experience leader in bridging the gap between company management and other departments?
- The role of a CX leader is crucial in bridging the gaps that, in most companies, naturally exist. It is there to align the entire organization towards a common goal – that is to deliver a great experience to customers, as well as great value to the organization.
Stella’s perspective on CX leadership brings to mind a bridge over a wide river, connecting isolated lands. Her vision for CX is all about alignment, creating those connections between departments, so the organization can act as one. It’s no small task, but her words make it feel like a worthwhile mission.
- Q: Experience management also has an employee experience pillar. What do you think about the relationship between employee experience and customer experience?
- Technology has enabled companies to automate many of their offerings, but the minute something goes wrong, customers want to speak to a human. It is employees that respond to these critical moments. Their commitment and effort are the building blocks for customer-centricity. I think, that over the years, this has become clear - at least to those organizations striving for excellence.
Stella’s response gives CX a heartbeat, tying employee commitment directly to the customer’s experience. It’s a bit like saying, “When the curtain falls, it’s the people behind the scenes who make the show memorable.” Her words emphasize that investing in employees isn’t just a nicety; it’s what ultimately gives CX its humanity.
The Future of CX Through Stella’s Eyes: Trends, Technology, and Vision
- Q: What aspects of your work are you most passionate about right now? What excites you about the future of customer experience?
- I am most passionate about exploring the capabilities of AI, as it can really transform customer experience in many ways, such as offering hyper-personalization and creating services that are very customer-specific.
Stella’s excitement here is contagious. Her vision of hyper-personalization feels like stepping into a futuristic world where every CX interaction is like a custom-tailored suit—designed perfectly to fit the customer. It’s a thrilling reminder of the possibilities that tech can unlock for truly individualized experiences.
- Q: Given your experience in CX, what do you think will be the next major shift in the industry?
- This is very much tied to AI, so I would think of predictive CX as being one major shift in the industry. We need to be more proactive than reactive in managing customers’ needs and wants.
Imagine being able to anticipate customer needs before they even realize them—that’s the future she’s aiming toward. Her insight challenges us all to think beyond just reacting and start foreseeing what our customers will crave next.
- Q: What advice would you offer to professionals aiming to advance in the field of experience management?
- Empathy is a prerequisite for the field. A famous neuroscientist Antonio Damasio quoted, ‘We are not thinking machines that feel; we are feeling machines that think.’ Let’s not forget that people want to feel understood. I would also advise that any professional becomes data-driven, as this is a highly technical profession.
Stella’s advice speaks volumes: CX isn’t just about the mind; it’s equally about the heart. Her reminder that we’re “feeling machines that think” hits home for anyone looking to make a real impact in experience management. It’s a blend of science and soul—a beautiful way to wrap up this inspiring conversation.
Many thanks to Stella for this inspiring and heartfelt conversation. We are sure that her insights will trigger or contribute to the customer-centric transformation that many XM professionals will drive for themselves and their companies.