Previously, we wrote about Alex Belonozhko, a lab technician who has been on the cutting edge of our A-Series and U-Series product lines. Today, we are proud to introduce Alex Polyakov, the employee that has been with 64 Audio since the very beginning.
Our founder, Vitaly Belonozhko, received a lot of support from his family in the earliest stages of 64 Audio’s development, but Alex was the very first full-time employee that he brought on at 1964 Ears (now 64 Audio).
“I was the first full time employee after Vitaly…He needed somebody for the all of the office stuff so that he could focus on the lab… so I handled everything that wasn’t production – artists, accounting, order processing. This was actually right after they moved out of the second bedroom, where they created the company.”
Back then, Alex did it all from one small desk. Now, his duties have been divided into entire departments: artist relations, customer service, order processing, and sales. He says that “It’s just great to see that certain departments need more people…It’s just been wonderful that we have been able to find those people.”
The growth that necessitates such an office team is definitely a positive aspect of the company.
“It’s a daily thing where you get to see how big of an impact we’re making out there,” Alex says.
So what does Alex do now? Well, he is one of the 64 Audio employees that interacts with customers directly on a regular basis. As a primary customer service representative, he answers questions through emails, phone calls, and social media. He also assists with the demo-ing program that allows customers to try out 64 Audio’s models before making a purchase. Finally, Alex is a primary contact between audiologists and 64 Audio. He works on maintaining the Audiologist map on our website, something that he says is “extremely popular.”
Customer service definitely keeps him busy, but Alex really enjoys his job.
“My job has been relatively easy because we have always had a top of the line product. So my job has always been great because the customer feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. It’s very easy to enjoy your job when the majority of your customers are happy, and the ones that do have issues, we are able to be pretty flexible in assisting them. It has been very easy to find a compromise where the customer feels like they are not being taken advantage of.”
Alex does a great job of taking care of 64 Audio’s customers when they have questions, concerns, and feedback. He plays a crucial role, not only in helping our customers, but in giving them a voice at 64 Audio.
“I’m bringing their needs and the different problems they run into to the company – making sure that we’re responding to that, making sure that it’s not just going on deaf ears, making sure that decisions are made with customers in mind, making sure that they have input, that they have a say in what happens.”
“Over the years it has been great to see how our products have changed because of customer feedback,” Alex says. The examples that he provided included the V6-S and Qi, models whose sound signatures were adjusted according to feedback that 64 Audio received from customers. 64 Audio’s new carrying case was another example of the company reacting to customers’ need. When we couldn’t find a case on the market that fulfilled that need, we created one from scratch.
Alex works hard to make sure that 64 Audio does what it can for its loyal customers, but Alex also shared some great examples of what 64 Audio has done for him.
“I got to travel more than I personally take the initiative to do,” Alex said. As a sales representative, he took several trips to Colorado, Seattle, and California to attend trade shows.
Thanks to his affiliation with the company, he has also had some unique musical experiences. When asked what his favorite live concert had been, he answered, “Backstage with the Newsboys. I was plugged in directly to their monitor mix with my own pack – the singer and the musicians like right in my ear.”
And of course working for 64 Audio has some clear benefits as far as our products go. Alex told us, “I have been able to experience the world’s best earphones. You don’t realize what you’re missing until you get a pair yourself. At that point, they become so critical…mine are around my neck pretty much all the time.”
Over the years, Alex has sported four different pairs of in-ears and currently wears a pair of 64 Audio’s flagship custom earphones – the A12. His use of the 12-driver with apex technology has opened his mind to a more refined, balanced sound signature:
“I really like them. I’m typically a bass head…I think the A12 has pushed my enjoyment of sound to a higher level. I do find that I’m enjoying that type of sound over a bass-heavy sound.”
Alex uses his in-ears for everything – listening to movies on his phone, tuning in to podcasts, and of course rocking out to his music. As for his musical tastes, “they vary completely. It’s all based on mood…I don’t really care what genre it’s from.”
When he isn’t at 64 Audio, Alex likes to spend his time outside (especially when the weather is warm). When the Oregon weather is agreeable, Alex takes advantage of the state’s beautiful mountains. He enjoys hiking and taking his motorcycle (a Ninja 500) out on fun roads. He shared a little bit extra about his beloved bike: “It was a blast – I instantly loved it. It has treated me well… I was pleasantly surprised because a lot of people will tell you that you’re enthralled with the idea of a motorcycle but not the reality of one.”
We’re glad that Alex is enjoying the reality of both his motorcycle and his customer service position here at 64 Audio. We have been extremely fortunate to have him for so long, and we hope to keep him around for a long time yet, helping us help the customers that make our business possible.
