Payo Feature: Meet our company’s first employee – Jhoy Villagonzalo!

Payo wasn’t always the E-commerce enabler in the Philippines that it is today. The company actually started out as an online store, one that sold religious items all the way from Israel. Eventually, the company transitioned into a CoD gateway, and then into a solutions provider for E-commerce.

One of the employees that was there for all these transitions is Jhoy Villagonzalo, our Same-day Logistics Lead. In fact, she was Payo’s first ever employee! Learn about her experience through the years, as well as her favorite memories with Payo. 

1. Please tell us a little about your journey with Payo. What year did you start working in the company, and how were your first few months? 

I started working for our CEO, Liron Gross, back in 2014. It was under a different company then, and I started as a Sales Agent. By 2015, I became the Customer Service Manager. Come 2017, the company was renamed to SOW Philippines Fulfillment Inc., better known as Payo, and transitioned from an online store to a CoD gateway. 

I started as a Last Mile Officer in Payo, where I handled the remittances from third-party logistics on a daily basis. I was also in charge of updating our system’s remittances, courier fees, and claims once they were validated by the Finance team.

I’m now the Same-day Logistics Lead, meaning my team and I are responsible for all Same-day deliveries. We always strive to provide excellent service to each merchant from the moment their orders come in to the moment they’re delivered. We also make sure that all their concerns and queries are addressed as efficiently and as soon as possible. This is important especially because Same-day deliveries are time-bound. 

2. What was it like being the company’s first employee? 

I felt privileged and honored to be part of an amazing company, especially as it grew. I was able to test myself and my capabilities when it came to doing work in an industry that was new to me. Payo gave me the chance to explore and maximize my potential, and everyone has been supportive since day one.

I am grateful that our CEO and Co-founder Liron Gross gave me the opportunity to be part of her company and share my ideas and talents here. 

3. How have things changed between your first year in Payo and now? 

A lot has changed, especially within myself. Through the years,  I saw that I slowly became more professional, patient, confident, and eager to learn about the E-commerce industry.

4. What are some ways that the company grew or evolved? 

We used to do a lot of manual processes. One example of this is how we used to manually choose which orders were for Standard Delivery, and which ones were for Same-day Delivery. Now, our online system can easily identify which is which. We’ve leveraged tech and automation to make sure things are faster and easier. 

The company has also become more well-known with local and international online merchants, especially when it comes to providing the best E-commerce services.

5. Which of Payo’s company events do you look forward to every year? Why? 

I always look forward to our team building events. It’s nice to just interact and bond with all the Payo employees from different departments. We always have a lot of fun. 

6. Can you share one of your favorite Payo memories?

I have a lot of favorite memories related to our annual year-end Christmas parties. This is because everyone is excited to participate, and everyone does their best to make the event successful and fun. 

7. How does your work contribute to making E-commerce simple, which is Payo’s goal? 

We offer premium services to merchants who want to provide same-day deliveries in Metro Manila.  We make it a point to monitor all these deliveries from pick-up to delivery, so that we can make sure that our merchants’ customers are happy. Ultimately, we lessen the burdens of our merchants by providing excellent service. 

8. What’s one thing you want to achieve with Payo this 2022? 

I want Payo to find even more success, and I want to hopefully still be a part of that success.

Curious about how Payo, an E-commerce enabler in the Philippines, can help your business? Check out our website for more information, or sign up with us today!