At A Glance

Niko Gurganus, a customer experience expert at Bow Wow Labs, shares insights into creating a customer-first culture, blending AI with personal connections, and leading with empathy. He discusses how the company uses technology to streamline support while maintaining the human touch essential for customer loyalty. Niko also emphasizes the importance of team collaboration and the ability to adapt to customer needs as Bow Wow Labs grows.

Who is Niko Gurganus?

Meet Niko, the customer service supervisor at Bow Wow Labs!

About Bow Wow Labs

Bow Wow Labs was founded with a mission to make dogs' favorite treats – bully sticks – safer to enjoy. The idea was born from a frightening experience, when a beloved pet nearly lost its life after choking on a small piece of bully stick. That emergency inspired a simple but powerful innovation: a safety device designed to help prevent similar accidents and protect pets everywhere.

Niko’s CX Journey

Niko’s journey to Bow Wow Labs started with a lifelong passion for animals. Now working in customer experience, he supports pet parents using the company’s innovative safety products, including the Bow Wow Buddy, a safety device designed to help dogs chew safely and happily. His background spans Petco, humane societies, and a veterinary hospital, where he worked as a certified veterinary assistant. After serving in the military, he returned to school and earned a degree in information technology during the pandemic. “I wanted to find a remote position after I graduated, and luckily I found Bow Wow Labs,” he said. “It kind of worked out, brought my information technology with pets. So it’s been really nice.”

What Excites Niko About CX

Creating a sense of community with customers is what excites Niko most. He sees them not as outsiders but as part of the team, helping Bow Wow Labs learn and grow. 

“They’re not some separate entity, they are right there with us, and they’re the reason that we have these products to begin with,” he said.

The CX Team at Bow Wow Labs

Bow Wow Labs operates entirely remotely, something Niko says adds flexibility and benefits the customer service experience. But he also acknowledged the challenges: “Maintaining morale during tough times can be pretty challenging,” he said. Internal struggles can trickle down, so keeping the team positive is essential. “If we keep everything high, then customers get that same emotion.”

Approach to Hiring

Bow Wow Labs keeps its hiring process simple but intentional. “It’s an application and screening process—interviews, reference checks, and then we do mock scenarios to run through,” Niko explained. The team looks for empathy, adaptability, patience, and a problem-solving mindset. “We want to make sure you can deal with some of the situations that come through,” he said. Bow Wow Labs offers support through email, live chat, social media, and phone, but most customers prefer email. “We have great response times with emails, which allows for fast resolutions to the issues,” Niko said.

CX Team Success Factors

Niko and his team focus on core KPIs like first response time, resolution time, and customer satisfaction. These metrics directly shape how the team operates and evolves. “Using these KPIs helps determine where improvements need to be made,” he said.

Importance of Consistency

Niko emphasizes the importance of consistency in customer support, ensuring all customers receive the same high level of service. “We want consistent communication with all teams,” he explained, highlighting that improving response and resolution times is always a priority. To achieve this, his team leverages data, AI, and streamlined processes like macros.

By tracking data from customer interactions, reviews, and social media comments, they gather insights into customer sentiment, which guides their strategy. “We create countermeasures so we can strategically deal with issues,” Niko added, ensuring there’s a timeline and accountability in place. This proactive approach is key to their long-term success in delivering top-notch customer service.

Revenue Generation/AI/topics of interest 

Niko emphasized that while AI is a useful tool, it’s incorporated strategically to enhance, not replace, the human touch. “AI is a great tool to help reduce response times and to get to customers during off hours,” he explained. The AI system uses past interactions and tone to address repetitive tasks, freeing up the team to focus on more complex customer needs. However, Niko was clear that the company is committed to preserving a personal connection with their customers. “We’re constantly updating the AI to make sure customers still feel that personal touch. We don’t want them to feel like they’re only interacting with AI, or that getting in touch with us takes too long,” he said. This approach ensures that AI complements human service, maintaining the balance between efficiency and empathy.

Best Advice for CX Leaders

Niko’s core advice for success in customer experience? “Lead with empathy and advocate for your customers internally,” he stated. “You are their voice. If you aren’t speaking up, other people on your team might not realize what needs to be done or fixed.” This approach emphasizes the importance of being the customer’s advocate within the organization, ensuring their needs are heard and addressed by everyone involved in the process.