Employee Spotlight: Niki Chondrogianni, Customer Success Specialist

Say hello to Niki, our creative and caring Customer Success Specialist!

Daryll Williams | May 02, 2023
Employee Spotlight: Niki Chondrogianni, Customer Success Specialist

Say hello to Niki, our creative and caring Customer Success Specialist!

 

Describe your Crobox journey so far

 

There was a lot to learn, and I had a slow start at first, but things are getting busier now! I like that I keep learning new things about the product and the company, and I’m never bored with the job! The onboarding process really helped me integrate, I already had meetings scheduled with the team on my behalf which was great. Most recently, I have also started working on improving our technical customer-facing documentation!

 

If you could sum up your job in one word, what would you say?

 

Hmmm, this one is difficult, but I think “synergy”. You need to understand the job on a technical level as much as possible, while also keeping the customer in mind so they aren’t overwhelmed by the product!

 

Who would your ideal customer be?

 

I love skincare. You can ask my boyfriend how hard it is for me to resist buying more products every time we’re out shopping! One of my favorite brands is The Ordinary. I really like how transparent they are about the ingredients in their products – you don’t have to wonder what’s in a serum, it’s right in the title. I’m also a big fan of how gender-inclusive the brand is. I’d love for us to make a stellar skincare routine finder for them.

 

Tell us about the most interesting project you've worked on at Crobox?

 

I’ve had the chance to work on projects for quite a few of our customers, especially when I first started and hadn’t been assigned my own customers yet. It’s always exciting to get to know our different clients, talk about their ideas and goals, and then find a way to bring them to reality as a team. One of the most interesting projects was revamping the ASICS shoe finder, because it included extensive user testing, which resulted in incredibly valuable feedback.

It is also very interesting to work with Unicare on their Mattress Finder. It’s a product category I didn’t have much knowledge in, and I was surprised by the amount of specific attributes that we had to incorporate into the finder. I’m very excited about the insights the finder is going to gather.

 

The women of Crobox

Niki and the women of Crobox

 

What do you think makes our team culture unique?

 

I like that the team is small enough that you can talk to anyone, I like that we have a lot of fun together! Everyone is very different but the team is very approachable and understanding. The balance that we have is just right.

 

What is your favorite thing about living in The Netherlands?

 

Honestly, how easy it is to get around. I live in Utrecht, which is smaller compared to Amsterdam, and everything is essentially 10-15 minutes away from Utrecht Centraal train station. You get on your bike and you’re in the heart of the city within 10 minutes. I also love how many green spaces are quickly and easily accessible from anywhere you are. Utrecht has more than four parks, and you can even get to the forest (Amelisweerd) in 20-30 minutes by bike.

 

What is the most “Dutch” thing you have learned since living here?

 

That it is possible to move almost all of your belongings to another part of the city by bike! My boyfriend and I haven’t attempted it yet, but I’ve seen people bike with full body mirrors, bedside tables, computer screens… An acquaintance of ours tried to convince us to rent a bakfiets to move, but I think we’re not quite “Dutch” enough for that yet.

 

A fun fact about you?

 

I took theatre classes for about ten years and acted in a lot of theatrical productions. I've also been an extra on a Greek TV series! It was written by one of my favorite Greek screenplay writers. I grew up watching his shows (my friends and I quote parts of them constantly), so it was a full-circle moment to take part in his new work.

I also once “accidentally” auditioned for a Greek reality tv show called Greece’s Next Top Model. I filled out the application as a joke to prank a friend and all of my answers were either lyrics from a children’s song, or just crazy. I guess that’s why I got a call back – they wanted to meet the person behind the insane application to figure out if bringing me on to the show would make for good reality tv. Of course, when I showed up to the preliminary audition and gave very regular, boring answers, and showed I had 0 interest in modeling, they realized I wouldn’t be a good fit. It’s a fun story to tell though!

 

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Niki on stage

 

How would you describe yourself in three words?

 

I never find it easy to answer this kind of question. I guess, after a lot of thinking, I’d say curious, steadfast, and empathetic.

 

Niki spotted as an extra on a tv show

Niki as an extra!

 

How is cycling going in The Netherlands?

 

Great! I recently spent a few weeks in London and I missed my bike every day. I was anxious before getting my bike. I wanted to buy a helmet because I was afraid of cyclists. But now in true cyclist fashion, I get annoyed at pedestrians when they walk on bike lanes and measure distances in how long it would take to bike somewhere.

 

What’s your favorite weekend activity?

 

I love to sleep in, take a walk in the city or in a park close by, and finish off by watching a movie or tv show with my boyfriend. But I also like taking day trips to nearby cities such as Delft and Maastricht. We used to do that a lot in Greece when we had a car, and I look forward to exploring the Netherlands since everything is close! I also enjoy going out for a coffee or drink with friends, or a party or music show – it helps that some of my friends in the Netherlands are musicians, so they’re easy enough to find.

 

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Niki on a day trip in Greece to Makedonika Tempi

 

What’s your best Utrecht recommendation?

 

Utrecht is such a beautiful city! I’d recommend taking a walk by the Oudegracht, especially if the weather is nice. One of my favorite places to go for a coffee or drink is De Postillon, which overlooks the canal and is very cozy. If you’re lucky you can meet the true owner of the cafe: a huge orange cat who spends most of his time taking strolls by the water.

 

Niki outside a cafe in Utrecht

Niki out and about in Utrecht

 

Who would you swap lives with in the office for a day?

 

I would swap lives with Patrick! I’d like to be able to make cool designs and have his consumer psychology knowledge! I’d also like to see what it’s like to go through life not liking coffee or beer (I’ve honestly started to believe he’s not actually Dutch).