In this episode of the CX Insider Podcast, we’re joined by Zertashia, Director of Customer Experience at Amazon, for a deep-dive into what truly defines world-class customer experience at scale. We unpack how Amazon scales empathy, trust, and operational excellence globally—making customer experience not just a principle, but a system embedded into every layer of the organisation. From treating defects like data points to ensuring customers are never metaphorically “on mute,” this conversation is packed with real insights and practical mechanisms for founders, CX leaders, and innovators in any industry.
Episode Summary
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Trust Is Invisible
In this episode of CX Insider, Zertashia, Amazon’s Director of Customer Experience, dives into what really makes a customer journey unforgettable — or rather, completely forgettable in the best way possible. Rather than aiming for flashy moments of delight, Zertashia emphasises that the real magic lies in creating systems so effective that customers don’t even notice them. “The absence of pain is the loyalty driver,” she explains, reminding us that trust isn’t earned through one-off surprises but through the relentless delivery of operational excellence. It’s not about making customers fall in love once; it’s about being reliable enough that they never need to question whether things will work.
Operationalising Customer Obsession
Customer experience, Zertashia argues, isn’t something that should live in buzzwords or mission statements. It needs to be embedded into the operating DNA of the business — codified, measurable, and championed at the top. She shares examples from her own career where seemingly simple decisions, like shortening a phone tree or answering a call promptly, became revolutionary acts in organisations not fully aligned with their CX goals. By embedding mechanisms such as always asking, “What is the customer experience?” in every meeting, and ensuring leaders hear the raw, unfiltered voice of the customer, companies can bring clarity and empathy into their decision-making.
Growing Without Cracking
As businesses grow, maintaining consistent CX becomes exponentially harder — but not impossible. Zertashia describes scaling as a balancing act between people, systems, and priorities. It’s not growth that breaks CX, she says, but unbalanced growth. Her advice? Set customer-centric principles early, build systems that make it easier to do the right thing, and treat every piece of feedback as gold. Most powerfully, she warns against putting the customer on mute. Organisations often “bury emails, break feedback loops, or smooth over escalations.” Her remedy? Make listening unavoidable. Start every key meeting with the voice of the customer, because that one raw moment could move mountains — or at the very least, fix that broken refund process.
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To find out more about Zertashia, check out our full episode – available on all your favourite channels. Now including YouTube!
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This article summarises podcast episode 131 “don’t wait for things to break “ recorded by CX Insider.
Written by Elysia Filaitis