At Amazon Freight, we believe in the power of people to drive innovation and excellence in customer service. Today, we're excited to introduce you to Tamika Durham, a Program Manager for Service Excellence. Her role is crucial in shaping our customer-centric approach and driving continuous improvement in our services.

Q: Tell us a little bit about your background and how you got into transportation.
My career has been diverse and spans hospitality, academia, consulting, and operations. In graduate school, I launched my own consulting company focused on helping family businesses overcome their tech fears (think helping your grandparents discover the magic of smartphones!). Curiosity brought me to Amazon in their Fulfillment Centers and then I moved into the corporate side of the business. The ability to combine all of my experience led me to Amazon Freight in its very early days. It felt like the perfect match: a dynamic start-up environment where I could blend my love for research, teaching, and problem-solving.

Q: What is it that appeals to you about the transportation industry?
Transportation is a field that requires a unique blend of strategic thinking, technological savvy, and human-centered design. What interests me about the industry is its embodiment of interconnectedness. Every decision has far-reaching effects, touching countless lives. What's particularly fascinating is how the industry serves as a critical backbone for virtually every aspect of our lives – from the food on our tables to the clothes on our backs. It's an invisible force that keeps our world moving.

At Amazon Freight, it’s exciting to be involved in a lot of this work. From developing more sustainable logistics solutions to creating more resilient supply chains in the face of global disruptions, the work we do has the potential to make differences in the world.

Q: What is your role at Amazon Freight?
My technical title is a program manager on the team responsible for service excellence at Amazon Freight. But what I tell my friends and family is that I am indirectly building and nurturing relationships with our customers by understanding their challenges and goals. This helps us move beyond being just a service provider to becoming a trusted transportation consultant invested in our customers' success.

My primary focus is on examining feedback from our customer interactions across various touchpoints: phone calls, emails, and surveys. This comprehensive view allows me to identify opportunities to enhance both our people and our processes, ultimately elevating our service quality and customer experience. In essence, my role is about bridging the gap between customer expectations and our service delivery.

Q: Who are your customers and how do you help them on a daily basis?
At Amazon Freight, our customer base is as diverse as the transportation industry itself. The primary group is shippers who are businesses looking to transport their goods and can tap into the Amazon network via Amazon Freight to do so. Many are small businesses who face a variety of challenges each day and need a simple, reliable way to move their freight.

I also interface with carriers and drivers who are integral parts in keeping the Amazon network humming along. I help ensure that the voices of shippers, carriers, and drivers are heard and translated into actionable improvements. This collaborative approach ensures we stay adaptable and competitive in the ever-changing transportation industry.

Q: How do you help customers when the inevitable disruption happens?
Handling disruptions is a blend of immediate action, proactive communication, and future-focused innovation. We're committed to not just solving problems as they arise, but also to creating a freight experience that anticipates and prevents issues before they can impact our customers' businesses.

I do this by diving deep into our processes through the customer's lens, walking through each touchpoint and asking "how does this affect their business operations?" I try to identify where our processes might create friction and develop solutions that work for both the customer and our business. Sometimes it's as simple as reminders all around. Other times, it leads to larger innovations in our self-service tools. This approach helps ensure we're not just fixing surface-level issues but creating meaningful improvements that make our customers' lives easier.

Q: The world of transportation can make for busy days. What interests do you have outside of work?
I'm constantly seeking out new experiences. Currently, I'm on a journey to become a certified advocate for victims of violence, giving voice to those otherwise kept silent by force or shame. I'm not naturally a cat lover but I am a lover of living things in vulnerable positions, so I also have a small herd of cats at home that keep me on my toes!

The people behind Amazon Freight
Want to learn about more Amazon employees like Tamika who make Amazon Freight tick? Check them out here.