The Secret to Building a Sustainable Service Culture (It’s not what you think!)

Last Thursday, my alarm went off at 4:30 AM for the 500th consecutive day. As the days counted down to this milestone, I started reflecting on how this simple routine had become the perfect metaphor for everything I teach my clients about building customer-focused cultures.

It started with a specific commitment: 5,000 steps every morning before breakfast. Not "walk more" or "get healthier" - exactly 5,000 steps. This precision mirrors what I share with my clients about customer focus: vague aspirations like "put customers first" don't drive behavioural change. Specific commitments do.

One of the first steps in building a customer-centric culture is defining what that means for your organisation. Each organisation is unique, which is why it's so important that the commitment resonates across all departments. Whether it's a customer promise, customer commitments, or signature service standards, they clearly define expectations. Just like my 5,000 steps, these specific targets create accountability and make progress measurable.

I've learned over these 500 days that consistency isn't about willpower. It is about removing barriers and creating structures that make success inevitable.

I prepare my walking clothes the night before and plan the walk regardless of the weather and where I am in the world. This aligns with how I work with organisations, clients need systems that make customer-focused behaviour the path of least resistance. We create organisation-wide responsibility for the customer experience, provide training to all leaders and team members, and create embedding strategies and commitments well beyond the training.

One of the other keys to embedding a customer-centric culture is coaching. It is one of the methodologies I teach in my Service Leadership programs as a core embedding tool. I know that for me, having a coach changed everything. My health coach, Wayne, provided accountability and systems, and in addition, he celebrated this milestone with me. On day 500, he drove over 100 kilometres to walk alongside me. Not only is he an exceptional coach, but he has helped me build sustainable habits. And importantly, he is big on celebrating successes, knowing this is crucial for maintaining long-term commitment.

Organisations that consistently acknowledge customer-focused behaviours, celebrate service wins, share customer success stories externally and internally, and recognise team members create environments where those behaviours multiply.

I have seen time and time again; customer focus isn't demonstrated through mission statements or company values posted on walls. It is demonstrated through consistent actions and behaviours that customers can feel, observe, and experience. These actions, like my daily steps, accumulate into something transformative.

Day 127, I woke up with a migraine. Day 203 was a family emergency. Day 341 meant walking through snow. Another day brought pouring rain. I have learned it's not about creating perfect conditions, it's about showing up, especially when you don't want to.

The biggest lesson from my 500-day journey was watching small, consistent actions create significant change. Walking on one day was one thing, but over months, those steps transformed my energy, discipline, and resolve to continue.

This is how real transformation happens. It isn’t rallying the troops through inspiring meetings or speeches, but through the accumulation of individual habits and collective customer focus that eventually reshapes how an organisation operates. Just as my morning walks influenced my entire day, customer-focused behaviours, both externally and internally influence every aspect of business operations.

Five hundred days taught me that meaningful change requires thinking beyond immediate or quick results. There were weeks where progress felt invisible, where I questioned whether the commitment was worth it. But the full journey revealed the power of sustained commitment over time.

Customer-focused cultures develop the same way. They require patience with the process and faith in compound effects. Organisations that maintain their customer focus, regardless of circumstances or resistance, are the ones that build lasting success.

As I completed my 500th walk in the freezing cold, with my coach by my side, I reflected on how this practice had become the perfect framework for everything I advocate for: set clear expectations, have leaders drive the service culture, coach the team, embed behaviours, focus on consistent actions and maintain the long view.

The path to a customer-focused culture isn't measured in grand statements, but in daily steps.

And the willingness to take them consistently, until they become not what you say, but who you are.

P.S. Want to learn more about building sustainable service cultures? Bring your team to "You're Being Served" on November 14th at the Ritz-Carlton, where we'll explore how to move beyond inspiring mission statements to create measurable, lasting change and get the entire organisation onboard! You can book a table of 8, 4 or individual tickets HERE. Or read more about this event below.

We can’t wait to see you there for an incredible day or learning, connection and fun!