Last year, my partner and I joined the Detroit Athletic Club (DAC), which was established in 1887 and has occupied the same clubhouse since 1915. It is a great time to be at the DAC, with the rebirth that’s taking place in the city of Detroit. When we joined the 3,800 – plus member DAC, we fully expected we would just be a “number.” Wow, were we surprised! Somehow, they (the doormen, the locker room attendants, the wait staff, and on and on) make us feel really welcome, as though we are the most important members. Recently we had a chance to speak with the executive manager, and we took the opportunity to share our wonderful experience. During our discussion, he told us that every team leader is challenged to help their team members get better, both personally and professionally, every year. What he described is the classic win/win situation: The member (customer) wins, and the team member wins.

Do your customers feel like we do about the DAC staff? Whether the answer is yes or no, we bet it has a lot to do with how your associates feel about their personal and professional development at your company.