Why “Talk the Talk & Walk the Walk” Falls Short
- Eric Ruehlmann
- Dec 11, 2025
- 5 min read
And Why Modern Clubs Must Build Service Culture Through Convenience.
How convenience for members AND convenience for leaders creates the most reliable, profitable, and future-ready club operations.
For decades, private club leaders have relied on a familiar mantra:
“Talk the Talk & Walk the Walk.”
Model the behavior. Demonstrate the service culture. Set the tone.
And yes — leadership by example matters deeply.
But here’s the operational truth:
You can “Walk the Walk” perfectly…and still fail to create consistent, measurable, scalable service culture.
Not because you lack passion or leadership ability. But because example alone does not produce repeatable outcomes. Systems do.
This matters now more than ever, because today’s clubs are facing two intensifying forms of pressure:
Members are living busier, more demanding lifestyles and expect the club to bring ease, anticipation, and emotional comfort.
Leaders are stretched thinner than ever, carrying unprecedented operational complexity and performance expectations.
Convenience for the member + convenience for the leader = the formula for modern club success.
The Operational Reality: Members Expect Ease — But Leaders Lack the Time to Deliver It
Let’s start with the member side.
Across the industry, member surveys consistently show that ease of use and friction reduction are among the top drivers of satisfaction and retention:
71% of members (McMahon Group) say convenience strongly influences their engagement level.
62% of lapsed club members cite frustration, effort, or inconvenience as a factor in their departure.
Clubs that reduce friction in 3 or more touchpoints (booking, dining, communication, check-in) see a 9–14% increase in member utilization.
Members today want:
✔ Predictability
✔ Anticipation
✔ Seamless transitions
✔ Recognition
✔ Emotional comfort
✔ Time saved
They don’t compare the club only to other clubs.They compare it to every other convenience-rich experience in their lives — Amazon, Starbucks, Delta, Ritz-Carlton, Disney, Uber, and more.
If the club creates friction, the member feels it immediately.
Now the Leadership Reality: You Can’t Be Everywhere
On the other side of the equation, club leaders are experiencing:
Higher turnover
Wider generational workforce gaps
Increased member expectations
Expanding amenity offerings
More departmental silos
More operational blind spots
Meanwhile, GMs and COOs report:
45–60% of their work week is reactive, not strategic
Only 12–15% of staff can accurately describe the service standards
New staff take 50% longer to ramp up without structured service playbooks
Employee inconsistency contributes to 20–30% of member dissatisfaction
This isn’t a leadership problem. It’s an operational infrastructure problem.
If everything depends on the leader’s personal presence, behavior modeling, and daily reinforcement, the system collapses the moment:
Leadership is off property
The shift changes
A department head turns over
Seasonal hires rotate in
Communication breaks down
Hospitality cannot rely on personality. It must rely on process.
The Missing Link: Convenience is the Bridge
The most successful clubs make life easier for BOTH their members and their leaders.
When a club is built on convenience:
✔ The member journey becomes smoother
Bookings feel effortless.Recognition is consistent.Staff remember preferences.Friction points disappear.The club becomes the easiest part of the member’s day.
✔ The leader’s workload becomes lighter
Training is standardized.Service expectations are clear.Departmental silos shrink.Staff know exactly how to deliver ease and anticipation.Leaders spend less time correcting and more time improving.
✔ KPIs begin to shift in measurable, financial ways
Clubs that simplify and systemize service delivery often see:
📈 5–12% increase in member dining frequency
📈 15–30% reduction in member complaints and service recovery incidents
📈 10–18% increase in staff service consistency scores
📈 20–40% reduction in new hire training time
📈 Higher retention among both members and employees
📈 Smoother daily operations with fewer fire drills
Convenience isn’t a “soft benefit.” It is a business lever... one that directly impacts revenue, retention, and operational stability.
The Problem With “Walking the Walk” Alone
Leaders can demonstrate empathy, professionalism, and hospitality all day long, but this approach fails for one simple reason:
You cannot scale behavior modeling to 150 staff across 10 departments on 3 shifts.
But you CAN scale a system.
“Walking the Walk” provides inspiration.
A service framework provides consistency.
A playbook provides clarity.
A shared service language provides alignment.
Together, these create belonging... predictably and profitably.
Why I Created the Club Convenience Playbook
The Club Convenience Playbook was built to fill the very gap holding clubs back:
Modern club service culture must make life easier for members AND make leadership easier for managers.
This dual impact is the advantage.
Inside the 80-page playbook, clubs receive:
For Members (Ease & Belonging):
A friction-free approach to daily experiences
Anticipation frameworks staff can apply anywhere
Moments of recognition that deepen emotional loyalty
Hospitality touchpoints that make the club feel like the most comforting part of their day
A consistency that members feel immediately, not occasionally
For Leaders (Clarity & Efficiency):
Training structure your team can follow immediately
Repeatable processes that deliver consistent results
Reduced operational stress and fewer “firefighting” moments
A shared hospitality standard across all departments
Tools that decrease training time and increase staff readiness
A culture that no longer depends on your presence to function
This is how you transform service culture... not by inspiration alone, but by infrastructure.
If You Want a Better Member Experience, Start With a Better System
Your members need a club that reduces effort and elevates comfort. Your team needs clarity, simplicity, and shared standards.
And you, as a leader, need a framework that gives you time back — not takes more away.
Convenience is the answer on both sides.
It’s how you create:
Predictable hospitality
Reliable service delivery
Happier members
Happier staff
Higher retention
Stronger operational performance
A club positioned for the future
And it’s exactly what the Club Convenience Playbook is designed to help you accomplish.
Ready to Make Your Club Easier to Run and Easier to Love?
Convenience-first transforms:
Member satisfaction
Operational consistency
Staff performance
Leadership bandwidth
And your overall club culture
Convenience isn't a luxury. It’s the new foundation of exceptional clubs.
If your leadership team is ready to explore this shift, Build A Better Club offers consulting, journey mapping, and strategy development to focus your club on this very important next era of member relevance.
Explore how a convenience-first approach transforms.
Get your FREE guide:
If you’d like practical examples, implementation models, and messaging language for bringing convenience to your club, get your FREE Club Convenience Playbook today!
#ClubLeadership #MemberExperience #ClubInnovation #ClubManagement #ClubBeyond #ClubBelonging #ClubLivingEasy #ClubConvenience #BuildABetterClub
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About the Author: Eric Ruehlmann is a versatile business executive with over 25 years of service in the club management industry. Eric's knowledge and experience is broad having held advisory positions and worked on projects in a variety of fields such as; consumer research, loyalty & rewards, travel & leisure, and lifestyle products & services. Eric is currently focused on sharing his knowledge with club leaders and club boards about club innovation, enhancing the member experience, and loyalty & rewards. Eric Ruehlmann is the founder of Build A Better Club and a managing partner of Privat-VIP- Travel & Rewards.
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