Recently, I wanted to take dinner to a sick friend and his family. I called a restaurant and ordered 10 dinners to go. Within an hour of placing the order, my friend called to say his kids wouldn’t be home, so please don’t bring too much food.

Not a problem, I thought. I called the restaurant back and asked to change my order from 10 meals to five. Without taking a breath, the employee said “no” – their policy is that to-go orders have to be six meals or more. Frustrated, I called one of those healthy grocery stores that has salads, meats and vegetables already prepared. Their response? They needed 24-hours’ notice to do to-go orders. Really?

So I called a third restaurant. It’s a small place where my husband and I eat on occasion. I explained the situation to the employee answering the phone, and she said “absolutely, we’ll have everything ready to go by 5.” I later walked into the restaurant not only to find my to-go orders ready, but a get well soon card signed by all of the employees for my sick friend.

I can tell you the first two restaurants have a culture of policy, procedure, command and control. The last one has a culture of customers first. Guess which one I’ll be returning to?

A top-notch company culture attracts great employees, which leads to better customer experiences. Empowered and appreciated employees are more productive and efficient. This leads to more sales, loyalty and referrals, giving your bottom line a bounce. How do you drive and constantly improve something that’s so important? Here are four tips.

1. Define It. What do you want your culture to be? A great exercise is to have your team write down the five words they think define your culture now. Then, you should write down the five words that describe your perfect culture – what you want it to be. The difference can be powerful. Culture isn’t what you say; it’s how everyone on your team acts.

2. Create the Why. With your culture defined, you need to give your team a reason to engage in it. Employees want to be a part of something and have a reason to believe in your company. That reason is your why – your purpose. Make it count.

3. Develop Ownership. When employees believe in your culture, they’re ready to be a part of it. It’s time to give them skin in the game. Leaders can define the “what,” but the “how” should be the responsibility of your team. Allow employees to be the stewards of a great culture, holding each other accountable and lending support.

4. Offer Potential. A strong culture is one that provides a future for employees, identifying and investing in their goals. Programs like mentorship, performance planning and on-the-job training for career advancement all tell employees they should invest in you because you’re invested in them.

The takeaway? The path to profitability in today’s marketplace begins with great culture, and now is the time to evaluate and improve yours. Make culture a priority and the long-term results will be invaluable.

Meridith Elliott Powell is an author, keynote speaker and business strategist. For more leadership tips, visit her website, valuespeaker.com.