"The Flying Monkey Effect" – New Episode
Editor’s Note first: Thanks to everyone who showed up at the Summit yesterday - it was great to see familiar names and faces. And if you signed on to my Substack yesterday because of the Summit, thank you, too! I sent each of you a personal note in email with a link to the video I’d mentioned. If you didn’t receive that, check those vigilant spam filters first, and then just hit “reply” here to let me know it went missing.
I recently found myself defending a castle against an army of Flying Monkeys when simply trying to complete an online purchase.
I’m not talking ONE Flying Monkey. I’m talking an entire squadron.
One showed up disguised as a shipping charge. Another arrived carrying hidden page costs. A third was apparently in charge of payment processing … and then the horde descended in earnest.
It got me thinking … as I do … about HOW customers leave
Most businesses think it’s because of one big mistake. Not usually.
It’s typically because you’ve left your customer to do battle with a Flying Monkey Squadron.
In this week’s Catalyst Code: Business Wealth, I share what should have been a simple photo book purchase that somehow turned into a grueling 3-hour masterclass on customer experience, friction, loyalty and the invisible (and very expensive) costs businesses rarely measure.
Customers rarely leave because of one big thing.
They leave because of the flying monkey horde.
… And by time they escape, they often can’t even tell you which monkey started it.
In this humorous recount, you’ll probably have empathy because you’ve been there yourself … let’s hope it’s not because you bred the Flying Monkeys yourself.
More importantly, here’s what to do when you do find them flapping about your business.
🎙️ Listen to this week’s 10-minute episode: