How to Stop Driving Customers Away (Without Realizing It)
By leadership author and keynote speaker Ross Shafer
Are you unknowingly turning your customers away?
It happens more often than you think. You’re focused on managing teams, increasing efficiency, and driving revenue—but somewhere along the way, your customer experience becomes clunky, confusing, or downright frustrating. And just like that, the people keeping your business alive quietly walk away.
Here’s the uncomfortable truth: your customers don’t care how busy you are—they just want the buying experience to be easy.
When revenue dips or customer complaints trickle in, the reflexive response from most leaders is to hold a meeting, analyze Big Data, or call in a third-party consultant. But rarely do we do the one thing that could actually fix the problem—observe our customers in the act of buying.
If your sales process requires too many steps, too much paperwork, or too many clicks, you’re creating friction that drives people away. In today’s digital-first economy, customer expectations are shaped by Amazon’s one-click simplicity and Apple’s intuitive design. If your process doesn’t feel that seamless, your customers notice—and they leave.
So, what should you do? Get out of the boardroom and into the buyer’s seat.
Just like the TV show Undercover Boss, try to experience your own business anonymously. Walk into your store. Use your website. Call your customer service line. Ask yourself: Is this easy? Is this fast? Is this clear?
When I consulted with a first-time franchise buyer in Arizona, he had his eye on a struggling Denny’s location. This young man had never worked in restaurants before, but when he visited in person, he immediately spotted the issue: most customers had trouble reading the English-only menu. Many pointed at items awkwardly because they didn’t understand the language. His solution? He printed bilingual menus and hired a Spanish-speaking waitstaff. In less than a year, his revenue doubled.
No amount of market research would’ve revealed that issue as clearly or as quickly as seeing it first-hand.
If you want to improve your customer experience and increase revenue, you need to observe your process through the eyes of a first-time buyer. Ask yourself:
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Is the language accessible to my audience?
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Are there hidden barriers or unnecessary steps in the buying journey?
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Are my employees trained to engage clearly and respectfully?
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Does my website load quickly and function seamlessly?
According to Forrester Research, improving the customer experience can lead to a 5x increase in revenue growth. That’s not theory—it’s strategy backed by action.
You don’t need a massive budget to start. You just need curiosity, empathy, and the willingness to step out of your comfort zone.
So, when was the last time you experienced your business the way your customer does? Are you making it easy for them to say yes, or are you quietly pushing them away?
Click below to watch my full video on how to stop driving your customers away—and start winning them back.
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