Most Businesses Would Rather Lose a Million Pound Quietly Than Spend Fifty Grand Loudly
I came across a short video from Rory Sutherland recently that hit a nerve. One of those deceptively simple stories that exposes something deeper.
He was driving past a Shell garage on the A40. From the road, it looked completely shut. No forecourt lights. No signage. Not even fuel prices showing.
His wife said, “It’s closed.”
He said, “Can’t be. I’ve seen it open on Christmas Day.”
They pulled in. It was open. Fully staffed. But deserted.
Everyone else on the road had driven straight past. Why wouldn’t they?
Rory told the guy behind the till. He shrugged. The lights hadn’t been switched on after the last shift. No one had noticed. No one had fixed it.
What struck me wasn’t the mistake.
It was the indifference.
No urgency. No recovery. Just quiet acceptance.
And yet the loss was real. Probably thousands per hour in missed sales.
If that same person had taken a chocolate bar from the shelf, there would have been a formal investigation, severe consequences and probably loss of job.
This isn’t about lighting.
It’s about misplaced consequences.
We penalise the obvious errors.
But the cost of missed action? That quietly piles up.
How many opportunities are passed by in your business because someone didn’t flick the switch?
Not out of laziness. Just habit.
Just the default setting of playing it safe.
Over time, those non-decisions carry weight.
They cost. And they compound.
When action is needed and outcomes matter more than optics, you need the right kind of partner.
One who doesn’t wait to be asked. One who knows how to flick the right switch.
That’s when it’s worth thinking COGENT.