Yesterday morning, as I stood in a slow-moving line to order a bagel and coffee, I was struck by the idea of the “weakest link”.

The spot I visit a couple times a week has cheery people, freshly-made bagels, and several varieties of coffee, including my favorite, cinnamon hazelnut. I drive a couple of miles out of my way, past other such places, to pick up some breakfast and bring it with me to the office. It’s usually quick in and out, which I like.

However, yesterday, they had a new person taking orders and working the cash register. Or I should say, trying to take orders and trying to work the cash register.

As I stood there, and the line grew longer, it was apparent that this new employee had received little to no training on how to do her job, including the apparently not-so-difficult job of finding the right icon on the register to record people’s purchases.

It was frustrating, for the new employee, and for customers, like me. I thought: “Why didn’t someone set up a formal training session for this new employee, after hours, and have her learn through repeated role playing? Why is there not a manager or at least another employee who stands right next to her through the whole morning to help her learn and get faster?” Where’s the “quality assurance” that can help this small business survive against the chains?

If this were just an isolated example, I wouldn’t mention it. But, as I travel around town and across America, poor customer service seems to be rampant.

All organizations, including healthcare organizations, are dependent on people understanding what they are supposed to do, then doing their tasks correctly, time and time again. Customer service in healthcare is critical.

Not long ago, I learned that my sister was given heart medicine pills that were twice the prescribed dosage. If my sister hadn’t noticed this on her own, she might have ended up in the ER. Here the pharmacy staff member was at fault, becoming the weakest link in the delivery of care to a loved one. And in healthcare, the consequences are potentially a lot greater than me spending a few extra minutes in line for my coffee.

Where’s the “weakest link” in your organization and in the work flows that you’re responsible for? It’s worth looking for, and correcting. Lives may depend on it.