Have you noticed how often a simple task can trigger a domino effect—one that turns into a headache, chaos, or worse… a headline?
It could be cutting corners on a function or task, rushing through instructions, ending a conversation prematurely and never circling back…
or simply not being willing to wait 30 seconds for a person.
These moments often seem insignificant in the chaos of getting the job done.
We dismiss them because we’re busy, under pressure, or just trying to move onto the next thing.
But have you ever truly explored what happens when that corner-cut turns into an issue…
and the hidden consequences that stack up afterwards?
Because that’s where the real cost lives.
If you go into just about any business and really observe what is really happening, you see these opportunities just about everywhere. But you often need the right lens and attitude to do this.
So, I thought I would share something so common that recently happened. How a 30 second shortcut cost hours of people’s time, triggered an unnecessary investigation, disrupted my work, disrupted multiple teams, and chipped away at the reputation of a global brand.
This is one of those laughable moments, because of the domino effect, but unpins something greater. And it all started with something so small, so human, and so avoidable.
And I’m willing to bet you’ve experienced something similar yourself — which is why this everyday example is worth sharing.
Let me explain.
The Parcel That Should Have Been a Simple Delivery
Like thousands of customers do every day, I paid for a delivery.
Not complicated. Not unusual. Just standard practice. I’m sure you’ve done the same.
I paid for a delivery not because I couldn’t go to a store — but because of a multitude of reasons (both work and personal). I chose to pay for convenience, certainty, and a service.
It was an important item, and I knew it required a signature.
So, like many people do, I made sure I worked from home specifically to receive it.
When the buzzer rang, I answered immediately and told the courier through the intercom:
“I’m coming down now.”
I didn’t waste a second — I went straight down the stairs.
I was there easily within 20 seconds.
But the courier was already gone.
A parcel was sitting at my door — one that didn’t require a signature — so I assumed it was from the courier who had buzzed and left quickly. It made sense: buzzer, parcel, done.
But a little while later, I noticed a text message:
“Sorry we missed you.”
Ah… what?!
They didn’t miss me.
They just didn’t wait 30 seconds.
Though who knows — maybe the signature-delivery courier didn’t even buzz, as I had multiple deliveries that day, so it’s hard to know who did what.
But regardless, once that text arrived… the dominoes began to fall.
The Cost of 30 Seconds
You know how the story goes once a signature delivery becomes a “futile delivery” — the fun begins.
- I had to call the courier company, who advised I now had to go to a collection hub.
(Yes, I paid for delivery so I wouldn’t have to do this… but here we are.) - I then had to drive to the hub — 15–20 minutes each way.
- When I arrived, the parcel wasn’t there.
- The employee behind the counter said their system didn’t show it.
- They physically checked the packages while I waited — still nothing.
- So, while still at the hub, I had to call the courier company again.
- First attempt? They transferred me… straight into a void.
No music. No person. No sound. - Are you laughing yet? Because it’s familiar…
And yes, I had to call again. - Another person tried to help as we went through the question drill process.
- I even handed my mobile to the hub staff member so the courier company could speak to them directly.
- Still no parcel.
- Then, as expected, an “investigation” had to be logged and opened.
- More staff now had to become involved.
- Later that day, the investigating officer called me… more questions.
- Then a manager called me.
- Then the courier site manager called me.
- And then at the end of the day came the punchline: the collection hub had “found” the parcel.
It had been there all along, despite being told that morning it wasn’t. - And yes… this meant another trip to the hub the next day.
All of this — every part of it — because one person didn’t wait 30 seconds.
You probably have your own version of this story.
And here’s the concerning part: we’re becoming used to it.
We’re finding these 30-second mistakes everywhere now.
It’s almost laughable when you retell it over a morning cuppa with a colleague… but really, it shouldn’t be.
Because something so small, so simple, created a domino effect that kept growing.
During all of this:
- I had to reschedule meetings.
- I had repeated interruptions from the well-intentioned calls trying to locate the parcel.
- I had to rearrange my work.
- It made focusing on my actual priorities difficult.
- And I had to make a second trip the next day to collect the parcel.
Yes — all because someone didn’t wait 30 seconds… a task that was part of the service that was paid for.
Now Imagine the Total Cost
When something like this happens, take a moment to consider not just the domino effect — but the true cost of that 30 seconds.
If we added it up — just for this one small incident:
- My time
- My lost productivity
- My two return trips
- The support team’s time
- The investigation team’s time
- The manager’s time
- The courier site manager’s time
- The hub employees’ time
- The brand impact
- The erosion of trust
- The friction inside the system
- The potential complaint
- And the fact that next time… I’ll request a different courier provider
And that’s not counting the internal time spent logging, reviewing, and managing the investigation.
It wouldn’t be cheap.
Not for them.
Not for me.
Not for the people inside the system who are already under pressure.
This wasn’t a “simple mistake.”
It was a costly one.
A predictable one.
And a completely avoidable one.
Yes, it became a very costly 30 seconds.
Friction Between Systems and People
Many leaders believe the biggest risks come from major failures — especially those that lead to headlines.
Yes, those are costly.
But it’s the small, preventable moments that quietly drain resources, damage trust, and compound into something far bigger.
Because the real risks — the ones doing daily damage — show up in moments no one sees:
- when someone rushes
- when someone cuts a corner
- when someone is dismissed or a conversation is cut short
- when someone tries to meet deadline expectations at the expense of quality
- when someone thinks “that will be good enough” but it’s short of the objective
- when someone relies on a system blindly, despite clear gaps
These moments become both system risks and people risks.
If your systems don’t support your people — gaps form.
If your people are overwhelmed or under-supported — shortcuts happen, and systems fall apart.
Cutting 30 seconds might feel “efficient” — until it degrades your service.
When shortcuts become habit, habit becomes culture.
And culture shapes everything.
If you believe it is a people attitude or disengagement challenge… then remember, people don’t stop caring in one big moment.
They stop caring slowly… choice by choice… until the behaviours become ingrained.
Automation Won’t Fix This
This story reflects something I’ve spoken about many times:
Our overreliance on automation.
The belief that systems will save us.
But here’s the truth:
- The tracking system couldn’t protect the customer.
- The scanning system couldn’t protect the parcel.
- The SMS system couldn’t protect trust.
- The hub system couldn’t locate the parcel.
- The customer support system couldn’t resolve it without escalation.
- The internal systems needed investigation because the basic human task — waiting 30 seconds — didn’t happen.
Automation didn’t fail.
It amplified the gap — and the consequences — of a human choice.
If people are disengaged…
If pressure is compounding…
If culture is weak…
If leadership is absent…
If misalignment is the norm…
Automation becomes an accelerator of risk, not a safety net.
The Early Warning Signs Leaders Often Overlook
If 30 seconds can cost hours…
If one shortcut can drag four teams into a problem…
If one missed moment can chip away at brand trust…
Then this is the perfect time of year — as businesses close out the year and prepare for the next — for leaders to ask:
Where else are 30-second shortcuts happening and affecting our service?
Because they are.
Every day.
And they’re costing you far more than you realise —
not just in money,
but in morale, reputation, culture, customer experience, and operational friction.
The Cost You’re Not Measuring — But Should Be
It isn’t just:
“Why did this happen?”
It’s:
“Where else is this already happening — and what is it costing us?”
Because these micro-failures reveal the truth about your culture, your systems, and your leadership — whether anyone says it out loud or not.
Imagine if the courier who didn’t wait those 30 seconds received an invoice for the time and resources their decision triggered — my time, their team’s time, the investigation time, the partner time.
It would be a number worth paying attention to.
Not to shame.
Not to punish.
But to wake them up.
A service was paid for.
A service was not delivered.
A culture allowed that to happen.
This is the real cost of 30 seconds.
So ask yourself:
“How much is 30 seconds costing my organisation?”
