The doctor’s office knew that waiting time to see the doctor was very important to their patients. They continually worked to develop a schedule that would minimize waiting time and allow the doctor to see all patients. But when the doctor was called to the emergency room at the hospital, people usually had long waits. The office developed a contingency plan for times when the doctor was called out to the emergency room: The receptionist would immediately notify all patients in the waiting room and offer to reschedule. She then would call the patients scheduled to come in for the next appointments and offer to reschedule, or she would let them wait at home until she called back. The patients were very appreciative of this plan. When they experienced the delay, they would tell their friends how well they were treated.