I’m in Boston this week caring for my sister, who underwent surgery late Monday at one of the city’s major medical institutions.

The team of doctors and nurses at the surgical center was knowledgeable, extremely caring, and worked at a very impressive level of efficiency. My sister went into surgery fully informed on what to expect and experienced minimal anxiety. Recovery room care was also world-class.

Once she was transferred to the overnight wing of the hospital, however, the story changed. The overnight nursing staff was surly to patients and family, didn’t answer calls for help, and didn’t get my sister at least two medications that had been ordered hours earlier. They also neglected to administer an important IV solution to my sister’s hospital roommate, who now has to spend an extra night in the hospital because of it. As I type this, the poor woman is also lying in soiled sheets that were ordered changed at least four hours ago.

It’s enlightening to observe how one department of a hospital can be an enviable model of healthcare while another is a petri dish of potential lawsuits.

When it comes to your business, are all departments achieving the same high level of performance?

It’s easy – and comfortable – to focus on sales if they’re hitting the goal of serving the customer in a meaningful way. But if shipping, returns, and customer service don’t really give a rip – and show that they don’t – that is what the customer will remember and talk about with her family and friends.

Maybe it’s time to take a sweeping look at your company’s bedside manner.  If quality control has turned into a tug-of-war between departments, it’s definitely affecting your reputation and your bottom line.