My job as a cashier was a means to an end. In reality, I owned a small food services consulting firm in the healthcare culinary field. I had found, over the years, that the best way to get to know how an organization functioned—or didn’t—was in the trenches. That usually meant going undercover—with the blessing of upper management.
I would work in a few different positions over a specified period—up to six months, if necessary, depending on the job—as anything from a server or food prep worker to a cashier or patient menu ambassador. All of these positions gave me enough intel to evaluate all aspects of the system, its glaring flaws and safety issues, and make suggestions for improvement.
Hospitals hired me for my keen eye and innovative, cost-saving—and lawsuit avoiding, hopefully—strat
