Easy to say, but real life sometimes gets in the way. Having had an embassy take close to a week to return a passport instead of the promised 1 day (consular officer was out of office and sick) and having had a courier claim they tried to deliver the envelope when I know I was home all day, I am sympathetic with the OP.

I shudder when I give up my passport to an embassy when a trip is coming up soon, but sometimes schedules allow no other course.