Well, Fred, the service model has always been part of capitalism. Remember the concept of consumer sovereignty, which is imagined to be automatic in a situation of perfect knowledge and uncoerced choices? Remember the maxims "Honesty is the best policy" and "The customer is always right" and "Service with a smile", which stipulate that one must retain consumer trust, cater to their desires, and be happy to do so, in order to be successful?
I am not sure what this has to do with risk, or giving up all power, control, and flexibility to others, except to say that one recognizes that customer satisfaction is the touchstone. Francis Bacon put forth the maxim,"Nature, to be commanded, must be obeyed", to express the paradoxical nature of science/technology at its modern inception: only those who adhere to the laws of nature can employ those laws to their advantage. In the same way, one does not give up all power and control, but by conceding that one wins position by providing a desirable product or service, one respects consumer sovereignty in order to achieve power in the marketplace. There is no especial risk involved, any more than that ordinarily undertaken in making an investment. In fact,since customer satisfaction is the key to success, one can say that using that as one's guide, risk is minimized.......... |
