Negotiating Partnerships: Increase profits and reduce risks

From public authority to commercial enterprise

Do you remember when most householders had only one single telephone point and one telephone often placed in an impractical spot, which made telephoning inconvenient. Ordering a new telephone point and getting it installed took a long time and was very costly. First, the order had to be received and taken down in writing. Then it had to be forwarded to the appropriate district. When a sufficient number of orders had been received by a given district, the supervisor would divide the work up among a number of telephone fitters. The fitter then phoned the customer to set up an appointment. This process took weeks.

The customer was waiting at home for the fitter who had promised to arrive ‘some time ...