I wonder whether the difference is that Amazon is interested in providing a service and would like to retain customers, while social services often seem to delight in withholding service and would love to get rid of customers if they could somehow make it seem not their fault. (“Well, youronner, she didn’t call back to confirm so it was her free decision not to continue receiving services from us! We would have loved to continue to help her, and in fact we provided three methods of contacting us, for her convenience!” IOW, about the appearance of service rather than because they take it seriously.)

Maybe I’m too cynical about that.