We spend a lot of time on The Consumerist gangbanging scale-model ice-cream stores, Comcast, Verizon and another companies that, shall we say, are less than dexterous in their customer service dealings.

However, there are some businesses who go to great lengths to to deal with their faults and smiling customers have, perhaps mistakenly, written in laudatory letters.

Shoutouts to you, Pei Wei Asian Diner, Spring Hill Nursery, Flexcar, Canon, Server Intellect, SBC Yahoo, Hammond Valve, Peapod and Travel Country.

Caveat: lest you think our enthusiasm unmitigated, consider this turn of the screw. Seven out of nine of those businesses are small. It’s easier for a small business to deal directly and quickly with a customer service complaint… and far more damaging, in negative word-of-mouth, if they don’t.

In the economy of scale that fuels corporations, customer service, being a cost-center, is short-sightedly given short shrift. Neveryoumind the long-term cost of wham-bam, thank you Jan, if you want to reach me talk to my Indian secretary approach currently in vogue.

Corporate greed and consumer benefit, there’s a magical love child to be made here, people!

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