Customer Serive & the End of Recession

How can one tell that the recession is ending? See below for one of the more interesting ideas. I, however, would disagree a bit with what was written. I find that customer service is generally very poor throughout the vast majority of sectors/services in the US, even in tough times. True, a savvy company will provide good customer service in down times - but a savvy company should always provide good customer service...I would say that only when you can/can't negotiate with a company is when you can tell that a recession is ending...

"Customer service is falling back (a bit). When times are tough, and no one is that busy, savvy companies will provide outstanding customer service. Whether you're calling a real estate agent, department store, or the phone company, a recession often means that you can get people on the phone, resolve complaints, ask for extra discounts, make odd requests and the company will do its best to accomodate you. When you start feeling like a company's customer service isn't that outstanding anymore, it could be that business has picked up."

Have We Hit Bottom? Watching the Economy for Signs of Recovery.
by Ilyce R. Glink with Samuel J. Tamkin
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/15/AR2009051501507.html