The recession has been cruel to retailers and service providers across this country. Companies big and small have been affected. Why some continue to thrive while others go down in flames is not fully known, but I think it has a lot to do with customer service.

It's become a customer's market. Retailers and service-oriented businesses are doing all they can to attract those precious few customers who actually have money to spend. The companies that are doing the best are the ones that show respect for their customers by offering excellent refund and return policies. These companies go above and beyond to treat customers royally.

More and more online shopping sites offer live chats, which I use all the time. The online shoe store Zappos.com takes the prize in my book for online customer care. With two-way free shipping, next-day delivery and a 365-day return policy, even on sale items, what's not to love? They've taken all the risk out of buying shoes online.

There's no more competitive business out there these days than there is among hotels in New York City. The survivors are offering great deals on room rates, but that's not enough. They must have impeccable customer service if they plan to attract paying customers.

Take Morgans Hotel on Madison Avenue as an example. I stayed there during a recent trip to New York. It was one of those quick trips; I arrived very late and checked out five hours later. It was not a remarkable experience, but not bad, either. In fact, it is not likely that I would have given Morgans New York another thought, except that I received an e-mail message asking me for feedback about my stay by filling out a survey.

I don't know that I ever would have contacted Morgans about the absence of a full-length mirror or mentioned that the lamps had switches that were so hard to locate that I had to get on my hands and knees to find them. Never before had I suggested to management that the carpet in a hotel room needed some attention from stain-removal experts. It wasn't a horrible situation, but I doubt that I would have returned in the future. Because they asked, however, I responded honestly.

Within a matter of days, I received an e-mail response from Debbie Riga, the hotel's general manager. She responded to the problems I mentioned with an apology and a commitment to rectify each and every item I mentioned. Then she offered a free night's stay the next time I was in the city to show her commitment to customer satisfaction.

A return stay confirmed all that Riga promised and more, right down to the full-length mirror, easily accessible lamp switches and pristine carpet.

Here's the best part: I've changed my mind about Morgans New York. I will not hesitate to stay there again in the future. More than that, I've just managed to tell 100,000 of my friends about it, too.

Mary Hunt is the founder of www.DebtProofLiving.com and author of 18 books, including her latest, "Can I Pay My Credit Card Bill With a Credit Card?" You can e-mail her at [email protected], or write to Everyday Cheapskate, P.O. Box 2135, Paramount, CA 90723. To find out more about Mary Hunt and read her past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

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