Is the Recession Making Businesses Friendlier?

I stopped by two take-out restaurants yesterday (everyone in my family wanted something different and I was in the mood to please them) and both restaurants wowed me with their customer service.  This normally doesn't happen.  You see, I consider my self an expert in TWO things and TWO things only - TRAVEL and CUSTOMER SERVICE.  I use to give trainings in customer service and soft skills many moons ago.  I'm from the Disney school of service. Going above and beyond what a customer expects is the only true way to know you've got the best service around. 
With that said, both restaurants I stopped at truly went above and beyond in their service, and this got me thinking - Has the recession made hospitality businesses friendly and better at service? The fact that both places employed young kids (17, 18 maybe) that excelled in their service skills leads me to believe that companies are going out of their way to make sure their business stands out so that you come back (and they in turn survive the recession). 

Have you had similar experience where you eat, shop and stay? Tell us about it.