If you have been in the market for a new credit card, you may have noticed that customers perks are getting better and better. Credit card customers have a lot more to choose from these days instead of just frequent flier miles.

Retail stores and credit card companies are competing to win your love and devotion. In order to do this, they are offering better and better perks.

Reinier Evers, the founder of Trendwatching.com, said, “Old perks were very much about collecting points to get ’stuff’ for less or even for free. But those programs often got complicated and confusing. It felt at times as if the companies were pulling a fast one on you.”

New credit card perks are designed to make each customer feel like a VIP. Each perk makes the customer feel special in one way or another.

Here are just a few examples of awesome, new credit card perks…

• Only American Express cardholders are eligible to buy the “winning dress that was featured on the September 3 episode of Project Runway.” The dress was sold for $650 through designer Diane von Furstenberg’s web site.

• Island Lincoln Mercury Land Rover and Jaguar in Merritt Island, Florida offers an unheard of perk for those who purchase vehicles through the dealership. Vehicles owners get exclusive “Island” access to their on-site facilities. These facilities include: a state-of-the-art health club, am 1890s styles barbershop, a play area for children, a video arcade, a theater, high-speed Internet access, free coffee at “Carbucks” cafe, the Tiki Grill restaurant and more. You can even fill up your car at their gas station and pay the wholesale price.

• Visa Signature cardholders can take advantage of a different kind of perk. These cardholders can use private luxury restrooms at the Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival in San Francisco. This is a much better option than using the other option… portable toilets.

These are just a few of the incredible perks available to card members. Everyone is competing for your business, so take advantage of these incredible perks and offers. Who says now isn’t the time to look for a new credit card?

For me personally, the answer to that question is a resounding yes! Customer service isn’t just about talking with someone on the phone or at a counter and having them answer my question or conduct a transaction for me. It’s more about my overall impression of the entire experience; the atmosphere, the goods or services and the way I was treated makes the complete package, not just some salesperson sucking up to me to get a sale. I understand that not every person at every company has the capacity to perfrom at such a standard every time, but there are a few companies out there who just seem to get it right while others can’t.

Take for example two credit card companies - USAA and American Express. Both companies have received the highest rankings for customer satisfaction, one from Consumer Reports and the other from JD Power and Associates. Is this a coincidence that I have accounts with both of these companies? Not exactly. USAA is more by coincidence for me, but without surprise, while American Express is solely by choice. My experience with both of these companies has been excellent and it is no surprise to me that either of these companies receive high ratings from other customers and ultimately from organizations like Consumer Reports and JD Power and Associates. Using a credit card from American Express does come at some cost, but I knew that before I became a customer. To me that additional cost or slight inconvenience is more than worth it.

Just like you I’ve also had bad customer service experiences too. For many years I used cellular services provided by Sprint because I was getting a “great deal” (price) on my monthly bill. However, anytime I had a problems with my phone or service,  I had to go to a Sprint store where I expected to leave there completely frustrated with my blood near its boiling point. Sure the reps were nice for the most part, but no one could ever seem to really help me or fix my problem. Why I stayed with them for so many years, I don’t know, but I now recognize the money I saved on my monthly bill was not worth it at all. When the opportunity to switch to a different provider presented itself, I did so without hesitation. The money I saved resulted in a lot of frustration and an overall bad customer service experience.

So I beg the question, does customer service influence where you shop or which companies you use? For me the answer is clear, I would rather pay more, sometimes a lot more, to have customer service experiences like those I’ve had with USAA and American Express. Leave us your comments and feedback.