Almost everyone is doing it.
Charles Schwab Corp.'s top-rated Signature clients--who start with at least $100,000 in assets or trade 12 times a year--never wait longer than 15 seconds to get a call answered, while other customers can wait 10 minutes or more.
At Sears, Roebuck & Co., big spenders on the company's credit card get to choose a preferred two-hour time slot for repair calls while regular patrons are given a four-hour slot.
Maytag Corp. provides premium service to people who buy pricey products such as its front-loading Neptune washing machines, which sell for about $1,000, twice the cost of a top-loading washer. This group gets a dedicated staff of ''product experts,'' an exclusive toll-free number, and speedy service on repairs. When people are paying this much, ''they not only want more service; they deserve it,'' says Dale Reeder, Maytag's general manager of customer service.