NEW YORK – A number of companies with operations in Rhode Island are ranked among Business Week magazine’s second annual Customer Service Champs.

The 50 winners – including Amica Mutual Insurance Co., JetBlue and Southwest Airlines, Ace and True Value Hardware, and alternative grocers Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods Market – were selected based on a point system that combines data from consumer research company J.D. Power & Associates with input from Business Week readers.

The winners stand out for having made technology investments that help rather than hinder consumers, and for having leaders who make customer service a priority, the magazine said.

No. 1 is USAA, the insurance and financial services provider for military personnel and their families, with a “service index” of 1,030.66 points. Last year, the company put 12,400 service representatives through 250,000 total hours of classes to reinforce their basic training, Business Week said. The result? 76.39 percent of respondents said they “would definitely recommend” the insurer.

Among the other winners were:

• Lexus is No. 4, with a service index of 994.51. Features such as a 24/7 chat room set up last year on Lexus.com, to field questions or complaints address auto service issues, inspired 57.74 percent of respondents to say they would definitely recommend the brand.

• Trader Joe’s ranks No. 5, with a service index of 965.67. The company – which 78.10 percent of respondents said they would recommend – has sought to keep worker pay at at least the average community income, or about $48,000, since its founding in 1967.

• Coffee house Starbucks is No. 6 with a score of 964.03, and definitely-recommends from 60.40 percent of respondents. CEO Howard Schultz, who announced a host of changes on Jan. 30, has made the chain’s customer service his No. 1 priority.

• JetBlue Airways ranks No. 7 with a score of 958.00. Its new terminal at JFK International Airport, to be completed late this year, will include more than 100 e-ticket kiosks, 20 security lanes and free Wi-Fi for customers. A full 71.38 percent of respondents would definitely recommend the brand.

• Edward D. Jones & Co. L.P, the St. Louis-based brokerage, is No. 8 with a score of 952.55 and definite recommendations from 57.62 percent of respondents. Initiatives include a customer-feedback-based award for branch administrators and a training program based on tips from the company’s top 300 performers.

• Ace Hardware is No. 10 with a score of 941.98 and definite recommendations from 58.32 percent of participants. To make their hardware men and women even more helpful, by the end of this year, each employee will carry a wallet card listing fellow workers by expertise, so they can quickly connect customers with the right expert.

• The Lincoln division of Ford Motor Co. is No. 11, with a score of 922.34; 49.96 percent of respondents said they would recommend the brand.

• The Ritz-Carlton is No. 12, with a score of 915.15; 52.07 percent would definitely recommend the upscale hotelier. Each Ritz shares “wow” stories at weekly meetings to spotlight staff members who go above and beyond, such as the laundry attendant who dove into a dumpster to retrieve a stuffed toy. Winners get $100.

• Amica Mutual Insurance is No. 13 with a score of 912.74 and definite recommendations from 63.47 percent of respondents. The 100-year-old insurer says loyal employees create loyal policyholders – and nearly one in four workers has been with Amica 20 years or more.

• Enterprise Rent-a-Car is No. 14 with a score of 912.10 and the recommendations of 40.99 percent of respondents. Its parent company last year patented software to improve communication with insurance companies and body shops, helping customers get their cars back two days quicker, on average, Business Week said.

• Nordstrom is No. 16; with a score of 900.50; 45.05 percent of respondents would recommend the upscale department store. The chain doubled the size of its in-house call center last year and is now is implementing an onscreen system that will allow employees to check for a particular item in another store or in the warehouse.

• Southwest Airlines is No. 17 with a service index of 883.98 and the definite recommendations of 50.73 percent of respondents. It’s consistently No. 1 at T.F. Green Airport, carrying more than half the passengers who pass through the Warwick airport. (READ MORE)

• Wachovia Corp. ranks No. 18, receiving a score of 881.36 and the recommendations of 34.06 percent of respondents. It’s aided by a bank-wide recognition program that rewards employees who deliver exceptional customer service, Business Week said.

• Smith Barney is No. 19 with a score of 881.31; 45.67 percent said they would recommend the brand. A field services unit Smith Barney set up last year means that, when a financial advisor has a tricky question, there’s one number to call instead of 35, the magazine said.

• Cadillac, a division of General Motors, is No. 20 with a service index of 871.53 and recommendations from 47.27 percent of respondents. The company guarantees its customers a car to borrow while theirs is in the shop, and parent company GM has begun to pay for more work on cars just past their warranty, Business Week said.

• Apple ranks No. 21 with a score of 870.38; 60.40 percent of participants said they would recommend the computer brand. Apple’s “genius bars” and onshore call centers help boost its service ratings, the magazine said. The company opens a new call-center every two months, and is adding more personnel to its retail outlets.

• JW Marriott Hotels & Resorts is No. 24 with a score of 858.18; 46.31 percent would recommend the brand. Last year, Marriott rolled out portable English-language devices, smaller than a laptop, that teach workers common phrases such as directions to the elevator or the lobby.

• True Value Hardware is No. 25, with an 857.21 service index; 46.31 percent said they would recommend the chain. The retailer has been remodeling many of its stores to be more “female-friendly,” moving gardening items to the front and offering a wider selection of paint and bath fixtures – a move that’s paid off in double-digit increases in average transaction size in the remodeled stores, Business Week said.

• Hertz is No. 26 with a score of 851.54; 37.33 percent would recommend the brand. Helping the company to the list is the addition of self-serve kiosks where customers can pick up their rental in the same way they print up their airline boarding passes. The company is also working on an RFID system that would allow customers to drop off cars without waiting for an agent.

• T-Mobile is No. 27 with a service index of 842.74; 32.43 percent of participants said they would definitely recommend the brand. The wireless communications company requires each executive to spend time in the stores during the holiday season.

• Mutual fund giant Vanguard Group is No. 28 with a score of 828.83; 57.54 percent of respondents would definitely recommend the firm. Known for its low-cost index funds, Vanguard last year slashed prices for customers with at least $100,000 at the firm

• Luxury carmaker Jaguar is No. 31 with 813.03 points; 49.80 percent said they would definitely recommend the brand.

• Buick is No. 32 with 810.44 points; 39.79 percent said they would definitely recommend the carmaker.

• Whole Foods Market is No. 33 with 809.29 points and definite recommendations from 63.11 percent of participants. The supermarket hires skilled butchers, bakers, fishmongers and cheese artisans, then gives them an enormous amount of say in how the store is run, Business Week said.

• BMW is No. 32 with a score of 809.28; 53.24 percent of participants would recommend the brand. The luxury carmaker offers free maintenance for four years, and sends gifts and DVDs to owners three years after purchase.

• Saturn, No. 35 received 805.55 points; 42.80 percent of respondents said they would recommend the brand, perhaps because of the no-haggle selling that creates a customer-friendly environment, Business Week said. Workers staff a 24/7 chat room to answer questions from customers.

• Porsche is No. 37 with 803.79 points and definite recommendations from 49.58 percent. Luxurious touches such as an all-Porsche fleet of lender vehicles help boost satisfaction, the magazine said.

• Infiniti – Nissan’s luxury brand – is No. 38 with 801.09 points and definite recommendations from 42.72 percent of respondents . The automaker offers four-year, 60,000 mile warranties and an Ownership Experience plan that includes 24-hour roadside assistance, plus meals and lodgings when necessary, and guarantees loaner cars during repairs .

• Renaissance Hotels & Resorts, Marriott International’s upscale brand, is No. 40 with 798.69 points and drew definite recommendations from 47.91 percent. Guests praise its Web site and online reservation system.

• Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts is No. 41 with 797.54; 51.32 percent of respondents would definitely recommend the upscale hotelier.

• Pontiac is No. 43 with a 795.49 service index and definite-recommends from 40.15 percent. Like GM’s other brands, Pontiac has become more lenient about caring for customers after their warranty is up.

• Lowe’s is No. 44 with 792.71 points; 56.74 percent said they would definitely recommend the home supply store.

• Honda is No. 45 with 792.27 points and a 55.52-percent recommendation rate. The carmaker was aided by factors including routinely high quality ratings, which help service departments to operate efficiently, and the highest fuel economy in the industry, Business Week said.

• Hummer is No. 46, with 788.55 points and a 51.01-percent recommendation rate. “When GM launched the brand in 2000, it granted the franchise to some of its best dealers. As a result, customer service is in its DNA,” Business Week said.

• Ford is No. 47 with 788.26 points; 41.59 percent said they would recommend the automaker. Extended warranties on some new models plus luxury-level services at many dealers – such as free loaner cars, online service bookings and ride and pickup service – aided the company’s ranking, the magazine said.

• Embassy Suites Hotels is No. 48, with 786.32 points and a 49.95-percent recommendation rate. “The Hilton-owned chain received best-in-class scores from customers for its [24/7] business center … each property has a minimum of two computers with high-speed Internet, [plus] photocopy machines, laser printers and standard office software,” the magazine said.

• Toyota is No. 50 with 785.97 points; 51.95 percent said they would recommend the carmaker, Business Week said.

Business Week magazine and BusinessWeek.com, with nine domestic and 10 international bureaus, are publications of The McGraw-Hill Cos. Inc. (NYSE: MHP). To learn more, or read the full report on the 2008 “Customer Service Champs,” which also appears in the magazine’s March 3 edition, visit www.BusinessWeek.com.