I believe that many pros felt this way a long time ago, when Nikon reduced their support to professionals at many venues where photography was a feature byline. That Canon not only didn't reduce support at such, but even increased their support, drove a lot of pros from Nikon to Canon. I once read about a "Nikon Pro" who got to an event where his equipment was missing, either stolen or lost-in-transit, and when he asked NPS on-site for help, they basically said "No." He approached Canon services and they provided him with all of the gear he needed for the event. Wanna guess what brand of gear he used after that? That example is multiplied many times over, and now, where Nikon was once king, you'll see mainly Canon gear being used.
You can find examples of exceptional service and poor service for any company. Canon provided a lot more support at more events than Nikon and staffed their events with a lot more reps. That was largely a staffing and marketing decision. They laid off most of that staff three years ago.
My contact with Nikon's pro support is exceptional. You don't develop a relationship when you need something - you develop a relationship first and when you need something, you know where to go for help.
There are plenty of Canon stories that are similar to the Nikon story you describe. Take a look at Piper McKay's blog about her struggles with Canon and ultimate switch to Nikon.