I can't stand recruiting houses like this, but I love working with in-house recruiters. The times I've worked with a recruiter who's actually employed by the company I'm interviewing at, they have:

- Asked intelligent questions - Followed up in a timely manner - Helped out when flights were delayed traveling to an interview (arranged hotel) - Been unfailingly polite and helpful

On the other hand, I have never once had a good experience with a dedicated recruiting firm. So maybe all the good ones are working for tech (or other domain) companies?