It's a global issue. A lot can be done to change it though. Have a look at my previous post 'Questions from my experiences as a recruiter on Hacker News' for tips on how to deal with sub-par recruiters.
I think the advice you give is interesting, though i'm more curious to hear why you think people should use a recruiter in the first place? I can see the potential training or retouching of a CV, but i feel somewhat confident that i got that right. So then, what's left?
And isn't the harassment a trade-off for, as what i perceive, being too lazy to find a job yourself?
http://voltsteve.blogspot.com/2011/07/questions-from-my-expe...