It's not just about tech support.. I think another important factor is that forum users are used to getting special treatment. And when users get the same treatment as regular users outside of the forum, they think that the quality of support has gone down (which is not true).
Maybe I’m just unaware or haven’t noticed it and your observation is true that there are a few forum users who often feel like part of an inner circle and expect more personalised attention. I think balancing that with providing consistent fair support to everyone is tricky. Maybe the key is finding ways to still acknowledge loyal users without creating a divide in expectations.