Keep More Income

I save a ton of money every year by calling my utility providers to get lower rates.  For example, I do not pay full price for my cable Internet or my cell phone.

I’m shocked by how many people don’t bother calling their utility providers to get lower rates.  In fact, I’m shocked by how many people don’t even know they can do this.

My cable Internet regularly costs $44.95/month, but there are “new customer” promotions running all the time for around $15 or $20 less per month.  I always get the “new customer” rates, even though I’ve been with my provider over a year and am definitely not a new customer.

How do I do this?  Simple — I simply call up, threaten to switch to DSL, and ask what can be done to keep my business.  Framing is very important in this situation — don’t give the customer service representative a chance to shoot you down.  If I were to ask, “Is there anything you can do to keep my business?” they can easily tell me no.  If I give them the opportunity to take me back and frame the question as though I expect something in return (”what can you do to keep my business?”) I am more likely to get an offer back.

Here’s the most important part of this: If your offer to switch to a competitor’s service falls on deaf ears, simply hang up, call back, and speak to a different customer service representative.  Do the same thing until you get someone who offers you the promotional rate.

Whenever my promotional period runs up, I simply call back and start the whole process over.

NOTE: it helps to know competitor’s rates.  Use a deal web site, like the Fatwallet Forums, to know competitor prices.

Another way to try and save money is simply to call your utility providers and ask if you are eligible for any kind of corporate or membership discount.  They will ask you questions and there is a chance you are like me and ended up being eligible for a 20% monthly job-related discount.  Others will find out they can get a discount simply because they are a member of a specific service, like AAA.

I even had a friend once call his cell phone provider and simply ask what promotional offers were available and end up with free text messaging!

Don’t be afraid to call up your cable, cell phone, and other providers and wring out whatever kind of deals you can.