Cut you Cable Bill in Half....Quickly

How to Negotiate a Lower Cable TV Bill

By: Jon Boyd Barrett

Rating:

( 7 Votes )

Our society has become so fascinated and addicted to the world of cable television that it has become an important part of everyday life for many.Even during this period of economic hardship when we are all trying to find ways to reduce expenses and save money, cable TV all to often seems to be the last thing to get the chop.
But while we may feel that it is necessary for us to have a vast array of TV programs to chose from, it certainly is not necessary to be paying exuberant monthly fees to the cable TV companies that seem to have almost successfully monopolized the industry.
Here we offer some tips that will have you cutting the costs of your cable bill in no time.

The "Cancellation Threat" Technique

Let’s cut to the chase. This is by far the most effective way to reduce your cable bill and will work with any service provider. There are other ways to cut costs on your cable bill (listed below), but this is always the place to start and likely to give you results. It goes like this:

Placing the Call

Call up your cable company and go straight to the “cancel service” option that should be presented to you on their automated system. The service cancellation department consists of the people trained in retaining customers. They will try very hard to keep you as a customer, to the point of reducing your cable TV bill substantially. In fact, these service representatives actually get paid bonuses for each customer that they are able to retain.

Your First Request

Once you get through to someone, explain nicely that your cable bill is far to costly for you and that you need to reduce the cost somehow, otherwise you will unfortunately be forced to cancel the service. Then ask if there is anything that they can do for you.

The First Response

Following this, you will most likely receive a variation on one of three answers.

b) The cable company will offer you a small discount on your monthly bill.

c) The cable company will suggest that you sign up for some type of promotion that offers minimal amount of savings for a service you didn't need or want (i.e. “if you sign up for our phone service, you will save $10 a month.”)

The Crucial Step

Here is where it gets serious and where your negotiating skills will come into play.
Your reply should be something like this:

“ Thank you so much for looking into that for me but I think I’m going to have to check with ....... (mention the name of a competing cable provider). I saw that they have a very similar service that is far cheaper than what I’m paying now*. Do you have the phone number for .....( name of other cable company)?”

Because of the way these representatives are trained, upon hearing the words of their competing cable companies, they will then be authorized to offer dramatically reduced pricing in order to keep you as a customer. You just have to say the magic word, which in this case is either Comcast, Adelphia, Time Warnet, etc.

The Second Respose

Following this, the representative may try to offer you some free channels or other service. If they do, kindly state that what you really need is a price reduction otherwise you will be forced to cancel. Reiterate your request for the phone number of a competing cable provider company.
At this point, if they have not done so already, they will offer you a substantial reduction on your bill. It is common to get cuts of up to 50%.

Things to Remember

Always remain friendly and appreciative of the customer service representative's efforts.
Do some prior research into the rates of all the cable companies operating in your area to be able to use them as a reference if needed.
Remember that you have to state the name of a competitor in order for the representative to be authorized to offer lower rates.
Don’t feel bad for the representative, they actually get paid on a bonus system and make more money by retaining customers.
You will never be allowed to cancel without them trying to entice you to remain as a customer.
Some cable companies (ie Comcast), have an online customer service team which you could use if you prefer not to use the phone.

Other Ways to Reduce Your Cable Bill

Tips

Here are some additional tips that will help to save you money on your cable bill:

Combine your cable, internet and phone service so that they are all through the same provider.
Make use of your cable provider’s current promotions. If you see a new package that is cheaper than the one you're on, place a call and ask to switch. (If you have successfully implemented the “cancelation threat" technique, you may already have a better rate than the promotional offers).
Take note of which channels and features you don’t watch and seek to have them removed from your service. Do you need those premium channels? Or 15 channels of college football? Do you have to have DVR?
Remember that rates and promotions will change every few months, so stay on the lookout for improved offers.

blog comments powered by Disqus

Inspiration...

Too many people spend money they haven't earned, to buy things they don't want, to impress people they don't like." - Will Smith
Be a Good Role Model When It Comes to Money...

More Quotes.....