Negotiate Your Way to Lower Bills

Negotiate Your Way to Lower Bills

One thing my job has taught me is that everything’s price can be negotiated. It’s all about supply and demand. If someone doesn’t get the price they want, they’ll find it elsewhere. The key is whether they want to make a sale and keep you as a customer.

Every six months, my TV service jumps from the promotional price back to the regular rate. When that happens, I give the cable company a call and politely ask, “Can you help me out with this?” I don’t yell or get upset. I just understand that the worst thing they can say is “no.” But they rarely do, because they know I might cancel and find another provider.

Recently, my TV service price increased again. I made the call, and guess what? They reduced my cable bill by 45%! That’s a $720 savings for the year. And this isn’t the first time—I’ve done this around ten times now.

You can negotiate more than just cable bills. It’s worked for my auto insurance, cell phone bills, and even a rewards program for a previous credit card. For instance, I asked if they could extend the promotional 5% rewards on gas, groceries, and travel for a few more months. Shortly after, I went on vacation and earned $75 in points in just one month!

Here’s the strategy:

1. **Make the Call**: Just go ahead and do it. Sitting around being mad about your bills won’t change anything. The worst they can do is say no, in which case, you keep paying what you already are. You’ve got nothing to lose!

2. **Be Polite**: Remember your own experiences at work. Do you help the rude customers or the polite ones? Customer service reps will likely do the same for you if you ask nicely.

3. **Be Assertive**: If they say no, that’s okay. Look up their competitors’ promotions. Now you can say, “I really like your service, but I noticed AT&T U-verse has a great deal. Can we work something out?” They usually don’t want to lose a customer.

4. **Be Ready to Follow Through**: If they still won’t help, it might be time to switch providers. It’s not a huge hassle, and the internet makes it easier. You owe them nothing, and you deserve the best deal. Besides, you gave them a chance to keep you as a customer, right?

Always remember, as the consumer, you hold the power because you control the money.