

You should also make sure that this doesn’t change your contract. Once you've gotten the price as low as you think it’ll go, you'll want to thank them and do what Gross refers to as a “wrap.” You should wrap up by asking the rep to summarize the details of the discounts, how long they’ll apply and whether they can email you a confirmation. You need to remain silent, even if it’s awkward. You should do this after the second offer, as well. When offered a discount, always pause - maybe five seconds of silence - and ask, ‘What else can you do to lower my monthly bill?’” Gross says. If you can get the rep’s first name and use it often, it’ll build rapport, Gross says. After all, it’s not the little guy’s fault the Megacorp Man has astronomical rates. They’ll start thinking, “we've got to find a way to keep this customer,” he adds.

It goes from a regular service call to a retention one. This “basically pushes a little red button on their side,” Kurland says. Once you've reached a representative, you should tell them you'd like to cancel your service because you've decided to switch to competitor X’s specific deal that will save you Y dollars a month. (That’s a big if.) He recommends doing some research about competitors’ rates and calling the company during business hours on a workday. Kurland says that it’s totally possible for you to negotiate your bills on your own… if you have the time and patience. “Some offer more discounts than others, and there is no way to specifically know what discounts you might receive without contacting your provider to find out.” Do your homework “All service providers are a little different and have their specific nuances on how much they will reduce your bill,” says Barry Gross, founder and president of BillCutterz. There’s a lot less wiggle room when it comes to the basics, like electric and water. This goes for industries where there’s a lot of competition, like home security, or that provide nonessential services, like satellite radio. Pick your battlesĭiscretionary bills are among the easiest to negotiate because you could, theoretically, cancel your service and walk away.
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You can take advantage of this, but you still need to have a strategy before you pick up the phone. Companies want to grow and get more customers, not shrink and lose customers, so they’re willing to do a lot to keep you around. It all centers around the idea of retention. They’ve got this whole profit margin they’re expecting you to come down on.” “Most often, things like TV, internet and phone bills are structured with padding built in from the provider assuming you're going to negotiate. “If you have the time, you should try to negotiate every bill you've got,” says Ben Kurland, co-founder of BillFixers. It's possible to bring down the cost of your monthly bills - and you don't even have to yell at a customer service rep. So after you've kicked that expensive Starbucks habit and canceled the Disney+ subscription you only bought for Hamilton, why not try to reduce your fixed costs, too? In a recession like this, every cent counts.
