Did you know that the price you are paying every month for services like cable, internet, cell phones, and other subscription plans might be too much? It could take a simple phone call to get your bills reduced and help you save more money.
My friend Mike has been doing this for years and when he shared his strategy with me a few weeks ago I told him I had to share it with my readers.
Think you don’t have time to make the calls? Mike has been keeping track of this for five years and figures his hourly wage for these phone calls is almost $200! I’d make a few phone calls for $200 and hour, wouldn’t you?
Below is the “script” he uses when he calls to get his bills lowered.
If you are like me, then you make 1 or 2 phone calls per month with various companies to get your bills reduced, fixed, or cancelled.
I want to give you a simple yet unconventional approach that has nearly always worked for me over the years. This script is so good it even got my wife a brand new iPhone after she dropped it and had no Apple Care (Apple is notoriously stingy on credits to customers).
Step one is utilizing gethuman.com or the gethuman app to figure out the most efficient way to get the right customer service representative (CSR) as quickly as possible. Gethuman is the machete that slices your way through the phone tree. Also, make sure you have your account number handy and that you are an “authorized user” on the account.
Step two is going to the right department. If the goal of my call is to get my bill slashed, credited, reduced, or cancelled then I always go to the CSRs in the “retention department.”
Sometimes you have to say things like “cancel my service” in order to get to this department. The reason I go to this department is because in nearly all call centers this department has the authorization to give you the best credits, deals, freebies, or other incentives to retain your business.
Step three is rapport and attitude. No matter how upset you are, you need to shelve it and be very likable. Imagine having a job where people are upset with you all day and how nice it is when someone interrupts that pattern with an empathetic mindset.
Smile while you are talking to them. Ask them for their name and address them by their name. Find one thing that you can connect with them about during the duration of your call.
Step four is finding three things to compliment their company, product, or business. If you are immediately irate and launch into your complaint than the CSR is likely going to think that there is a low probability of retaining you as a customer.
However, start by building up their company or product with three specific things that you have enjoyed about their brand. This softens the blow of step five while still having the CSR lean towards you being most likely retain-able.
Step five is communicate your complaint, frustration, or desire to cut costs. Be specific about the core issues that you have. Recall that you have already built up the company, their brand, their product… etc. in step four – this gives you the right to say that they haven’t measured up to their own standards.
The CSR will be more inclined to agree with your complaints because you’ve already built up the company, brand, product, or experience. The magic phrase here is that “I am really disappointed with company name here and I expect better and I know you are capable of it.”
A helpful phrase to soften your complaint is, “I know this isn’t your fault and I am not upset with you, BUT…”
Note: If you have an actual tech support issue, retention will not be able to help you, but may be able to compensate you – but this will have to either be a phone transfer or a separate phone call.
Step six is be quiet and listen. The first rule of negotiation is that whomever speaks first… loses. Wait for the CSR to respond. Usually the CSR will respond with two or three things:
- An explanation of a policy that may have led to the bad service
- A quasi-sincere apology on behalf of the company
- An offer of some sort of refund, rebate, freebie, hidden/secret offer, one-time credit.
Step seven is actual negotiation. Sometimes CSRs will ask you what you want, try as best you can to lob the ball back into their court with something like, “I really don’t know, whatever is typical or customary for a circumstance like mine.”
Then wait and listen for their offer. If the offer is no good, then you can always say that it isn’t agreeable or acceptable to you and you can negotiate for more. However, if you spoke first, you will never get anything better offer than what you throw out there.
If all of these steps have failed, then there is the optional step eight.
Optional – Step eight is either asking to “escalate the phone call” or to hang up and start with step one with a different retention CSR.
Good luck with your calls. I keep a spreadsheet of my call logs to make sure that they are worth my time. My running five year average is $196/hour in credits, rebates, and/or other incentives.
I don’t make that in my job so these phone calls are still worth my time. The key is being able to get to the right human quickly, be winsome and efficient on the phone, and sticking to the script.
You can find Mike on the web at MichaelSGraham.com and Mike & Sara Graham Photography.
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Jane says
This is sad, really. I am a CSR and take pride in my work in trying to help people save money on their bills and helping them see the value in their services. Threatening to cancel every time a promotion ends is just mean. A promotion is like a coupon, it has an expiration date. You can’t go on forever using that coupon! Sure, there should be promotions in place for good and loyal customers, I agree with that. But if you don’t get your way, hang up and try someone else?!? That’s so childish! Services aren’t free. Your phone, Internet, cable, heat, electricity. Not free. These businesses work hard to bring you great services. They pay employees to put up with angry customers. It’s horrible, the things that come out of people’s mouths, threatening you if you can’t bring their bill back down to the $10 less per month that they were paying last year. Prices go up! Prices go up for everything! Sure, it sucks, but that’s how it goes. The company I work for values its customers and we show it with amazing customer service and being your punching bag when you want to complain and spew profanity. CSR ‘s are people too, with real feelings. Please consider that when you all call in and read through this script. Sure, it’s not your intention to have a customer crab at the CSR, but if we can’t give them what they are expecting, then we are surely going to hear it 🙁
Toni Anderson says
Hi Jane,
I would suggest you reread this article. Nowhere do we recommend threatening, being rude, or getting angry. The purpose of the article is to help people have friendly, positive conversations with the company when attempting to get a good deal. I also don’t think canceling when a promotion ends is mean, it is business. Just like your company has to earn an income, people have to spend their income wisely. We never condone angry and rude customers, but to suggest that customers can’t negotiate for better prices is not smart for consumers.
Amber says
Hi, I’m wondering how long you have services with a company before you attempt to lower the bill. If we just move to a new area and start services, will this work? Also, have you tried it with utility bills?
Thanks
Mare says
Hi! It is a little funny for me to read this article. I haven’t paid full price for cable and phone in the past 5 years. It all started when I called the cable company telling them I was going to change my budget and had other companies offering lower rates. They asked me if I had a problem with the service they were providing and I told them I didn’t. I just needed to save money. For 4 years, at the end of each yearly offer, I call back to re-started. The last year they even added better internet service, and all the premium channels! I should be paying over $300 and I pay $160. I used the same excuse with the phone company and got double data, plus more of everything at a lower rate than the offer they work with. Today it is really very competitive out there, like the representative for the phone company told me “We know how competitive things are getting, we just want our current clients to stay and happy”.
Mary Bacon says
I agree, we have every right to ask for a better deal. My income is valuable to me just as your service is valuable to you. In my area we have serious price gauging going on and I do not feel bad about asking for a new “coupon” when the old one expires.
Nancy P says
I write on my calendar when my Sirus radio subscription is ready to expire. I just call and apologize to the rep and say I can’t afford the renewal rate (3 to 4 times the promo rate). I’m very polite to them and even tell them I hope they don’t get in trouble for me cancelling. They ALWAYS immediately offer an excellent new rate.
Now, I had Direct TV, they refused to budge when the intro rate went away, so we switched. Funny thing, about a month later I was bombarded with calls from Direct offering a great rate if we returned.
If they would just offer a fair, decent rate, subscribers wouldn’t have to play phone games. Thanks for a great blog!