Things Are Getting a Bit Rough with Paco…
Welcome to Part-2 of our series on how to negotiate cheapest Cable, Phone, and Internet Service Rates. If you somehow missed Part-1, you can check it out here.
Recap
If you have been following along with me, then you already know that I am not doing so hot with Paco at Comcast after accidentally hanging up on Larry. I’ve been able to get Larry/Paco down an easy $15/month ($180/year) so far, but I am looking for a little more of a discount. However, Paco is proving a difficult “cookie to crack.”
Apparently, we are paying for the “Performance Level” internet service. This is marketing-speak for 20Mbps download. In doing a little bit of quick google searching, this seems to be overkill for what we need. We typically stream Netflix to one TV at a time, so a 5Mbps service should be able to stream in 1080p quality and then some. Before moving to our new house I believe we were on a slower rate plan that worked well for us, but I am not sure.
So, let’s watch the Part-2 video and see how I fare against Paco! Be sure to check out the bonus negotiating tips I put together after watching the video. These are sure to help you out with your negotiating!
Alright, you can see I didn’t really get anywhere with Paco. That’s OK. You may have to call your cable, phone, or internet service company multiple times until you get someone that will work with you. I still have the energy to give this another try with someone else. Join me in Part-3 where I go for the knock-out punch!
Some Bonus Negotiating Tips:
- Stay polite and friendly, most of the folks that you will be talking to are just doing their job. They can be compensated based on how many people they retain and how high they keep your rates. If you piss them off that can just stonewall you.
- Have a goal in mind before you start. This should be based on their current pricing offers for new customers, rates for smaller packages, competitor’s rates in the area, rates friends or neighbors are paying, etc.
- If you have been a customer for more than a year and/or have always paid your bill on time, be sure to point this out repeatedly.
- Don’t threaten to cancel service right away, this can backfire if used too early and you don’t really intend to cancel… Keep some of your card close to the vest!
- Use silence to your advantage. Sometimes staying quiet for 30 seconds or more can work wonders.
By the way, have you considered using an OBi100 & Google Voice instead of a traditional copper or digital phone plan?
Gavin, great thought! I had to research the OBi100 to see what you were talking about. I see that you can buy a brand new one from amazon.com for ~$40 here.
For us, we ONLY have cell phones. We canceled the phone and cable TV about 2-3 years ago and haven’t looked back. I plan to do a future post detailing why we did this and how it has help us to save a TON of money each year!!
Great thought to try for those that like the convenience of a home phone.