Jan
We’ve all been there before. Maybe your bill is huge. Or your phone is lost or stolen. And your service provider won’t help you out. What do you do? I’m going to go over some tips to help you try and get a better deal.
1. Don’t go to the store, call customer service
The representative at the store is a salesperson, it’s their job to try and sell phones and contracts. They likely don’t have the knowledge or training to try and help you out with your problems. Calling customer service can be a pain if there’s a wait time, but it’s worth it. The customer service representatives on the phone are there to help, it’s their entire job to try and help you. Which leads me into my 2nd tip.
2. Get the customer service representative on your side
The person you are talking to on the phone can be your best resource or worst enemy. They know the system and have the training to help you. If you can get them to advocate for you, then your odds of getting what you want go up. If the opposite is true then you probably won’t get anything. With that in mind, try to be polite, tell your story. Let your emotions show if you’re upset, but don’t make it personal.
3. Be a good customer (and don’t be afraid to point it out)
If you haven’t been paying your bills on time, or if you’re a new customer then this strategy probably won’t work. If you have paid your bills on time, mention it. If you have several phones on your account, mention that as well. If you’ve been with them for a long time, bring that up too. If you have other services with the company like home phones or internet service, mention that as well. These are probably the largest factors in determining an offer. What you’re doing here is trying to demonstrate that you are a valuable customer to the company.
4. Ask the representative for their suggestion of what to do
Once again, these people know the system and can probably find you the best deal. This also helps with the 2nd tip. By asking for their help, you’re showing that you trust the representative, which in turn makes them more likely to trust you and want to help you.
The employees have access to your usage history that shows things like how much data you use, how many minutes you use and how many text messages you send (try not to worry too much about privacy, the employees can’t see what you texted or what the data was used for). They might be able to use your history to put together a custom deal that would work better for you than the standard ones that the company offers.
5. Talk about cancelling your service
If you’re still not happy with the offer, it’s time to talk about cancelling your service. But you probably don’t want to lead with “I’m cancelling my service”. The employee might interpret it as being aggressive. Instead, try asking about what the cancelation costs are, or ask about how to switch from one company to another. If neither of these prompts a better offer, ask to talk to their cancelation department. Some companies don’t have one and will just offer to cancel your service, other companies do and the people that work there might have better offers available.
6. Talking to managers
Before asking to talk to a manager, request that the employee speak to the manager on your behalf. This is faster than talking directly to the manager yourself. In addition, you won’t have to re-tell your story or build up a new connection. If you chose to request a manager, don’t immediately expect a better offer. The manager is probably going to back-up their representative and give you the same offer. The only time it’s really useful to talk directly to a manager is if you feel that you’ve been wronged by an employee.
