How I Saved 50% on Internet Service

Back in October I tweeted that I'd called my internet provider, AT&T, and that one phone call saved me about $15.00 per month on my internet service. A month or so prior, I'd given them a call and got my home phone bill reduced too. I've done this with my cable and cell phone bills as well.

With everyone focusing on saving and getting out of debt in the new year, I wanted to share some easy steps you can take to reduce your monthly expenses.

Just about every service provider has a Customer Retention department or something equivalent. If you don't know the name of the specific department, just tell the customer service rep you're thinking about switching providers and they'll get you over to the right people ASAP.

Before you call, research a competitor that's offering compatible services at a lower rate than you're paying with your existing provider. I used this strategy when dealing with Tmobile to get my cell phone bill reduced. I went online and compared two different companies that had similar rate plans. This signals to your company that you're serious and are ready to drop them immediately if they aren't willing to work with you to lower your bill.

Ask the rep how long you've been a loyal customer. Don't leave out the word loyal. Although you know good and well how long you've been with them, this puts the attention on them to acknowledge the fact that you've chosen to do business with them for X number of years. Note: It doesn't hurt if you throw this in for good measure, "As a consumer, I have choices and I've chosen to do business with you for 5 years." This is exactly what I did with AT&T.

More than likely, the rep will come back with something along the lines of the lower advertised rates only apply to new customers and not existing customers. I love it when they say this! This is when you ask one simple question, "So you're saying I can't save money because I've chosen to remain a loyal customer for 5 years? If so, please tell me why I should remain your customer." You want to reinforce the fact that you're already a paying customer and have been for a long time. Oh - and when you ask why you should remain their customer, expect a brief moment of silence as the rep tries to gather his/her thoughts.

Set aside a few hours one day before the end of this month and make the phone calls. Some companies will be more cooperative than others, but don't back down. If they flat out refuse to work with you, be prepared to make a decision to stay or move to another company. In my case, I was genuinely prepared to switch residential phone services. Although I wouldn't have saved much, I could've bundled my home phone and internet with my cable provider...whom I've also been loyal to for about 5 years.

Which company are you going to call first? I suggest starting with the one that could save you the most money. Let me know how it went and how much you saved.

Photo credit: theantibride