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Whether you’re fed up with your rising internet bill or are looking for service with the best possible rate; you’ll need to negotiate for what you want! Internet service is expensive nowadays and no one wants to overpay for their service.
The good news is if you’re a new customer searching for internet in my area, your prospective new internet provider is likely to roll out the welcome mat to get you to subscribe to their service. If you’re an existing customer, despite being a loyal customer your internet provider is going to make you do a little work to get your internet bill down. To help you negotiate for a better rate with your internet provider and internet access, we’ve put together these five tips to help it go in your favor.
Know What Internet Plan You Have Now & What You’re Getting With It
Before you pick up the phone, find out what internet plan you subscribe to, what you’re getting with it and what your monthly bill looks like. The only way you can confidently negotiate for a better monthly rate is if you know every aspect of your account.
Whether you are looking to cut your monthly bill or investigating alternative satellite internet options in your area, to fully prepare for negotiating with your current internet provider, collect the following information about your account:
- What internet plan do you subscribe to? Download and upload speeds, data caps, etc.
- What other services do you subscribe to with them? TV, home phone, whole home Wi-Fi, etc.
- How much is your bill each month?
- How much are you paying now compared to when you first signed up for service with them?
- Are you in a contract or nearing the end of your contract?
- How long have you been a loyal customer?
- Do you pay your bill on time?
- Have you had services issues? Compensated or not, frequency, etc.
This seems like a lot to look up, but rest assured it’s not. You can find most of this information where you login online to pay your bill. Soon enough you’ll find out that going into the conversation armed with knowledge will increase your chances of getting a better rate.
Find Out What Competing Internet Providers Offer In Your Area
Part of being armed with knowledge is also knowing what competing internet providers are offering new customers in your area. For example, the internet in my area has multiple options, that’s why new offers are always on the card and research is also an important element of this. Doing this research shouldn’t take up too much of your time and it’ll let your current internet provider know that you are committed to finding a better rate. To better prepare for negotiating with your internet provider, collect the following information about other internet providers that will service your address:
- What internet providers are available at your address?
- Internet plan information like download and upload speeds, data caps, contracts, internet technology type.
- New customer deals and promotions running right now.
- When could they come out to install your new service if you decided to switch providers?
There’s always the possibility that you call your internet provider and get nothing. If that happens at least you’ll have a list of internet service providers readily available with the internet service you want at the prices you can afford on hand.
Be Clear About What You Want
While on the phone with a customer representative, don’t be afraid to ask for what you want. Not all customer service representatives can give you the results you’re looking for so don’t be surprised or aggravated if you get transferred to a customer retention representative. They’re the ones who have the best promotional deals at their disposal and can hand them out to entice you to say. However, you won’t get anything at all unless you’re clear about what you want and are actually prepared to cancel service with them.
Be Kind! Getting Angry Doesn’t Inspire Helpfulness
It’s okay to feel angry that your internet provider has raised its prices again. However, when you call your internet provider, remember that this isn’t the customer service representative’s fault on the other end of the line. They just work there and they don’t make the rules or set the prices. It’s not okay to take out your anger on them or being one of their many irate customers for the day. Think about it this way, while speaking to them, would you want to help yourself right now?
Yelling, swearing, and rude behavior does not inspire them to help you. In fact, treating them with kindness and being respectful will go a long way to achieving what you want; a better rate on your internet service. Even if that customer representative can’t give you a better deal or any breaks on your current rate, you can always call back again on another day and try someone else.
Ask About Discounts & Current Promotions
The easiest way to get a better rate is to just ask! If you already have internet service through them, they’ll want you to stay and will do what they can to keep you as their customer. If you’re going to be a new customer, you’ll be able to get all their new customer deals if you qualify for service. Ordering online, around federal holidays and with service representatives often gets you the best deals that your internet provider has to offer. These deals aren’t always a better rate, but sometimes you’ll get some useful freebies like streaming devices, prepaid gift cards, contract buyouts, free month of service, free equipment or installation and more.
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