Easy methods to Talk Your Way Into a Cheaper Cable Bill [Howto]

You’re spent, literally. Holiday shopping has thoroughly ravaged your wallet and soul. Which means it’s time to rein within the discretionary expenses for the recent Year. There’s no better place to begin than that grotesque $180 cable bill.

Getting Started

Yes, you are able to simply surrender on cable , cut the cord, or whatever the children are calling it nowadays. But you then risk becoming a kind of self-satisfied those that talks about how they don’t have cable. Nobody likes them. Also, cable is awesome. With minimal time and effort it’s possible to dramatically reduce those monthly costs by at the least a third. Here’s find out how to negotiate your way into a more manageable deal and still watch the recent season of Archer.

Get to understand Your Local Providers
Because this entire exercise is based on you desirous to reduce your bill, there’s some very basic info you’ll need up front. Like, um, how much you presently pay. We know, it’s easy to loose track of-particularly as promos and special introductory offers wear off. Do yourself a favor though: Go back and dig up the past six months worth of bills to get a sense of the way much you’ve handed over to the cable co. Try not to be horrified.

At this point, you’ll also are looking to get to grips with the competition. Connect my Cable and Thisiscable.com are good places to start out. Both provides you with a listing of all local providers, in addition as some of their current deals. You’ve probably already been spammed with multiple offers, too. Collect those or simply hit the majors ( Verizon FiOS , Comcast , DirecTV , Time Warner , DISH , AT&T U-Verse ) to decide what deals they’re offering. Remember, the more options (and specific offers) you have got, the more bargaining leverage you gain. Be thorough.

Pro Tip: During this initial research stage, take some overtime to parse specific TV delivery methods. Satellite , traditional cable , fiber , IPTV -they all have their advantages and downsides. As much as it pains us to signify, in certain instances, it’ll benefit you to also research bundles. Some (from AT&T and Verizon) permit you to throw cellular service into the combination, effectively creating a quad-play bundle and (reckoning on your needs) better savings.

Assess Your Viewing Habits
Honestly. Do you truly watch all 12 of those HBO channels? How in regards to the Intertube Channel? We know: cable companies strong-arm you into channels and services you don’t want or need. And whenever you won’t have much of a call by way of the premium stuff (they’re bundled and sold to the cable co’s themselves), likelihood is there are lots of options which might be expendable. Make a snappy mental (or physical) note of these, together with the channels you may’t live without. You’ll need all this for negotiating.

Pro Tip You’ll also desire to keep in mind while you actually watch cable shows. Do you certainly watch shows once they air or are you a time shifting maniac? Something as simple as removing a DVR from the combination can save you up to $16/month ($192/year). That’s a truly nice two-disc Netflix subscription right there, my friend.

Search for the right Deals
Ideally, you’ve already determined who the providers are on your service area. Now, you should use their introductory offers to get a sense of the way much money you’re simply throwing within the garbage every month. One great new resource that’ll save you time on this front is BillShrink. While it currently doesn’t cover bundles you’ll get easy access to the absolute best deals from everyone.

Now Call ‘em Up

Not just anyone, though. Be sure to navigate to the cancellation department. Here reside the folks who are actually authorized to make the correct deals. In reality, their sole purpose is to keep you and they’ve wonderful spreadsheets crammed with options. Before you call, you’ll want to have a duplicate of your latest bill handy (with account number), in addition as that list of those better deals. Now let the retention game begin!

Don’t pussyfoot around.
Start out by expressing your intent to go away. Let them know you’re all in favour of this, and make it clear it’s thanks to money (not free HBO). Most importantly, don’t be an ass. Say sorry at having to cancel, but tell them times are tough and you’ve found better deals. Remember, more often than not, these are humans on the opposite end of the line with you too-humans who happen to make very little money and may sympathize along with your financial predicament.

At this point, you’ll likely hear the magic words: Is there anything we are able to do to keep you? Yes, there is. Tell the representative that you just’d want to pay less and run down your list of specific offers. Your aim is to get them to at the least match the pricetag, nevertheless it doesn’t hurt to ask for a far better deal either. When you’ve been a faithful customer for a year or more, you’ll would like to bring that fact up.

Here’s the article: almost every cable company knows that their services have perfect substitutes. And while they continually hike their rates , they still compete ferociously. Your provider will never allow you to leave without looking to entice you to stay with some nicer offer.

Pro Tip Spending all day on the phone with angry and abuse customers can turn even the kindest customer service rep into a many-headsetted hydra. Based on our own humble successes at renegotiating, we’ve found it’s better to call inside the AM. Your individual retention specialist is frequently in a smarter mood and more open to negotiating the terms of your deal.

Rinse, Wash, Repeat
So you’ve just knocked $40 off your monthly bill. Congratulations. But just because you’ve successfully renegotiated your way into a sweeter monthly price doesn’t mean the game is over. Remember, we’re talking about cable companies, so nothing is ever really locked in. Likelihood is you’ve worked out one more four or six month arrangement, or (whenever you’re lucky) nailed a rate down for the year. Not less than, this suggests you’ll want to follow up. Organize calendar alerts, because your cable company sure as hell won’t alert you before hiking your bill again. Don’t worry: while rates go up, there’s always new promotions.

Pro Tip Here’s another anecdotal tip: Whenever you slip and forget to call before that bill hike, use that lapse in your advantage. Probably the most most useful calls often come after a huge increase. You gain way more traction (and sympathy) with an incredible and unexpected rise for your bill.

Closing Arguments

You don’t must be Herb Cohen to shave hundreds off your yearly cable expenses. Staying on top of rate hikes and frequently calling to ask for better deals is all it takes. Sure, you’ll hit a brick wall or two, or discuss with an unhelpful rep. The real thing is that you just don’t quit. Wait three or four days and speak to back. You can actually eventually find someone who will cut you the next deal. More than anything, persistence is the most important to keeping your cable bills manageable. Remember what here’s, in the end: You’re giving the cable company a raffle to keep you as a customer. And in case you think they don’t care about that $1,600/year you’ve been handing them, reassess.

Original illustration by Gizmodo guest artist Shannon May. Have a look at more of her work on her website .

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This post is tagged: delivery methods, holiday shopping, initial research, loose track, minimal time, research stage, traditional cable