Making the call
The example below
gives you an illustration of how you might approach your ISP
Mr Jones decides to contact his ISP:
ISP: "Good afternoon you are through to Ripoff.com How
may I help you?"
JONES: "Good afternoon, I would like to request a MAC
code please. My account details are.... etc"
ISP: "I'm sorry you are considering leaving
Ripoff.com. May I ask you why? Are you unhappy with the
service?"
JONES: "I'm quite satisfied with the service but I have
been paying you 30 pounds a month for about six years now and I
have discovered I can get exactly the same service for much
less money from several other providers. You really are very
expensive by comparison which is why I would like to switch."
ISP: "What other deals have you been considering?
Have you looked at some other providers?"
JONES: "Yes, I have looked at several. The cheapest is
from Cheapnastyandunrelaible.co.uk but I think I would be
inclined to move to Goodvalue.com as they match your service at
a very reasonable price although not the cheapest."
ISP: (pauses) "Are you sure you want to move? Is
there anything I can do to persuade you to stay with us?"
JONES: "You could cut your price perhaps -after all I've been
paying you well over the going rate for some time. I would
prefer to stay put but your prices are simply too high so I would
like a MAC code if you can't reduce your prices."
ISP: "Would you mind holding for a moment Sir while
I speak to my supervisor?"
JONES: "No that's fine"
(At this point they may or may not come back with an offer. You
should have decided in advance whether or not to proceed with
switching if they don't make an offer. The likelihood is that
you will be offered some incentive to stay with them, either a
higher level of service, a price reduction or both. when they
come back on the phone, you should let them talk first and
pause slightly before responding. Whatever deal they may offer
you it's important to find out any catches such as how long you
will sign up for and if the price they offer is an introductory
rate which rises after a period. If you are happy with what
they offer you, don't say yes to it straight away as there may
be more incentives up for grabs if you are patient. The
important thing is to be polite but firm in your objective of
getting a better deal)
They come back to the phone-
ISP: "Mr Jones?"
JONES: "Speaking."
ISP: "I've just spoken to my supervisor and he explained
your circumstances to the Section Manager. He has decided that
as you have been a loyal customer for so long. He is able to
offer you your existing service plus our standard call plan for
half your current tariff if you renew your contract with us.
Would this appeal to you?"
(you pause for a few seconds and proceed to find out any
catches as described above. It is up to you whether you accept
their offer or insist on switching to another ISP)
If everything goes well, you will now be paying less money for
your broadband without having to switch providers with all the
uncertainty that entails. At worst, you will have spent around
15 minutes on the phone and be aware of other ISP's and what
they offer. Alternatively, if you find a better deal with
another provider, you could decide to
switch.
The choice is yours!
Well that's it! Good luck!
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