I will not lie; I have contemplated cutting the cord for the longest time ever. I do not think anyone would have thought about such petty issues for so long in their lives. Or maybe they have. Maybe I am not the only one. But what do I know! Anyway, coming back to our original topic and cutting my rant short, let me tell you why I have been contemplating cutting the cord in the first place. It is the rising cable TV bill. They just don’t seem to have a ceiling. Well, nothing seems to have a ceiling these days except for our incomes. So yes, I have been having my doubts. However, the problem is that cable TV and I go back to the time I moved into my first apartment. Since then we have spent many a silent night happily together.
So, even though I know I am paying a little more than necessary for my cable TV service, I just can’t seem to part ways with it. It is like being caught in a relationship that makes you happy and miserable at the same time. So I think for now I will keep the service and continue complaining about it too. If you are in the same happy cum miserable relationship with your cable TV then I believe you have come to the right place because I have researched a few tricks to lower my cable TV bill and would be happy to share them with you if you continue reading. It is not that difficult to smooth talk your cable provider into lowering your bill if you know what you are doing. A little cut in the bill would go a long way if you think about it. So let us get started!
Table of Contents
Inspect the cable TV bill
Many of us make the mistake of never checking the details on our cable TV bill. I remember doing the same when I had newly moved out of my parents’. Had to learn it the hard way that even big companies have humans working for them, humans are prone to error, and that it is no big deal if there is a mistake on your bill. After all, it is also your responsibility to check what you are paying for. That is why no matter how long you have been with the cable provider, check your bill every month. You must know exactly what every fee on that statement represents. If in doubt, call up the customer service number and ask.
There may be some fees that could sound like they are being paid to the government but they are not. So ask what those Taxes, fees, and surcharges really are to ensure that your cable provider is not slipping in hidden charges in the name of government fees that you never inquire about. Cable providers are tricky people so deal accordingly.
Research other Cable TV Providers
Understand one thing. There are probably more than a few cable providers in your area and they are all gunning for you. Yes, trust me everybody wants you. Competition these days is high and streaming services have become like slow approaching death to the cable TV industry. So your provider would not want you to leave. In fact, they will try to accommodate you in the best possible way so you would stay. That is if you have been a good customer. Do not expect the provider to run after you if you have been slacking on payments. In that case, they may actually encourage disconnection.
Anyway, check out all the providers offering similar cable TV service in your area and the deals they are offering to new customers. An easy way to do this would be navigating to localcabledeals.com and searching for cable providers in your zip code. I can personally vouch for this platform because that is how I got my research going on when I first decided I wanted to negotiate my bill. However, to my surprise Spectrum bundle deals offered the best prices at the time and I had to sit quietly, knowing that I actually had the best deal in my area and many others were paying more. However, I still did call up to check if there was a way of reducing the bill. ☺
Make a Plan before You Call
Planning is important in every aspect of our lives. So they say! Like I said earlier, what do I know. But yes, it is important that you know what exactly you want the outcome of this ordeal to be. You can’t make the call and start talking about lowering the bill and hang up with your service canceled and no back up in hand. So decide if you only want to negotiate and see if the provider would lower your bill and even if they don’t you will be okay. Or, do you want to go ahead and switch to a provider with a better deal if yours does not offer you a better deal?
With your mind made up and research in place, make the call. It is recommended that you call during off-peak hours because the representatives will have a little more time to listen to your plea and may as well try to help you if possible. Start off by asking about deals for new customers and continue to tell them that you have been a long-term customer with good standing and would like the company to appreciate your loyalty as well. Always keep your tone I check and remember that representatives are only employees and may not be able to do a lot for you. But they can definitely try, so being nice would go a long way.
Final Thoughts
You should never be ashamed of negotiating for anything that seems overpriced to you. Nobody can tell you what you should be spending on things that you need or want. You work all day for the money you have so it is only fair that you decide how much you want to spend and on what. So negotiate and re-negotiate and do whatever it takes to bring that bill down.
Hello, I am a professional writer, with more than 10 years of writing experience. I love to write on the science related subjects and share knowledge with my readers. I hope all my reader friends will enjoy my work.
