I have never gotten a better price by threatening to cancel. I was instead told to cancel and signup again in a year or two so I could qualify for “new customer” pricing. There is no reward for loyalty with Telcos.
Comment on Cable Firms to FTC: We Shouldn’t Have to Let Users Cancel Service With a Click
athos77@kbin.social 9 months ago
“Three out of four of the cable and broadband customers who called to cancel end up retaining some or all service after speaking with an agent.”
Because threatening to leave is the only way to get a half-decent price?
SinningStromgald@lemmy.world 9 months ago
prole@sh.itjust.works 9 months ago
I imagine it depends on the availability of viable competition in the area. In many areas of the US, there is only one ISP available to customers, so when people threaten to cancel, they know that most of them are bluffing.
tsonfeir@lemm.ee 9 months ago
I doubt they have those metrics verified by an unbiased and qualified party.
verity_kindle@sh.itjust.works 9 months ago
Hanging up in frustration and anguish counts as “retaining service”.
beckerist@lemmy.world 9 months ago
Maven@lemmy.sdf.org 9 months ago
The point is that it’s extremely common practice to call your ISP and tell them you’re cancelling so they’ll send you to Retentions and you can get a few more months at “50% off” (a reasonable price). This would be included in those “3/4 people stay”, but those were never actually going to cancel anyway, they only say they are so they don’t have to pay the insanely inflated sticker price.
ruplicant@sh.itjust.works 9 months ago
i’ve worked at a call center years ago on the retentions dep. of some mobile internet provider. after learning of such trickery, i’ll fucking tell everyone that will listen “hey mate, you’ve got a internet/telephone/cable tv subscription? are you in the “fidelity” period? (yeah that shit is a thing here…) ok so listen, AS SOON AS a second passes from the end of the period, this is how you get the actual decent price for service…”
some people had to stop me on my track several times because i was repeating myself to them (forgot who i’d already told about it) because i must make sure everyone knows
been doing it all these uears
nicetriangle@kbin.social 9 months ago
Yep that’s Comcast. You have to call annually and threaten to cancel to get a semi reasonable price for cable and/or internet.
Maven@lemmy.sdf.org 9 months ago
I’ve been with all three major Canadian ISPs and it’s the same everywhere. Like clockwork, once a year you call them. You could say “I’m looking to cancel” but at this point they all know why you’re calling, don’t waste anyone’s time, just ask “hey could you please transfer me to Retention” and they’ll be glad not to have go through the song and dance. Retention picks up, immediately offers you a deal, you reject it, they offer you a better deal, job done. Literally the only relatively easy thing they let you do at this point.
Hamartiogonic@sopuli.xyz 9 months ago
If a company does that, they are teaching customers that the original piece is too high and that you can always haggle for a lower one. Is this really what they wanted? Sounds like this could hurt your business.
RememberTheApollo@lemmy.world 9 months ago
This also proves that they are deliberately screwing you on a price they have no trouble lowering to keep your business. Only to overcharge you again as time goes by.