I did manage to get quite a good deal on the new iPhone after using pretty much the exact same script I have used to save money on:

1. Cable Internet Fees
2. Bell Landline phones
3. Cable fees
4. etc., etc.,

The scenario becomes quite straight forward however beforehand you need to collect some important information:

• If you are an existing customer, how long have you been a customer? If you have been a customer in good standing (i.e. you paid your bills on time, etc.,) keep that in mind too.
• Do you have viable alternatives to the service you are attempting to get at a cheaper rate? Usually if you are spread out across various companies you can make statements like, “I have Internet with Rogers, and they keep bugging me to move my phone over to them”, or “Bell Fibe keeps bugging me about how cheap and how fast their internet service is, and I already have Bell phone”, etc.,
• You can do your own research and talk to competing services and get actual “deals” from them, so you can make specific comments about what you have been offered by the competition.

Also keep in mind, if you are bluffing, you cannot let that come out, or you are screwed. I typically am not bluffing, in that I have no real allegiance to any of the major telecomm service providers in Canada (or in the world for that matter).

Step 1: Call Sales or Customer Service

You will have to make this call first, since we have figured out that Mortar and Brick Stores are No-Ops. I actually spoke to a Salesperson at the Bell Store and they are equally frustrated that they cannot offer any “deals”.  You must make the initial call, be polite, and talk to this first person, ask what kind of deal they can give you.

Almost all of the time this first person can do nothing (I am being polite, this first person can do nothing for you). Eventually you will need to utter the important statement: “Can I please speak to Customer Retention group please?”. If they will not connect you, thank them, hang up and call back again a while later, and hopefully that person will connect you with the folks who can make deals for you. If you can’t get through after several tries, ask to talk to a supervisor, maybe they are the folks to talk to?

Step 2: Customer Retention

Once you are talking to Customer Retention (or the supervisor, or the magic deal making person), you need to make it clear you want a better deal because:

• You are a long time customer
• You are coveted by their competitor

Or any other reason if you can think of one. It is important to get this person to give you a better deal (or the best deal) so you need to get them to think that you deserve a deal.

If customer retention simply restates the existing deal that the first person told you, this is the wrong person, and you need to ask for another person or their supervisor.

I have found that no matter what, the first deal you get from Customer Retention is not “The Deal“, ask for more! Keep pounding home the point that you are a desirable client, and you want more. Keep at this, pound away about how you want a better deal, and you deserve it.

Step 3: Close the Deal

After you have spent sufficient time (seems 30-60 minutes is average for me) and you feel you have a good enough deal from Customer Retention, you must close this deal! How do you close this deal? First, don’t just hang up and assume you have the deal, get all the particulars of who you spoke with:

• Their Name
• Their phone number
• Any identifier code for this great deal so when you go to a Mortar and Brick store to consummate the deal, you get what you deserve.
• The exact amount that this is saving you (see if they might even fax you that information , or e-mail it to you)

I have seen more than one “great deal” go sour, when you show up to close the deal and suddenly the deal has disappeared like a fart in the wind (e.g. the person who gave you the deal is no longer available, thus the deal was never written down).

When you close the deal, get it all in writing, and make sure it is the deal that you wanted (don’t let them make small adjustments that might not be to your advantage).

Sounds complicated? Not really, but I have found that remaining polite throughout works best, you can still sound annoyed but there is no reason to be impolite, simply restate your point with a bit more emphasis (not yelling, just a sterner tone).

Did I miss anything here?