"Recession Renegotiation"

[loveisuneven]

So
This morning on the early show, a "Financial Author" was giving advice to consumers about how to save money and such.

The main point was to call up people you pay bills to, like cable companies, and ask for discounts, and if they won't give it to you, to ask for a supervisor. Oh, and of course, threaten with cancellation. He called this recession renegotiation.

So if any of you start noticing an influx of those types of calls, blame the Early Show.

[NightWatch]

Eff that crap! Ya wanna here my recession plan? I'm eating out less, riding my bicycle more often to save gas/gas money. Drinking and smoking less. If necessary I will CANCEL my cable and internet because while they're nice to have, I won't die without it. But I'm not going to go about demanding discounts just because I'm in the same boat as everyone else.

[Wade]

Welcome to my world. I hear that garbage every day. LOWER MY RATE!!! Like I'm just going to arbitrarily waive my wand and <poof!>, your wish is my command! Or my personal favorite: customers lapse on their policy and ask me to waive the re-instatement fee. However, a quick review will show this is their third lapse in six months.

DENIED!!!

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

So
This morning on the early show, a "Financial Author" was giving advice to consumers about how to save money and such.

The main point was to call up people you pay bills to, like cable companies, and ask for discounts, and if they won't give it to you, to ask for a supervisor. Oh, and of course, threaten with cancellation. He called this recession renegotiation.

So if any of you start noticing an influx of those types of calls, blame the Early Show.

1. Bet that "financial author" has never spent a day working in a customer service job.

2. I'd gladly cancel for anybody who demanded it because I wouldn't give them a discount. But then again I'm fireable like that.

I don't understand what it is about a bad economy that makes people think companies are now willing to sell their products or services below their cost.

3. That said, I don't think anybody watches The Early Show anyway. I didn't even know it was still on the air.

[loveisuneven]

I'm in a small conservative college town,
the early show comes on before the local news and local weather

[AccountingDrone]

Eff that crap! Ya wanna here my recession plan? I'm eating out less, riding my bicycle more often to save gas/gas money. Drinking and smoking less. If necessary I will CANCEL my cable and internet because while they're nice to have, I won't die without it. But I'm not going to go about demanding discounts just because I'm in the same boat as everyone else.

Im unemployed now, as of last thursday ...

Im not as freaked out as I would normally be as we are going to be paying the mortgage off on the house as soon as the check from the lawyer arrives so we will be making up just under half my income right there. Because Im not working, I dont need the email/internet function for my cell phone, so I am going back to my old non-PDA phone, which saves $100 a month right there. Im back to baking bread daily and it runs me about half what buying store bought bread does. Im not having to commute a 100 mile round trip once a month, and I dont have to maintain a work wardrobe for when I had to go in to the office. I decided to give up a couple of my indulgences [emusic and a couple of paid content sites, cooks illustrated and consumer reports, and my spare WoW account, and my last everquest account. Im paying my EVE Online accounts with mining and buying P.L.E.X. in game]

We are torn, Im thinking of trying to score funding to go back to school for more education but I am enjoying the thought of just relaxing and not stressing my poor body any further. My migraines have decreased, and my CPPD hasnt flared in the time since I got laid off .... the lack of stress is fantastic!

[Bright_Star]

So if they threaten cancellation of services such as cable & cable company terminates your service then how does that hurt the company? Said company just shrugs their collective shoulders & moves on with someone else who does want service. The person doing the threatening has only hurt themselves.

[tropicsgoddess]

So
This morning on the early show, a "Financial Author" was giving advice to consumers about how to save money and such.

The main point was to call up people you pay bills to, like cable companies, and ask for discounts, and if they won't give it to you, to ask for a supervisor. Oh, and of course, threaten with cancellation. He called this recession renegotiation.

So if any of you start noticing an influx of those types of calls, blame the Early Show.

Damn, now you're gonna get an influx of EWs! You poor thing. But really, fuck that shit, cook/eat at home, cut back frivolous spending, bring your own lunch to work and if necessary,downgrade or cancel certain amenities (i.e. house/cellphone, etc.), THAT'S how you save money.

[MoonChild2007]

That excuse would only work if the customer actually lost their jobs and are being paid only by unemployment checks. I don't feel for those customers who have been paying 150+ for years and all of sudden now are bitching about why their bill is so high (same customers who have the highest package are the ones who aggravate me the most) and want us to lower their bill. Some morons don't even want to downgrade their services.

BTW, thanks for the tip, now I know why there was a increase in calls.

[protege]

It wouldn't surprise me if the same people were also calling their utility companies...to get lower rates. At least the utility company can say "tough shit," and can (and will) cut off service. Not only that, but they'll usually hit you up with a $40-50 fee to turn it back on

[artifical sweetner]

It wouldn't surprise me if the same people were also calling their utility companies...to get lower rates. At least the utility company can say "tough shit," and can (and will) cut off service. Not only that, but they'll usually hit you up with a $40-50 fee to turn it back on

i think "tough shit" should be the attitude everywhere

[Teysa]

I don't think there's any harm in asking if you qualify for a different rate as long as you ask politely and are willing to take 'no' for an answer. It's then up to you to decide whether you still consider the service worth paying for or if you can live without it.

[katie kaboom]

3. That said, I don't think anybody watches The Early Show anyway. I didn't even know it was still on the air.

Maybe not, but I saw a similar report on the Today show. I actually yelled at the tv over that one. It pisses me to no end that these so called "experts" go on tv and basically tell the world to treat employees of businesses they deal with like crap, and to bitch, whine and moan if they don't get what they want.

[blas]

100% agreed, katie.