You CAN lower you bills instead of constantly changing carriers

We all have that battle once in a while, where we need to drop our bills. Or the carrier has added another fee to add to the long list, and it increases our bills.  And some of us might even be those people who are always swapping carriers, to get the lowest price out there.

However, I am  one of those customers, whee once I sign up with you, you have me for life. (unless you totally screw me over).

I have a few tips for people, to maybe help lower your bills a bit, every year or 2.

The idea for this post arises because I just got off a chat with my cable company, and was pleased. I thought for sure I was in for a fight. However, it went very well.

I received my monthly bill and noticed the amount went up about $10 more. I noticed I am now being charged and $8 DVR service fee. HOLD ON - we don't have DVR capabilities. WTH???  This brought me back to last year when I saw the $10 fee of HD Technology fee -- which again, we can't access ANY HD channels...ever. Our TV is not equipped for it.

So now, I am paying almost $20 a month for services I can't even use??? NO, I DON"T THINK SO!!
I got on a chat with a rep, explained the situation, and she explained to me, that I can trade in the main cable box we have, for a basic model. That will get rid of the HDDVR fees, and I will still be able to use the basics on the remote/tv, as we currently are with this one.

(what happened is, when HD became a necessity, no one told us that the equipment we already had, would have fees tapped to it. We should have been advised that we should swap it out, but we weren't)

Finally, here are my tips (this is mostly for cell phone and cable companies):

1 - Do not call the Customer Service people on the phone, if you can help it. Most companies have an online chat options for customer service. This is much better because you can't hear the voice tone of the rep, which in turn will not make you automatically snap to the annoying customer with an attitude.  Also, the hold times are not as long, at all. My log in today, I was 22 in line for chat, and I think I waited 3 minutes for a rep to connect.

2 - If you have been with the same company for a long time, and rarely complain, check their website about every 1-2 years. If there are plans out there, with lower cost, for NEW customers, most times, you can plead your case and get that lower plan as well, which can drop your bill as well.
("Its not fair that I have been with you for 10 yrs but pay  so much more then NEW customers. What can you do to keep me with your company.")

3 - PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR BILLS.  I have seen people who have their bills on auto pay and don't notice the little increased here and there each month. Then when they DO notice it, its a big change, and there is not much they can do about it.  I manually pay my bills every  month, so I notice if there is  a little change, and I jump on right away.  Most Customer service reps think that if you are just NOW complaining about it after a year of not noticing, that its your fault, not theirs. 

Lastly, this is not a tip but something I ask you to keep in mind, as I have been in the Customer Service field.  The people you talk to in Customer Support, did NOT make the rules. They are NOT the ones putting fees on your bill. Please keep in mind they DO NOT make the decisions of the company, they are just there to help you find your way through the maze. being understand that its not that persons fault your are paying so much, can change the whole attitude of the call.
Thank you!