When It Comes to Better Service And/Or a Lower Price, “And” Is Better
February 05, 2014It started last summer. I’d be sitting on the couch streaming my favorite TV show when suddenly the video feed would stop. After a minute or two, it would start streaming again, only to be interrupted a few moments later. This would happen on and off for several months and I started to wonder what was happening.
As I thought about it, it dawned on me that our household had a lot of traffic flowing over the Internet. A few years ago, our Internet traffic was coming from only a few devices, including two computers, a Blu-ray player, and a gaming system. Today, we have over a dozen devices that use the Internet to play games, communicate with friends, stream video and music, and access data (but what else would you expect from a house of teens and ‘tweens?). With so much demand for bandwidth, it was time to contact my Internet provider to discuss upgrading our service.
The last time I contacted my Internet service provider (ISP) was three years ago. Back then, I subscribed to the fastest level of service but I suspected faster service was available. Unfortunately, I imagined that if I wanted to upgrade my service, it would include an upgrade in my monthly subscription fee, which is probably why I hadn’t made the call earlier. With more and more demand for online gaming and streaming video, it was high time I bit the bullet and made the call—and boy am I glad I did.
Not only was I able to upgrade my service to a much faster speed but the cost of the new service was less—$39 a month less, to be exact. I thought surely this was a mistake or that there must be a catch but after several minutes of grilling the customer service representative, I became convinced that she was making me an offer I couldn’t refuse. Given the choice of faster service AND a lower price or faster service OR a lower price, AND is better.
When it comes to your TV, Internet, or phone service, you may be choosing between better service OR better price. Here’s what you can do to get both:
Shop around every couple of years
If you haven’t shopped around for Internet service in a while, now might be the right time. Improvements in technology have opened the door to better service at lower prices. Since companies are always giving better deals to new customers, maybe it’s time for you to become a ‘new’ customer. Call your current provider to see what special offers they have going on. You might be able to save more AND get better service by upgrading, bundling, or switching providers today.
Review your TV watching habits
Your current TV programming package may come with 200+ channels but in reality, there may be only three or four that you watch regularly. Also, many TV providers offer free premium channels for a limited time and then start charging you when you don’t unsubscribe from them. Ask your TV provider for a list of programming options and make sure to select the least expensive package that includes the channels you watch most.
Review your cell phone usage
Your cell phone contract may offer unlimited minutes but if you look at a history of your usage, you may find that you only use an average of 300 minutes a month. Contact your service provider or shop around to see if you can get a package that offers enough minutes but at a lower price. One alternative may be to ditch the cell-phone contract and switch to a prepaid plan. Even if you’re stuck in a contract right now, it may be worth breaking the contract when you consider how much you can save each month.
The bottom line is that you’ll never know whether or not you’re getting the most for your money unless you ask. Pick up the phone and start calling. Maybe you too will find a better service AND a better price for something you use everyday.