"I want to cancel my internet service."  Those seven magic words sent Heather, the Cox retention agent, into a robotic like state.  "Sir, you've been a loyal customer for 13 years, may I ask why you're leaving us?"  What I felt like saying was "you've been jacking up my internet fees at a ridiculous rate for 6 years, it's time for a little payback".  Instead, to get what I wanted which was lower internet fees, with none of the hassle of switching companies, I said "DirecTV is offering 12 months for $34.95/month and it will save me about $250 year, seems like a good deal to me." 

Next, came the offer.  "Since you've been a loyal customer for so long, I can offer to reduce your total bill by $34/month for 12 months.  Would you be interested in staying with Cox?"  Well yeah, since that's way more than I would save by switching to DirecTV I happily took their offer and the extra $408 I'm going to pocket.  However, if all they offered was something like $10-off per month for 3 months I was ready to switch to the greener pastures of DirecTV service. 

So, here's the rub, by having a 5-minute conversation with someone at your internet provider who is trained to keep you as a customer by offering discounted service, you can save a good chunk of change.  But you have to play this game with the confidence of a veteran poker player, who knows before the hand is dealt they're going to win.  To make this work, try the following steps:
  1. Research the best offer your internet provider's competitors are offering.
  2. Call your internet provider and tell them you're leaving, don't ask them to match.
  3. When they ask you why you're leaving, be nice about it and tell them you found a better offer that will save you XX dollars over the next year
  4. If they offer you some weak deal, like $10 off for 3-months, tell them you'd agree if the savings are for a year.
  5. Be prepared to switch providers if you don't like the counteroffer - this way you'll be saving a significant amount regardless
Thanks to Clark Howard for this tip, which came from his 2011 book Living Large in Lean Times.  If this works for you, please send me an email and let me know how much you saved:  info@solitudecanyon.com