Get a good deal? Let’s share the details
Posted on | December 16, 2009 |
I’ve been following the past couple of posts by finance blog Get Rich Slowly about how to negotiate better deals with service providers and more. The latest post outlines, in detail, how guest author G.E. Miller worked with Comcast to cut his bill through a couple of simple techniques.
It’s worth a read to learn from the conversation as well as the takeaway points Miller draws out. But Miller also cuts-and-pastes the complete chat conversation that he had with the customer service rep. What a cool idea.
Companies (ISPs, airlines, insurance, employers) have the upper hand in the marketplace because they limit information. For years, we’ve had to resort to hearsay and rumor about what other customers pay for goods and services in order to have enough information to negotiate anything.
Every time I get on an airplane, I wonder how different my ticket price was compared to others on the flight and why. When I call to order service from my cable company, I just want to know the best price so I can make an informed decision.
So what if everyone who negotiates with companies posted a transcript online for everyone to learn from? What if we post the price we pay for airline tickets and cable service, too? My guess is that this would at least shine light into the pricing structures for services and might head toward a flat rate structure. Simple is better.
Thoughts?
