Take Away 54 - Make the Call

I've noticed since we moved to Washington and have been with Charter Communications for our internet and basic TV cable, they play a game that drives me crazy. We started out with a decent pricing for basic TV cable and internet but I noticed the price changed after 12 months. I called and they magically "found" a better deal and that lasted for 6 months and then my bill went up again.We've been playing this game for 3+ years now. I just called again today because I noticed they were vying for new customers in the newspaper with a dirt cheap price. I played the game with "Lisa" at Charter and finally I nicely said, "hey, what pricing would you give me if I was a new customer?"  I finally got the price I was calling for and it only took about 10 minutes of my time and patience.  I will save $180 in 2012 for making the call. I can think of a lot of things to do with $180 versus giving it to Charter. And the cherry on top?  We're going from 15 megs to 30 megs for $15 less a month from a simple phone call.   

TAKE AWAY:  Play the game. Be kind. Ask for what you want.