With RCN: always haggle

[serious-noir.livejournal.com]

Maybe old news/consumer basics but so you know...

I have RCN for cable Internet only and I was on some "deal" of $44./mo.,for 6 months. I noticed this month that the RCN bill was $61. I called of course and questioned it- who keeps track of "deal" timeframes? . Was told that the deal had expired. I said I needed to get the same rate or I was going to shop around. The sales person offered $10./mo reduction after putting me on hold for a few minutes. I repeated that I needed the same deal. Again on hold but she came back and said they would offer $20./mo off for 6 months.

This is the second time I have been through this boring exercise with RCN. I probably should shop around but am not yet totally weaned from my @rcn.com email address.

Comments

[pierceheart.livejournal.com]

who keeps track of "deal" timeframes

people who enter into contracts.

[masswich.livejournal.com]

I have had a very basic RCN internet only deal for several years - started at $16- a month with a 1 year contract, and now is still about $19 a month. The hitch is that every year I have to let it expire for a month and then renew it, so I have one month a year where I pay their more regular rate of $35 or 40.

This past time I was not able to get a 1 year contract rate but that's OK for me since I can switch anytime too...

There must be a lot of lazy people who forget to ask for their lower rate to renew every year. They do make it difficult to do so- takes about an hour on the phone...

[afty.livejournal.com]

My experience with RCN is that you only get the best price if you threaten to cancel or switch to Comcast. The sales reps don't have the authority to make the same deals as the retensions people.

[grapefruiteater.livejournal.com]

Don't call the sales or billing departments at RCN for this kind of request. Make sure you're talking to the local care department. They seem to be in charge of customer retention and will bend over backwards to get you a deal. The woman I spoke with who helped me shave almost $50 off my bill (internet, cable, and phone) told me this and said to call again 11 months into the contract to get a new deal.

[neuroacorn.livejournal.com]

Local care?! How do you even reach them? Does anyone else think the RCN phone system is ridiculously drawn out with a pathetic menu?