How to negotiate bills when you have no leverage

For this week’s Top Story, we’re looking at how you can negotiate bills when you think you have nothing to use as leverage.

You’re snuggled in bed, deep into the Outer Banks series, when “No internet connection” pops onto the laptop screen. Later in the week, you’re hosting a dinner party and the music cuts out mid-song. The next day, you’re on an important Zoom call when your connection glitches and you’re booted from the meeting. That’s three times in one week—you’re ready to cancel your internet service. In a big city, you could just switch to a competitor, or call and say you will to find out a counter offer. But if you live in a small rural town, you don’t always have this option. There might only be one high-speed internet or cellular provider—and the company knows it.

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So, what can you actually do when you have an issue or want to negotiate a bill, and you can’t just switch to a new provider? What do you do when you have no leverage.

1. Dig deeper to comparison shop

Before you even pick up the phone to ask for a discount on any bill, it’s worth checking if you really have no other option. “A lot of Canadians in smaller towns assume they only have one choice, but that’s not always the case,” explains Mohammed Halabi, director and founder of the Canadian telecom expense management company MyBillsAreHigh.com.

Even if everyone in your town seems to use the same internet or phone provider, you might have other choices. Halabi recommends checking for providers such as Starlink, as well as local wireless internet companies and resellers that may service your area. “Sometimes other options are available, they’re just not as well advertised,” he says.

2. Check your bills to see what you can ask for 

If you truly have only one provider at your disposal, know that it doesn’t mean you’re out of leverage. It just means you have to look in different places. Halabi recommends going through your bill line by line. “People tend to focus on the main monthly price, but that’s not always where the savings are,” he says. “Look at the services used, equipment charges, older packages, expired promotions and anything else that may no longer be needed.”

Also, loyalty still matters. Your payment history, how long you’ve been a client, and the number of services you have can all work in your favour, too. And make note of any bad service. “If there have been outages, billing problems, or poor service, that should also be brought up,” Halabi adds.

3. You can negotiate with no leverage—honest 

Chin up. “It’s always possible to negotiate,” says Leighton Wilks, associate professor at Haskayne School of Business and Negotiation Trainer in Calgary.

One of the biggest problems Wilks sees in negotiation is that most people treat it like a battle instead of a barter. “I like to think of them as a joint problem that needs to be solved,” he says. “One of the fastest ways to lose a negotiation in a small town is to say ‘I’ll take my business elsewhere,’ when everyone knows there is no elsewhere.”

Instead, Wilks recommends making sure you’re talking to a person who has the power to make a decision. Go into the conversation knowing your numbers, make your request, and once you do, sit back and wait for a response.

“Often people are uncomfortable with negotiating, they’ll put out their ask and then immediately try to walk it back,” Wilks says. “Be comfortable with silence and let your negotiating counterpart come back to you with a response.”

Of course, not every negotiation ends in a yes. “Sometimes the answer is no,” Wilks says. If the price is fixed, ask ‘what else can you do?’ In many cases, this can open up other negotiable issues, including waived fees, free months, a tier upgrade or more flexible contracts.

4. Ask for discounts or special rates

Discounts do exist, but companies rarely offer them initially. So, Halabi recommends asking to speak with the cancellation/retention department. He says these agents tend to have access to better discounts and more account options than the regular billing department.

Once you’re speaking to the right customer service rep, Halabi suggests saying something like, “My monthly cost has become too high. I’ve been with your company for several years, and I’d prefer to stay, but the price is becoming difficult. Can you please review my account and tell me the best price you can offer without reducing my services?”

From there, ask specifically about loyalty discounts, current promotions, equipment charges, bundling opportunities and bill credits. And remember who’s on the other end of the line. “You’re dealing with a real person on the other end of the call. Being respectful and explaining the situation honestly can make a difference,” Halabi says.

And if the call doesn’t go your way, hang up and try again. “Offers can vary from one agent to another,” he says.

5. Know when to escalate 

If your provider promised a certain service or price and isn’t honouring the agreement, you have options beyond just exiting the chat and accepting things as is.

Tahira Dawood, acting general counsel at the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC), suggests starting by asking to speak with a more senior staff member. If you’re still not getting anywhere, you can file a complaint.

“We strongly encourage consumers to complain in writing, or have documented records of their complaints or any correspondence with their service providers,” says Dawood.

For telecom issues, you can contact the Commission for Complaints for Telecom-television Services (CCTS). If several customers file similar complaints about the same provider, the CCTS can treat them together, and you might gain some traction.

Whether the CCTS can accept your complaint depends on whether it fits within its mandate.

Provincial and national utility consumer advocates and complaint bodies exist for a reason. They’re often underused because people don’t know they exist or how to use them as leverage, not just as a last resort.

So, the next time your show buffers mid-episode, your playlist cuts out, or your Zoom call drops, don’t just accept it. Use these tips to improve your chances of getting the deal you want. And remember, there’s help available if you need it.

Read more from this issue of The Get:

1. DIY your way into Canada: what it really takes, from the people who did it
2. A Canadian Redditor on crowd-sourcing financial advice
3. How to invest while in school: A guide for students in Canada
4. Retirement savings (and spending) strategies to beat inflation