call up and ask for a better deal. Say you're paying too much or rivals' deals are cheaper.

If that
doesn't work, tell them you're leaving. You'll usually get put through to companies' super-powerful
hidden deals departments.
Get through to the retentions department
Tell them you want to move to a new provider and it'll automatically lead to a 'why are you
leaving?' chat.
Use charm, chutzpah, cheek... and a smile
Aggression or anger will just put their back up. You're asking for a discount, and they're just as
much within their right not to give it as you are to leave. Aim for polite, firm and non-combative.
You may find that your customer service rep only offers a small discount at first, but if you don't
agree with the price, use phrases such as:
- 'I've worked out my budget, and my absolute max is £[insert amount here]/mth...'
- '[BT/Plusnet/Sky/TalkTalk/Virgin] can do it for less...'
- 'I need to think about it...'
- 'I think my husband/wife will go bonkers if I agree to pay that...'
- 'It's still a lot of money...'
- 'Is that the very best you can do?'
Don't panic if they call your bluff and say they'll disconnect you
Some people worry about haggling in case they're disconnected. Martin's 'get out of jail free' card
for this is the following phrase: 'Hold on, I'll call you back about that – I'd like to check with my
wife/husband/dog first.'
Don't say yes to the first offer they give
You should never go with the first offer. Chances are, it's not the best deal they can do. Remember,
be firm.
Don't fill the silence
They may push you to agree to an offer because it's a 'limited-time offer', but don't feel pressured
into agreeing to a new price or deal unless you're certain.
As negotiations come to a close, a classic salesman technique is to stay silent. They want you to feel
awkward and fill the silence – make them fill it with a cheaper offer.
Ask if they can throw in extras
If they won't slash the price, see if they'll include any extras, like an upgrade to a faster speed or
free calls.
If you fail – try, try and try again
While unconfirmed, we hear rumours that staff members at some companies have different quotas
of deals they can do.
Even if that's not true, it certainly feels like that to many. So, bear in mind you may have called the
wrong person at the wrong time – calling back a few days later and speaking to someone else could
pay dividends.
What other ISPs are offering
Compile a small list of deals from other ISPs that are cheaper than what you’re currently paying.
Make sure to look for deals that have comparable download caps and speeds, and ensure that they
are available in your area.
What speeds you’re currently getting and what speeds you were promised
This can be a powerful tool in your haggling arsenal, so it’s important to get accurate information
on your download speeds.
There are dozens of quality speed checkers available online, but our in-house tool and Ookla
Speedtest come highly recommended. You’ll want to take tests at both peak times and off-peak
times, so perform a test in the morning and another in the evening every day for about a week.
What your ISP is offering new customers

/conversion/tmp/activity_task_scratch/677608471.doc
If your ISP can afford to offer cheap prices for their new customers, why can’t they give it to you?
Customer service is going to have a difficult time answering that question, so it’s often easier to just
give you a discount instead.
Don’t be afraid to tell customer service up front that your ISP is making broadband too expensive,
and there are better deals elsewhere. Ask them if they can do anything about this.
Don’t frontload
The evidence gathered in preparation is best served out in small, manageable pieces. You don’t want
to play out your hand too early, so it’s best to keep your best arguments for last.
Give them an example of a better deal elsewhere and wait for them to make a counter offer. Then
give them two examples of better deals elsewhere and wait for a response.
Be prepared to switch provider
If your haggling fails, or you can’t reach a deal you’re happy with, let your ISP know you mean
business and switch as soon as possible. This way, if you ever go back to them in the future, they’ll
know to to a little harder to maintain your loyalty.
You can use our postcode checker below to find the cheapest deals in your area – either to use to
bargain with your ISP, or to simply switch to a better deal the easy way.
So make sure to start off by expressing that you’re unhappy with what you’re paying for and point
to cheaper deals in the market
I’d also include a casual insinuation that you “may need to cancel” your service if the issue cannot
be resolved, but I’d only take this approach if they first say there’s nothing that can be done
If you get put through to cancellations and they’re not playing ball then just say you’re going to go
away to choose the best alternative and consult your family but won’t cancel the service today.
Loyalty may reward.
Experiences may vary, but if you’ve been a customer of the provider for 20 years’ then use this as
part of your opening pitch because it will carry more weight with the retentions agent (“Hi, I’ve
been a loyal customer of your broadband service for X years..“).
We’d recommend having at least two alternative deals to hand and that makes it harder for the agent
to ignore your plight as they may try to shun the first example.
Get it all in writing.
Once you’ve reached a deal (well done if you did) then remember that it’s likely to be a non-
standard agreement (i.e. not the same as what new customers are being offered), so make sure that
the ISP confirms the details in writing via email or a letter to your home address. This is useful, just
in case you have to dispute something further down the road and need evidence to show what was
agreed.
One final tip, which helps a lot, is to write out roughly what you want to say before you make the
call. Keep it all short and to the point, there’s no need to get wordy with long explanations and you
want the call to be as straightforward / quick for both sides as possible.
Tell them it’s too costly, mention your budget, that you can get it cheaper elsewhere, but “I’d prefer
to stick with you”.
If they say no, say that unfortunately you’ll need to speak to disconnections – known internally as
“customer retentions”, their real job is to keep you, and they have much greater discretion. Then
start the haggle again.
It’s all about getting to the retention department
Therefore a simple “Sorry, but in that case I think I may need to leave,” can pay dividends. I'm not
asking you to lie; but if your deal isn’t good enough, do genuinely consider going elsewhere. Once
at disconnections, repeat your request and the haggling can start for real.
“My partner will go bonkers if I pay that much.”
Don’t fill in the silence
If that’s done to you, simply tell them you’re waiting for their better offer, or at least throw a
question back.

/conversion/tmp/activity_task_scratch/677608471.doc
Be honest about what you want to pay
“Get on the phone, tell them you are at the end of your contract and paying too much.
That’s too much, I’m going to have to leave’.

/conversion/tmp/activity_task_scratch/677608471.doc