MustSam, what approach did you use with Clearwire to get the discount?
Called them. Said I've been a long-term member (it was about 3 years at the time).
Had a couple of ads from other competitors in front of me - I get them in the mail all the time, if not just check online.
Also, when I had asked, they were having a 'special' for new customers, that's really helpful.
Said that I liked their service and would like to stay with them but at the same time, didn't want to be paying so much compared to other services and so much compared to their 'new' customers. Is there any way they could give me a break.
At first they offered like $15off for that month which isn't bad for a 10 minute phone call but then they did verify this offer for new customers and said they could offer me that price for 6 months. I was paying $36.99, went to $19.99 for 6 months - now $100 for 15 minutes work is pretty sweet!
I'm Indian (though never lived in India) and apparently most Indians and Asians enjoy this kind of bartering but I was not one of them. Then I read this book by a Wharton professor: "Getting More" by Stuart Diamond. It's the most financially valuable book I've read. Basically it talks about being friendly, getting inside the mind of the person you are negotiating with and not being antagonistic. People are more likely to want to help you if you are nice to them (since most people who call customer service are raving lunatics, and I was one of these so I know). Works like a charm for phone companies and even car insurance. Try it!