Tough Negotiations



http://www.davidenglish.com/oldphones.html



Our Boy has had a mobile phone (in my name) for some time now.

He doesn't use the phone much, but it is a safety link for us when he is "out & about" on his own, so we are happy to provide him with one.

The phone was approaching the need for renewal (nothing is made to last these days...!) and since the subscription is in my name I was instructed by Our Boy and The Professor to call the company and ask for the PAC-number

(Porting Authorisation Code is apparently what you need to be able to move your current phone number to a new subscription and still keep your old number).

When asking for the illusive "PAC" number, all sorts of

alarm bells

went off for the very polite salesman probably working from a call center in India - but how come they are always all called "George"....??? and he started offering me all sorts of phones and new deals - he was desperate  not to loose my custom!

Both my men smiled knowingly as this was expected and now the hard negotiations started...!

To cut a veeeery long story short, I think I played sufficiently "hard to get" making poor "George" call me back 3 times while I was "thinking" about his various offers... ;-)

I ended up renewing the contract for 18 months (not 24 as was the start condition) while cutting the monthly subscription cost with 20%, keeping the same amount of free calls/email/internet access and getting a free HTC Hero! I can't say which company we are with as this was "a special and confidential offer only for me (!) "

- yeah right!

But a sure sign that you have made a good deal when haggling is when the salesman is not happy at the end...

I think I pressed "George" as far as I could and Our Boy is now waiting in anticipation for his new phone arriving tomorrow.

And I am happy we will have cheaper phone bills!