SavvySugar

Are You Using Your In-Home Communication Services?

SavvySugar — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 10:00:17 -0800

Once you have taken stock of your in-home entertainment memberships, spend some time thinking about your in-home communication services and whether or not you are using them daily. The upkeep will not only help you maintain your resolve to live below your means, but it will allow you to measure whether the service is worth the cost. Check the following before the end of the month in an effort to get organized.

Internet: Most of us get our money's worth with Internet service, but do call your provider and the competition to make sure you are getting the best rate. If you never use your Internet at home, but have easy access to a coffee shop or public library (where the Internet is almost always free!) consider turning off your service.
Home Phone: Does anyone call you on this anymore? Keep it if you have to, or if it gets you a better bundle rate, otherwise consider scrapping it.

To see a couple other services you should reassess, read more.

Digital Message Center: Do you pay $3-20 a month for a digital message service from your home phone provider? If you mostly use your cell think about getting a digital message device for the one time cost of $17 from a store like Best Buy. They have about 40 minutes of message space.
Bundle: Has your provider convinced you that you need a "triple play" package that includes digital TV, digital phone, and broadband Internet access? Most bundles cost about $100, usually for a one-year promotional period, and then the fee goes up. Consumer Reports notes it can be hard to compare pricing plans from different providers because of the variations in channel lineups, surcharges for premium channels, and add-on fees. Just make sure you are getting a deal and aren't roped into services you don't need (like the home phone) because that monthly premium will add up over the year.

Photo courtesy of Showtime

Take Stock of Your In-Home Media Memberships

SavvySugar — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 07:00:55 -0800

There's no greater time than the beginning of the year to check in with your in-home entertainment memberships and make sure you are getting the biggest bang for your buck and relishing the packages you have signed up for. The upkeep will not only help you maintain your resolve to live below your means, but it will allow you take stock of whether or not your services or habits are sustainable. Check in with the following before the end of the month in an effort to get organized.

Video Store vs. Netflix: Ask yourself if you are an infrequent movie renter and would rather spend the $5 Netflix fee (for one rental per month) for the convenience, or have the option of popping into the quaint rental shop on the way home. If you are a real movie nut explore the Netflix three-at-a-time plan (unlimited rentals per month and unlimited movies downloaded to your PC), which is $17. If you research the right plan you can save on gas and time, and kill late fees. Similarly, if you don't watch the movies that show up in the little red envelope opt to put your Netflix account on hold for three months at no cost until you want it again. Remember the cost looks small, but even the $5-per-month plan adds up to $60 a year (the $17 plan is $204 for a year!). You can always rent DVDs for free - or a tiny fee - at your local library.
Cable and Satellite TV: Do you get your money out of your HBO, Showtime, and an expanded sports package? If so, more power to you. If not, ditch them or call your service provider and let them know you are spending too much each month and would like a better plan for your lifestyle. Your provider wants to keep you as a customer so they will work with you, even if it's just cutting a couple of dollars.
DVR Service and TiVo: Is your TV provider charging you extra for a DVR service you aren't using? Are you paying $13 monthly for TiVo when your cable provider offers a less expensive DVR service? Call them up and check. If you only record a couple shows a month cruise websites like Hulu or network websites to see if the shows stream online or if you can purchase the shows from iTunes for less than the DVR price. Single episode downloads from iTunes are generally $1.99 each.

Source

I'm Asking: How Do You Deal With Terrible Customer Service?

SavvySugar — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 06:00:30 -0800

Over the past few days, I’ve been in customer service hell. We’ve all been there: you’ve got a problem that’s interfering with your day-to-day life - in my case, a spotty Internet connection - and you need it fixed ASAP. It should be so simple, but of course it never is. Each time I called to get my problem resolved, I was greeted by a different roadblock: an automated system that couldn’t understand my responses; a nonautomated human being who also couldn’t understand my responses; a "customer care" rep who was clearly having a bad day herself and was not so caring. To find out what pushed me over the edge and how I dealt with it, read more.

The Customer Service Halls of Shame and Fame

SavvySugar — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 08:30:26 -0700

Nobody wants a customer service experience that leaves you swearing under your breath, but these situations aren't exactly avoidable. MSN Money knows how important customer service is to consumers and conducts an annual survey that measures customer satisfaction.

It's named 10 companies that need a lot of improvement in the customer service department and 10 that would be good examples to the companies in the Hall of Shame. It's apparent from the rankings that banks in general could step it up.

Customer Service Hall of Shame

Citigroup
Bank of America
Abercrombie and Fitch
Qwest
HSBC
Time Warner Cable
Capital One
Sprint
Comcast
AOL

To see the companies that offer a happier customer experience, read more.
Customer Service Hall of Fame

Southwest Airlines
Costco
Apple
Whole Foods
Publix
Nordstrom
Amazon
Netflix
Trader Joe's
USAA

Source

I'm Asking: Does Customer Service Influence Your Chances of Revisiting a Business?

SavvySugar — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 11:00:25 -0700

Depending on the type of business, customer service can be a big part of your shopping experience. Whether or not you're actually offered service, if the staff has a way of lurking around you, or if they're overly attentive can weigh on your impression of a store.

I'm likely to skip out on returning to a restaurant if the service was rude, but customer service at stores hasn't kept me away or driven me to revisit. Have you stayed away from a business or become a loyal customer because of the service?

Source

Savvy Links: Get Better Customer Service

SavvySugar — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 04:00:08 -0800

Get better customer service: just know exactly what you want - Lifehacker
Long-term financial implications of renting vs. buying - FiLife
The high cost of clutter - Get Rich Slowly
How to eat on less than $35 a week - Walletpop
New credit card statements are here! - Consumerism Commentary

Change Up Your Passwords and Protect Your Profiles

SavvySugar — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 12:01:38 -0700

Had a little scare yesterday that had me changing up my passwords and cleaning up my Facebook profile. In the middle of the day at work, I received an email notification confirming the shipment of a pair of cufflinks I ordered. The problem? I never placed an order for cufflinks, at this vendor, or any. I panicked, went back through my online bank and credit card statements, and called the website's customer service to clear things up.

After almost an hour of scanning my accounts, with no evidence of fraudulent activity, and unable to get through to the vendor's customer help line, I received an email from the company regretting their mistake. It seems it was simple "human error'" they cleared up their mistake and assured me no one had been tampering with my account. Even with the financial statements that proved no one had hacked into my account or stolen credit card information, I set out to do a little Spring cleaning and set up new passwords for my email and online banking, as well as do a sweep of the information I had posted on FB.

To see why, just keep reading

Fun St. Patty's Day Freebies

SavvySugar — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 06:00:40 -0700

Happy St. Patrick's Day! There's no shortage of green on this festive holiday, and some businesses are adding to the influx by offering freebies for the day. There may not be a pot of gold waiting for you, but you can take advantage of some fun free food and services offered today.

Source: Getty

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Savvy Tip: Always Reference Online or Listed Pricing

SavvySugar — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 12:00:53 -0700

I recently got my hair done at a new salon after a recommendation from a friend, a little Yelping, and a visit to the stylist's website. I was thrilled with the cut and color, but when it came time to check out, the receptionist rang me up for a grand total that was at least 40 percent more than the salon's listed prices. When I mentioned it ("so . . . the website says cuts start at . . .") she was quick to fix the bill and give me an adjusted total that was just above the online base price, which I deemed completely fair because I have long locks. It's never comfortable to call someone on a bill, but salons, home-service businesses, and even happy-hour spots often list prices or specials on their websites or company materials that they won't necessarily give you unless you ask. So speak up! You really don't have anything to lose except an inflated bill.

Double-Check These 5 Things Before Booking Hotels Online

SavvySugar — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 04:00:00 -0700

Playing up the best features with professional photos is the name of any hotel's aesthetics game, but stave off disappointment (and final sticker shock) by asking yourself these five questions before booking a room:

Can I pinpoint it on a map? If the price looks too good to be true, it probably is! For example, several airport hotels have the sneaky habit of naming themselves after the closest big city, making that great San Francisco deal . . . closer to the tiny town of Millbrae. Take the extra two minutes and pop the address into Google Maps to verify it's where you actually want to be.
Is there an extra charge to book online? If you're using a third-party website for hotels (or even flights), it's essential to check for booking fees. It's quite possible you can save money by calling the hotel directly or visiting a chain's website instead.

See the rest when you read more.

What else is being charged? Look closely for additional taxes and services charges. Often times, listings vaguely reference that a room tax, resort fee, or city tax applies - if you want to know what that works out to be, call the resort directly to find out. It could make another hotel with fewer mandatory fees but a higher price tag come out on top of the bargain.
Do I pay in advance? Getting that great deal may involved a prepaid, nonrefundable stay. Know whether or not you're entering in your payment info to hold a spot, or if you need to have a card ready once you get to the hotel, too.
What's the cancellation policy? If the deal is prepaid, know when your card will be charged - while some are paid upon booking, others let you make changes or cancellations up until 24 hours before your stay begins. If you're not good to go . . . you want to make sure you're good to go, refund-wise anyway.