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

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

I'm Asking: Would You Make a Donation for "Free" Services?

SavvySugar — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 12:00:20 -0800

Not that I'm one to turn down a little something for nothing to save money, and take advantage of museum free days or other no-fee exhibits while traveling, even gratis concerts in the park can have people asking for donations to keep these things a reality.Still the reality is, seeing the donation bin doesn't always make people toss in money or it'd be overflowing daily! Even Google's free holiday Wifi program has a giveback option. If you're looking for a way to spread holiday cheer and generosity, you can make a charitable donation to one of three organizations, and the company will match it up to $250,000 - whoa, now that's some pricey WiFi!

If faced an optional donation, especially for a service you'd ordinarily have to pay for, do you offer up a little something in exchange?

Source: Flickr User andreadg

On Board and Ready To Buy

SavvySugar — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:41:23 -0800

In a new move to up their retail, airlines may soon be offering more in-flight opportunities to purchase anything from limousine services to Broadway theater tickets. Though The New York Times reports that only American Airlines has begun limited testing of the retail concept, nearly all airline carriers have confirmed that they are planning to unveil similar expanded retail offerings on flights.

So why expand retail, especially in the midst of a recession? Well, according to SkyMall president Christine Aguilera, airline passengers are "some of the greatest consumers on the planet," simply because they've got nowhere else to go and nothing else to do. This aspect makes "onboard" retail unique because, frankly, "operators are able to lock their doors with their shoppers still inside."

To learn more about airline retail, keep reading

Free Credit Report Scams Aren't Going Away

SavvySugar — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 12:00:23 -0800

By now we all know about the not-so-free nature of those FreeCreditReport.com services; a few of you even say you've fallen for its misleading practices. But even after the government publicly condemned the site, "free" credit monitoring services - which require you to sign up for a paid service, but promise you can cancel at any time - are popping up everywhere.

One friend recently had a particularly nasty experience with one of these companies while apartment hunting. To hear what happened, read more.

An apartment listing on Craigslist requested that she get her own credit report through a specific company. She filled out all the info and put in a credit card when prompted (ouch), but wasn’t able to access the free report she was promised. A week later, charges showed up on her card, but each time she called the company to cancel, she was sent to voicemail. After some Google research revealed that several fraud alerts had already been filed against the company, she reported the charges as fraudulent to her credit card company.

Savvy as we all may be, it’s easier than you think to get sucked into one of these situations. To prevent this from happening to you, keep the following tips in mind:

Only request free credit reports using AnnualCreditReport.com. You can request a free report up to three times a year, once from each of the major reporting agencies. This site will not ask you to enter your credit card number.

Type the Annual Credit Report URL directly into your address bar, rather than clicking on a link from a third party to reach the site. If you’re redirected to a site that isn’t one of the major reporting agencies (Equifax, TransUnion, or Experian), don’t continue with the process.

If at any point you’re asked for a credit or debit card number, walk away. Companies only request a credit card for one reason: they plan to charge you. Period.

Have you ever had an experience with one of these companies? Do you have any other tips to add?

Money Talk: If a Meal Is Comped Should You Still Tip?

Savvy Community — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:45:31 -0800

This sticky tip etiquette question comes from Angelica, part of our Money Talk group.

I had brunch with a pal recently at a fairly upscale new restaurant and the entire experience was a bust. We had just worked out and were starving so we put in our order as soon as we sat down. Unfortunately, there was a mix-up over who our server was and we ended up waiting over an hour for our food. When we realized how long it had been and finally caught a waiter, my friend politely reminded her when we'd ordered and the waiter said our meal was next up. That was a lie because they served two tables ahead of us, and when our food did arrive (about 15 minutes later!), my friend's order was wrong. Ultimately, the manager came by the table to apologize and let us know our bill would be comped. When we were finished with our very long brunch, I wanted to leave a tip because I was impressed they were gracious about their mistake, but my friend didn't like the idea of rewarding them after the wait and messed up order. We settled on what was probably a 10 percent tip after agreeing it was kind of them to comp the meal. Do you think we should have left a tip for good measure, or do you think it was unnecessary considering the service?

Join our Money Talk group and dish your awkward money and finance experiences, learnings, and tales! Have a post you want to see featured on SavvySugar? Private message me here to pitch your ideas. I can't wait to hear them.

Restaurant Owner Eliminates Tipping to Ease Tension

SavvySugar — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 14:00:34 -0700

Tipping was brought to the US from Europe after the Civil War and was met with opposition - six states even passed anti-tipping laws that prevented diners from having to tip. The laws were later repealed, but the angst toward the tradition of tipping lives on in the minds of many American customers. San Diego, CA, restaurant owner Jay Porter observed that tipping was not only a point of contention for his customers, but was also causing tension between his staff members and adding to the stressful environment.

Porter channeled iconic restaurateurs Alice Waters and Thomas Keller in his proposal to the casual dining staff to replace tipping with a service charge. Waters was first to establish this policy at the esteemed Chez Panisse in Berkeley, and then Keller did the same thing in his French Laundry and Per Se restaurants. Porter's staff was supportive of his idea to impose an 18 percent service fee to be split three-to-one between the front of the house and the kitchen. Only one of his eight servers quit after the new policy was enacted, and his remaining servers acknowledge the elimination of tipping has reduced tension between servers.

The system is obviously working so far for Porter and his staff, but as a customer, would you be turned off by a permanent service fee?

Source

8 Successful Companies That Are Still Hiring

SavvySugar — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 14:45:36 -0700

Personal experience and news reports might tell us that nobody is hiring right now, but Fortune says to think again. The magazine recently released its 40 Under 40 - a list of the hottest rising stars in business - and many of them are looking to expand their teams. To see who these entrepreneurs are and what they’re looking for, read more.