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How to Save Money on Your AT&T (or Verizon, Comcast, DirectTV, TimeWarner Cable) Bill

Yes, you can save money on your AT&T bill.  If you do what I do, you can do likewise and I believe the same principles apply for other service providers like Verizon, Comcast, DirectTV, TimeWarner, etc.

1.  Call AT&T and ask them to review your bill and tell them that you need to save money.  Depending on your service area and depending on the day you call, there will generally be some type of  special offering.  

2.  Ask for something for free to keep you as a customer.  Do your homework.  I just got 3 free months of HBO, just for asking.  Shop around with offers from competitors and tell the person at the other end that you have a competing offer.  Make sure it's true and make sure it's comparable and / or better than AT&T's offering.

3.  Have a set goal of 20%.  Assume you are spending $100 per month on your service, a $20 savings may not seems like a lot, but when you add it up, it comes to $240 per year.  When you calculate what it takes you "earn" $240, based on your tax bracket, it could be a gross amount of $300 per year or more.

4.  As a rule, AT&T's offerings expire - and expire automatically every six months.  AT&T is not going to call you to remind you to renew your offering.  Remember, they expire.  So, put your expiration date in your calendar and call them the day after your offer expires and tell them you want to renew, or get another savings offering that is equal to or better than your present offer.  

AT&T is a terrific company with a great service offering, but I think they are dumb for not reaching out to customers when service offerings expire.  It would be a real PR coup for them, but someone inside AT&T who makes the decisions to do otherwise.

Give it a try and remember that your milage may vary.  Be diligent and be prepared to cut them off and move elsewhere if they don't save you money.  The cost of replacing you as a customer is high.  It's called customer acquisition.  

If you get a call center agent who does not budge, ask for customer retention and try this approach.  Let me know how it goes with a comment on this blog or an email to:  alan at weinkrantz dot com.

Beyond U-verse IPTV: 25 Places to Watch the Fall TV Season Online

Yesterday's announcement by AT&T offering a great site where you could watch online shows was just a tip of the iceberg.  Here's 25 Places to Watch the Fall TV Season Online

AT&T Expands Content Offerings Beyond IPTV

via entertainment.att.net

Kudos to AT&T, who is announcing today the launch of AT&T Entertainment – a new website that lets you watch streaming TV shows and movies on your PC for free.  Any online user in the U.S. – whether or not they are an AT&T customer – can visit the site and watch free online content.

 

AT&T Entertainment has popular content from ABC and NBC Universal (through an agreement with Hulu), CBS Interactive and MTV networks.

 

This launch is part of AT&T’s three-screen strategy to deliver quality video content to consumers across the TV, PC and wireless phone.

Is AT&T disrupting itself?

Yes, and in a positive way.  It is clear that the shift to more web based content makes sense and that offering customers great content, associated with AT&T is a way to keep and grow a customer base.

 

Taking a break.... Back in September

No, I have not gone away.

I'm just taking a break for a while.  

Some of it is summer. 

Some of it is just needing to step back and figure out where to take this blog into the future.

I am still focused on AT&T's three-screen offerings, but I want to look beyond the obvious.  Maybe some time away will help me figure that out.

Your comments, input and suggestions are welcomed.

Stay tuned....

How to Save Money on Your AT&T (or Verizon, Comcast, DirectTV, TimeWarner Cable) Bill

Bad Taste Dept: AT&T Offers Free Ringtone for Dead Person, Michael Jackson

I'm sorry, but I think this is in pretty bad taste.  Get yours free here.

New iPhone and iPod touch Application From AT&T Lets Customers Schedule U-verse TV DVR Recordings On The Go

About 18 months ago, I asked Ralph de la Vega when I could control my AT&T U-verse^SM TV with my iPhone.  Well now, I can.  Sort of.  As long as you are away from home. 

AT&T has a free application from the Apple App Store to make scheduling and managing recordings on their DVR even easier when you're away from home. 

The U-verse TV Mobile Remote Access App for iPhone and iPod touch lets customers record their content from virtually anywhere and is another example of U-verse TV applications and DVR enhancements that have been rolled out to customers at no extra charge.

The app allows users to easily search U-verse TV program listings from the full program guide, view descriptions of selected programs, schedule program or series recordings, manage or edit scheduled recordings, and delete stored DVR content.

 

The Mobile Remote Access App is available for free from Apple’s App Store on iPhone and iPod touch or at www.itunes.com/appstore/.

 

The launch of the new U-verse TV Mobile Remote Access App follows several DVR enhancements that are currently being rolled out to U-verse TV customers, including an exclusive new Total Home DVR feature that allows customers to schedule and delete recordings from any U-verse receiver in the home — all from a single DVR.

 

 

From the GigaOm Network's NewTeeVee--- Boxee vs. Hulu.... A Battle of Words....

Free Directory Assistance - Now From Google

Google keeps expanding its franchise on world domination by now offering a free directory assistance service called GOOG 411.  

You don't need a computer, an Internet connection, or even the keypad on your phone or mobile device. GOOG-411 is voice-activated, so you can access it from any phone (mobile or land line), in any location, at any time. For free. (*)

Dial (1-800) GOOG-411. Say where. Say what you're looking for. GOOG-411 will connect you with the business you choose.

If you are calling from a mobile device, GOOG-411 can even send you a text message with more details and a map. Simply say "Text message" or "Map it."

AT&T 's Randall Stephenson Talks to Walt Mossberg at the All Things Digital Conference. Worth Watching

Randall Stephenson, AT&T Chairman talks at the All Things Digital Conference...  he talks about churn, the impact of the iPhone, the use of data and how AT&T is managing the volumes of data that is being used on devices like the iPhone.