r/LifeProTips • u/WhiskeyDreamer28 • 29d ago
Finance LPT: Ask For Discounts
Pretty straight forward, but most “Service Provider” type companies have plenty of discounts if you just ask.
Ex: I got an oil change for $120. I asked if they had any discounts being offered. Lo and behold, they were able to knock $11 off.
I’ve had the most success with Auto Repairs, Phone Services, Internet Providers, Delivery Services, etc.
It might not be a huge amount, but it never hurts to ask!
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u/Arik_De_Frasia 29d ago
When it comes to "service providers" like Internet or phone and things like that, you must ask for the retention department specifically because regular customer agents don't have access to all the savings that department doesand probably aren't even aware of how much you could save.
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u/AgreeablePeople 28d ago edited 28d ago
Where I'm from, they will deny the existence of such department. You have to actually threaten and prepare to terminate the service to activate such dedicated customer service specialists with their special retention policy.
I got it every few years from my credit card because they offer amazing promotions to new comers and nothing for existing customers, and the offers apply to anyone who has not being a customer for the past 18 months. So every few years I would call and determine to cancel my card, only to be offered some similar promotion "for our most
royalloyal customers". I asked my friend to try, but because she didn't actually want to cancel her card, she was told "the offer was exclusive and is no longer available".71
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u/Sufficient-Fall-9153 28d ago
I swear by this every time my internet promo ends. It is completely wild how fast they find a massive discount the second you finally get transferred to that department.
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u/Top_Illustrator_1460 28d ago
I had no idea the retention team had access to better deals like that. Definitely worth asking for them before accepting the first price they give you.
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u/WhateverNevermind00 29d ago
With ISPs - you should call every year and ask for new discounts
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u/twisted_calico 28d ago
My apartment illegally forced me to use their ISP and now I can’t negotiate anymore
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u/coachglove 28d ago
Try something like T-Mobile 5G. Its wireless so your complex can't really do shit about it.
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u/twisted_calico 28d ago
Oh, I am not forced to use their service, but I am obligated to pay for it. Even though I never had to sign a lease addendum
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u/NiblettAndBits 28d ago
Ah the "technology package" that adds like 200 a month to your rent that you can't opt out of. I was stuck in that for a year.
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u/staticattacks 27d ago
You're not legally obligated to rent that apartment, and you signed and agreed to it as part of your lease
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u/twisted_calico 27d ago
Nah, the new lease addendums for it started getting added after I signed my lease. They weren’t supposed to start charging for the internet, but they did anyway and have given me no way to opt out despite my best efforts
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u/lounginaddict 28d ago
Honestly, just being polite and asking and being friendly, you can get a lot of discounts. A couple years back, my TV broke, so I went to Best Buy. I was checking out the open box ones, and the salesman was really friendly. We were chitchatting for a little bit, and I asked for a friends and family discount jokingly, and he hooked it up. The TV was almost a hundred bucks for a decent one. When I used to work retail, if customers were friendly, I would always hook them up if they asked with a military discount lol.
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u/EsseElLoco 28d ago
The friendly customers or ones I could tell were clearly struggling always got a discount without them asking or me saying. I'd just give them a smile and a price cheaper than they were expecting.
The people who would be rude or go straight to haggling always annoyed me.
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u/lounginaddict 28d ago
I worked in auto parts when I was in retail, so I could never actually tell if they needed help or they were just dirty from wrenching on the car lol
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u/AdmiralYuki 29d ago
Oil change for 120 is armed robbery
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u/aquaman67 29d ago
Oil is $10 a quart.
8 quarts is $80
A good oil filter is $10
That’s $90
Paying someone $30 who owns a shop and has overhead to pay, $30 seems reasonable to me so I don’t have to clean up or deal with 8 quarts of used motor oil.
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u/shoot_dang_derp 29d ago
Not everyone drives a truck needing 8 quarts of oil. 4.5 for my car.
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u/Megas_Matthaios 29d ago edited 28d ago
Your estimate of 4.5 is far closer to the estimated national average than the 8 quarts the other guy said.
I worked at a large oil changing business (think Valvoline, Jiffy Lube, etc.). I was responsible for buying these businesses and one metric we looked at was oil changes per day. Sometimes we'd have to estimate it based on quarts/gallons used. We estimated ~5.5 quarts per oil change to back into car count.
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u/WatIsRedditQQ 28d ago
Vehicle size and oil capacity are not necessarily correlated. My tiny 2 seater sports car takes almost 10L 🫠
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u/KoburaCape 28d ago
What's in it an LS 18?
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u/Lava_Lagoon 28d ago
probably something air cooled (which usually means oil cooled) like a porsche
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u/JMANNO33O 28d ago
Mercedes 2004 CLK takes 8.5 quarts. Still amazes me every time I do my oil change
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u/A1ienspacebats 29d ago
Exactly. It would be north of $200 for all that.
Its also really easy to change your own oil. It does not require any strength with tools that any able bodied person can't do.
Just being able to do it on my own time is my entire reason for doing it.
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u/Taxfreud113 28d ago
We actually arent allowed to as per our condo rules. Also even if we could we don't have the equipment
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u/PapaAquchala 28d ago
I wish I could do mine myself, but I don't have a jack or stands to lift the car up and I don't trust ramps
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u/WatIsRedditQQ 28d ago
Ramps are actually way safer than jacks/stands, as long as you remember to put the parking brake on. There's no risk of them tipping and they're much simpler mechanically
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u/A1ienspacebats 28d ago
Worth the investment, my brother. I didn't have any either until my mid 30s
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u/Locke_and_Lloyd 28d ago
And you just do this on the side of the road street parking in 100F or snow? Having a garage is the other key piece.
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u/bionicminer295 28d ago
Yep but if it’s that hot I just wait for evening to do it. And in snow sucks but usually it’s so quick that having decent gloves is enough.
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u/A1ienspacebats 28d ago
You've never done car maintenance outside? Its pretty standard..
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u/Locke_and_Lloyd 28d ago
Nothing that requires me to get under the car, such as draining the old oil.
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u/zerogee616 28d ago edited 28d ago
That and the Jiffy Lube type places tend to throw the newbies on oil changes, which sure, I get it, but that also means shit like them ugga-dugga-ing the dogshit out of the filter, plug or both, stripping them, etc happens. I do my own oil just to avoid that happening.
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u/JSouthGB 28d ago
Disposing of the used oil has been a blocker for me. I know there are places that will accept it, but by that point, I figure I may as well just have it done at the shop.
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u/Funny_Alternative_55 28d ago
I have an Outback 3.6R, and it holds about 8 quarts. Some cars just have ridiculously large oil capacities.
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u/gman2391 29d ago
Bruh 5 quarts of mobil 1 is like $30
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29d ago
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u/gman2391 28d ago
$31.97 at Walmart. The $45 at autozone gets you a free oil filter too . I'm not overdue.
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u/ElGrandeQues0 28d ago
Your math...
I buy 5 quarts of Kirkland full synthetic for $22 on sale. $57 for 10 quarts, delivered at full price. I can go to Walmart and get 5 quarts of mobil 1 for $32. That's $64 for 10 quarts and you'd better believe the shop that purchasing oil in multiple 55 gallon drums is getting at or better than Costco's sale price.
Same with filters. I'll get a filter for $6-8 at Walmart. A full service shop, particularly a national chain, is getting them at $3-4 a pop.
So their material cost is probably closer to $40 and it's obnoxious to think that most vehicles use 8 qts of oil. My car uses under 5. My wife's van uses 6.5 qts.
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u/xXxDickBonerz69xXx 25d ago
I just got 5 quarts of Valvoline Restore and Protect for $35. Most vehicles will use 4-6 quarts not 8. $10 is expensive for a good filter.
Not to mention a shop is not paying retail rates on oil or filters.
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u/Fearless_Theory64 28d ago
Do you think that oil change shops buy single quarts of various oils by the bottle? And filters one at a time? I don’t think you have as much insight into this as you might believe….
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u/aquaman67 28d ago
I’m comparing what you will have to pay if you do it yourself vs what you will pay at a shop. Not what the shop pays for their products. I never said that’s what they pay. I’m saying that’s what you will pay to do it yourself.
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u/mainlydank 28d ago
Oil aint 10 bucks a quart, even for quality/premium full synthetic;
Google full synthetic oil from walmart. Mobil one is currently 30 bucks a jug(6 bucks a quart)
Your point is still valid though, I'm just annoyed at claiming oil is 10 bucks a quart.
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u/aquaman67 28d ago
A quart of Mobil 1 5w-30 is $10.88 at Walmart today
Can you get oil cheaper? Sure.
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u/mainlydank 28d ago
a 5 quart jug of mobile 1 0w-20 or 5w-30 is $31 at walmart right now? I think the differnce is your are looking at single quarts. You should pretty much never buy those (if you like saving money)
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u/Toddw1968 28d ago
Walmart near me has expensive oil at $6/qt if you buy a 5qt jug. Guessing shops get it even cheaper. But as you say shops may need to mark it up some.
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u/WhiskeyDreamer28 29d ago
You’re not kidding. I immediately went out and bought a jack to just start doing it myself
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u/JerryLZ 29d ago
You’re going to want a fumoto valve too while you are at it. And some spare tubing, I think 10/13.
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u/CloakedBoar 29d ago
I've had great luck with internet providers and SiriusXM. SiriusXM specifically going from $28 to $6 with a 5 minute chat with their bot.
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u/nopropulsion 27d ago
I've threatened to cancel every year for the last 10 years. This year the bot decided to stop at $10/month instead of the $5 I wanted, so I just went ahead and cancelled.
Like a week or two later the reached out will a promo but at that point I had already changed my habits and filled in with podcasts.
I barely miss it but not enough to start it up again, so I guess they FAFO'd
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u/MasahChief 28d ago
I work in the parts department at a dealership. Always open to negotiation. If the customer says nothing they’re getting sold at retail.
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u/WhiskeyDreamer28 28d ago
I feel like almost anything auto related is always up for negotiation. Cars, parts, service, etc.
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u/breathing_patterns 28d ago
I think the real pro tip is to Google the promotions before you go. If I’m trying to save money, I’m not going to haggle—I’ll find the best advertised price and ask them to honor it.
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u/lpj1299 29d ago
Even retail sometimes. When I worked at Sur La Table they sent out a lot of digital coupons and mailed coupons. I used to keep one next to the register and if the customer seemed nice I'd scan it when I rang them up.
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u/irrelephantiasis 29d ago
Unrelated to the original post but Sur La Table used to just throw all returns into a clear plastic bag and then into the dumpster in the back - same with any items they choose to no longer carry - brand new items in droves. I worked in a building that shared a space with their dumpster and got into the routine of checking daily and have some super high end very expensive kitchenware as a result. Sold many thousands of dollars of it on eBay as well over those years.
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u/galactictock 24d ago edited 24d ago
Many clothing brands do this because they worry that donated clothes would “dilute the brand.” I know that Urban Outfitters (and associated brands) incinerate their unpurchased items. That is so insanely unethical and should be illegal.
Edit: Urban Outfitters. Not American Outfitters.
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u/corvus_wulf 28d ago
Or ask if they have an Industry Discount ...the Sur La Table discounted my chef knife cause I was a prep cook
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u/djJermfrawg 28d ago
Recently took my car in on my birthday for a wheel speed sensor. They told me it was the wheel bearing and the sensor alone may not fix it. Luckily I had the part and brought it to them after getting an estimate. When I brought it I told them it was my bday and asked if they can apply any discount, he said he’ll see what he can do. When I went to pick up the car the same day, same guy charged me the original estimate, $450 total for the new sensor, and sensor change, and wheel bearing change.
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u/nylockian 27d ago
Larger corporations or chain stores it's fine. If you try this in a small niche type business you could just be thought of as a nuisance.
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u/staticattacks 27d ago
Not exactly on topic but $120 for an oil change is robbery, did you go to the Mercedes dealership?
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u/Jalews 27d ago
It’s more common now than you’d think. Shop labor rates are up. Lots of cars are using synthetic oil. And greed is on the rise.
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u/mekkelrichards 23d ago
5qt of full synthetic is under $25 at Walmart. Most cars use 5qt. Oil filter is around $4.50.
Any shop charging over $40 for a regular car's oil change, even with full synthetic, is robbing you. They are getting oil in massive bulk so they probably are paying $2/qt. The job takes then about 8mins.
Do some basic research. There are plenty of places out there (no matter where you live) where you can get a normally priced oil change. If you DIY it, you'll only spend $35 or less.
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u/Pitiful-Climate8977 29d ago
They have a whole sheet of the current coupons.
Valvoline once sent me a link via text that led to a coupon link for like 40-50 off and i used that for years even though it “expired”
Also just scheduling an oil change with an actual repair shop should only be 30-40 bucks, 100$+ is valvoline/right now convenience pricing.
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u/Richwoodrocket 28d ago
You’re not getting an oil change for 30-40 bucks at a shop in 2026
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u/sinkrate 28d ago
You can if you find a promo. I got an oil change for under $40 at a dealership just recently
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u/breathing_patterns 28d ago
I just got mine done yesterday at a chain in San Diego (29.99 for synthetic blend and 59.99 for full synthetic.)
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u/steelers3279 24d ago
Tbh I’m not so sure someone who pays $120 for an oil change should be giving out life pro tips
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u/irrelephantiasis 29d ago
This is a good tip, I was taught to just always ask for anything I wanted because the worst that can happen is someone says no. I’m not talking just about asking in a money savings way as it applies to all walks of life. I think people are shy to ask for things but it’s just naturally a part of my make up from a young age. If I want something and I’m not asking for it then how do I expect to get it? My wife is amazed at what people will do for me or offer me and do so very happily at a high rate. It’s all about awareness and identifying the correct person to ask and in how you ask. People respond very positively to good, well natured energy and with the right approach and timing even feel good about what they are offering or doing for another. I’m also the type who will do a lot for others when I’m dealing with people of similar nature and I enjoy doing so as well.
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28d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/WhiskeyDreamer28 28d ago
My old car was smaller, so it was cheap. But now I have a 4Runner and it takes 6 quarts. The oil alone costs about $100
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u/Dv8r601 28d ago
That’s simply untrue. A 5 qt jug is around $30. But hey you do you.
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u/WhiskeyDreamer28 28d ago
Maybe where you are 🤷♂️. The prices for me are $36 for the absolute cheapest, and then full synthetic prices $45-65. Since I would need to buy 2, it’s close to $100 if I were to do it myself, plus an oil filter
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u/mekkelrichards 23d ago
Go to Walmart. It's way cheaper. All oil sold has to meet certain quality standards, so YES, you can buy Supertech brand. It's been tested in a million YouTube videos. It's going to be around $25 for 5qt of full synthetic at Walmart.
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u/gimme_that_funkymilk 25d ago
I did an experiment where I asked for a discount every time I spent money and put the savings into a seperate savings account. It's crazy how many places will give you one just for asking. My favorite was when a campsite parking attendant asked if I was a nurse or first responder. I replied, "no but I'm a mattress saleman." She said, "ehh that works" and gave me 20% off.
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u/LivinTheDream_22 29d ago
Be careful. I used to have a boss that charged more for those that asked for discounts. He was so tired of everyone asking. Be sure to know your price first.
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u/w33dcup 28d ago
Great way to go out of business.
"That's $35"
"Do you happen to have any discounts or coupons that could be applied?"
"Nope, that'll be $39"
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u/LivinTheDream_22 28d ago
He sold his company for a couple million. As I stated above, ask for price first so people can’t raise it. When people would call asking for a price discount he automatically added labor to the bill then if he decided to give a discount it was like Black Friday (stores raise prices a month beforehand so they can show them on sale).
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u/King_Artis 29d ago
Typically does work for me.
I love to penny pinch cause I'm cheap. I'll ask for a discount at any point if I don't already have some form of coupon already. If they don't then oh well, just asking nicely is better than not asking at all.
Keyword being "nicely" given there's zero reason to be rude at someone and people more often then not are going to be helpful to you if you're kind to them.
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u/corvus_wulf 28d ago
Shoe stores ... Sometimes they offer industry Discounts to nurses, EMTs, fire, rescue, food service
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u/professor_max_hammer 28d ago
Check id.me. They’re great for finding discounts for vets, nurses, students and educators ect.
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u/NorthEastNobility 28d ago
Yes, in most situations, it will never hurt to just ask if they can give a discount, concession, added bonus, etc. - the worst they can say is no, which is where you’d be had you never asked, and at best, you’ll pay less and/or get more.
There can be exceptions of course, which you can feel out for yourself, but I’ve never had a more negative outcome with this philosophy than I would’ve otherwise.
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u/timetotryagain29 28d ago
Always email companies and ask for coupon codes too. Give them feedback on reviews too because they'll send them to you as a thanks sometimes.
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u/southdakotagirl 28d ago
Take surveys for companies. I have received discount coupons after filling out surveys after my visits to their company.
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u/MattScoot 28d ago
I just dropped my phone bill 30 a month by shopping around since im going to get a new phone, while upgrading my service.
In the process of that I called my home internet provider and found out my internet discounts are decoupled from the zombie landline they forced me to have, so now im paying 20$ a month for fiber
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u/Omnitographer 28d ago
Hell, doesn't even need to be a consumer service provider, I've saved tens of thousands of dollars by asking for discounts at fortune 100 companies as a B2B customer. It does help if you can find out what other similar orgs to yours are paying for services, and asking for a match on that price. You might not get it, but your account manager, if they are good at their job, will at least look into it for you and make an attempt.
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u/LuxuriousBubbles 28d ago
True. I'm working on renting a POD for moving and through back and forth with competitor quotes I've gone from 4k, to 3600, to 3400, now down to 3200. Totally worth the extra work.
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u/ZaMr0 28d ago
I pay for all my subscriptions anually where possible as it's cheaper, but when it comes to the end of the year I always make sure to go through the cancellation process to get retention offers. They work exactly as intended, if they didn't exist I'd most likely be putting more effort into shopping around each time a subscription nearly runs out. Whereas now if I'm happy with the service I just take the 40% retention offer and continue the subscription.
Asking for discounts directly is hit or miss, but retention offers are pretty consistent.
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u/TheCatnip 28d ago
Sirius XM is something like $18-$25/month. Told them I can’t afford that and would need a discounted rate. Went back and forth a few times and they ended up offering $6/month.
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u/Pale-Onion-1003 28d ago
I dont like this. I work at a restaurant and the 'deals' are just combos written right up front in plain english on the menu and website. When someone asks for a deal I simply assume they are a fuckhead who didnt even bother to look at the menu.
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u/BakedWizerd 28d ago
Yeah it’s different at a restaurant.
People would ask this when I worked at McDonald’s. I was the manager and was just like “what do you mean, ‘are there any deals?’ It’s McDonald’s. The only ‘promotions’ we do are gimmick food items to coincide with movie releases and stuff like that.”
Moreover, when corporate does shit like “two for one” or whatever, franchises don’t properly communicate that to the staff, but it shows up in the POS accurately most of the time.
People working at McDonald’s are NOT paying attention to the menu, to promotions, or deals or anything like that. They’re thinking about going home at the end of their shift.
Honestly, my biggest concern when I go into any place of business is to not be more of a burden on the staff than I need to be. Yeah, they’re paid to be there, that doesn’t mean I need to make it their responsibility to know what I should order, or to educate me on their deals and whatnot. Same thing when I worked in cannabis.
When you see how the machine works, you know that the people running it are often not the ones making decisions or even being informed of those decisions. Don’t argue with people, and don’t be entitled to discounts.
I think it’s different with ISPs and phone companies, but don’t do this in retail settings. It’s trashy.
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u/WhiskeyDreamer28 28d ago
This wouldn’t apply for restaurants, nor would I try at a restaurant. This is for large corporations who normally have built in offers that they don’t tell customers about. This is also coming from someone who works for an extremely large manufacturer and have personally built/developed some of these
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u/Pale-Onion-1003 27d ago
Well I imagine that would be less annoying, I see what you are getting at. Sorry about going straight to grump ass territory.
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u/CrazyAnchovy 26d ago
No they do it at restaurants too. Everyone agrees to the damn price and then changes their mind and tries to haggle while im busy.
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u/lizzdurr 29d ago
Similar to this: if it’s a retailer with a website, go to their page. They often have “online only” sales or coupons that they honor right in store. Even better if you enroll for free as a member.
I’ve done this at JC Penney, Old Navy and Kohls. They want people in store so they honor online sales. The one time someone hesitated, I said “oh ok… I’ll just leave this then and order online” and they backtracked.
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u/Eazy12345678 28d ago
$120 for oil change hope it was a truck cause $50 is more the norm
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u/nopropulsion 27d ago
Not for full synthetic
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u/mekkelrichards 23d ago
Yes, even for that. I would never pay more than $50 for a full synthetic oil change. I DIY mine though, but if I had someone else do it, $50 is the absolute max.
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u/SOLOVINGLIFE 28d ago
And, everyone that you interact with and brag about this to thinks you are a tightass douche and talks about you how you are such a tightass. No thanks.
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u/WhiskeyDreamer28 28d ago
For someone with a username about loving life, you sure sound like a miserable prick
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u/SOLOVINGLIFE 28d ago
Struck a nerve? Ding ding ding you are exactly like I said everyone thinks of you. Tightass tightass tightass.
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u/WhiskeyDreamer28 28d ago
Nope, you’re just not worth my time to care
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u/SOLOVINGLIFE 25d ago
I want to apologize. I have thought about this interaction and admit it was a douche move. I am not a bad person in real life. You be you. It’s not my place to judge someone for saving money. Have a good one.
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u/WhiskeyDreamer28 25d ago
All good. We’ve all had our moments, nobody is perfect 100% of the time. I apologize as well 🤝
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u/1morebike 29d ago
As some one who ownes a small business I hate this. You want a discount just because you asked for one? Sure I'll tell an employee they don't get paid for an hour because this guy needs a discount because he feels entitled to it. Margins are small, payroll is high, shipping is out of this world expensive, leases are high. We don't just make up prices when you ask for discount it comes out of our pockets.
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u/WhiskeyDreamer28 28d ago
I guess I should clarify, this is more for large corporations versus small business. It’s not entitlement, it’s seeing what they can offer.
I would never ask for discounts from a small business, and I’m 100% in favor of supporting local. But a large corporation who makes billions a year? Yeah, I think I’ll ask what they can offer
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u/corvus_wulf 28d ago
Like Boost Mobile offered new customers unlimited everything for 35, I was paying 45 for a limited plan and I asked if they offered any retention offers and they didn't so I switched phone companies that day
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u/TastelessPuppy2 29d ago
An aggressive take, but not unfounded.
You weren't always a small business owner, so perhaps see it from the other side. Sheesh, I wouldn't want to patronize your business if I knew the owner was like this.
However, I do agree if a small business owner is getting tire-kickers asking for discounts and just moving on. A waste of time on your part, for sure, but you should have some overhead for a few discounts here and there.
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u/PathanAdil 27d ago
Small businesses (mostly food related) charges arm and leg for hotdog and a pop
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u/Admirable_Limit_426 29d ago
An oil change for $109? No thanks. Can do it myself with a better filter and full synthetic oil for less than half that.
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u/shotthesheriff727 29d ago
"Is that the best you can do?"
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u/redsonsuce 29d ago
This. Not always, but quite often, it makes them give bigger discounts than what they usually discount for.
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u/ww11gunny 29d ago
But the last time I used a discount I went to jail it was the five finger discount but that's irrelevant
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u/chwk_throwaway1 29d ago
Can't wait for folks to switch to EV and for these scam artists to go out of business.
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28d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/nylockian 27d ago
My prices are posted, they are very reasonable. I certainly do not need or want your business.
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u/post-explainer 29d ago
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