Asking for customer satisfaction
Every year, companies in North America give away
millions of dollars in free goods and services — and
not simply for contests or publicity, but to regular
consumers across the continent who express an
interest in or fondness for their product.
Consumers have more resources than ever before with the emergence of new ways to connect with each other or with the businesses they frequent. And, with the personalization of the Internet that was ushered in with the Web 2.0 era, it's easier than ever to seek out savvy individuals who are more than happy to share their tips for cutting costs.
Not only do these new technologies and social media provide us new ways to communicate with and find one another, but they also allow people to share things in exciting new ways, said Jennifer Jolly, a tech correspondent and consumer journalist in San Francisco.
"Technology and the Internet allow people to share things in a way that we were never able to before," she said in a segment called "How to Get Stuff for Free" on the Rachael Ray Show in January 2011. "What's happening as a result is entire worlds and communities are being built around getting stuff for free."
As an example, she recommended a book—sharing website called BookMooch (bookmooch.com). It's a simple website where users create a list of the books they want to read and a list they're willing to swap, and although the user pays for the postage involved in sending their books to someone, the exchange itself is free.
Although the rise of social media in recent years has provided considerable benefits to savvy consumers, the concept extends far beyond the walls of the Internet. In everyday life, you can apply the same sorts of techniques in order to save you money.
Of course, there's a lot to be said for clipping coupons and complementing your purchases with savings codes found on the Internet, but the single most powerful thing you can do to save your money is to ask — communicate with the businesses providing you goods and services and you'll find a lot more deals than you realized were available.
As an experiment, call up your cable provider or a similar service, and ask them if they have any deals or discounts that may apply to you. Feel free to tell them about yourself; for instance, tell the representative you speak to that you're a student and looking for adjustments you can make to your services in order to save money. Note that you should make it clear your objective is to cut costs, and not necessarily to bundle services together — if you're patient and pleasant, you will get what you ask for, just be sure that you're not confusing the issue.
Cable representatives are staffed by people just like anyone else, and they can certainly relate when you call them up looking to simplify and save money — this is especially powerful if you've been a loyal customer for some time. In most cases, the only people who receive discounts or enticing promotions are the people who call in to complain, so you should take advantage of the opportunities that they do.
But it doesn't end there. If you're going to be traveling, ask the train or airline representative if there are any opportunities to be upgraded as you leave. If you're staying in a hotel, perhaps there's a chance to upgrade your accommodations, such as canceled bookings. And if ever you are out for a birthday, anniversary or similar occasion, be sure to mention that you're celebrating. Businesses everywhere appreciate opportunities for positive experiences with their customers far more than simply appeasing complaints.
Keeping costs down is as simple as finding your voice and communicating your desires. Whether you clip coupons from the paper, seek out community services through Kijiji, Freecycle or Craigslist, employ mobile apps like Groupon or Foursquare for local discounts or much, much more, the ability to save is in the hands of the person who is willing to ask for what they want.
Consumers have more resources than ever before with the emergence of new ways to connect with each other or with the businesses they frequent. And, with the personalization of the Internet that was ushered in with the Web 2.0 era, it's easier than ever to seek out savvy individuals who are more than happy to share their tips for cutting costs.
Not only do these new technologies and social media provide us new ways to communicate with and find one another, but they also allow people to share things in exciting new ways, said Jennifer Jolly, a tech correspondent and consumer journalist in San Francisco.
"Technology and the Internet allow people to share things in a way that we were never able to before," she said in a segment called "How to Get Stuff for Free" on the Rachael Ray Show in January 2011. "What's happening as a result is entire worlds and communities are being built around getting stuff for free."
As an example, she recommended a book—sharing website called BookMooch (bookmooch.com). It's a simple website where users create a list of the books they want to read and a list they're willing to swap, and although the user pays for the postage involved in sending their books to someone, the exchange itself is free.
Although the rise of social media in recent years has provided considerable benefits to savvy consumers, the concept extends far beyond the walls of the Internet. In everyday life, you can apply the same sorts of techniques in order to save you money.
Of course, there's a lot to be said for clipping coupons and complementing your purchases with savings codes found on the Internet, but the single most powerful thing you can do to save your money is to ask — communicate with the businesses providing you goods and services and you'll find a lot more deals than you realized were available.
As an experiment, call up your cable provider or a similar service, and ask them if they have any deals or discounts that may apply to you. Feel free to tell them about yourself; for instance, tell the representative you speak to that you're a student and looking for adjustments you can make to your services in order to save money. Note that you should make it clear your objective is to cut costs, and not necessarily to bundle services together — if you're patient and pleasant, you will get what you ask for, just be sure that you're not confusing the issue.
Cable representatives are staffed by people just like anyone else, and they can certainly relate when you call them up looking to simplify and save money — this is especially powerful if you've been a loyal customer for some time. In most cases, the only people who receive discounts or enticing promotions are the people who call in to complain, so you should take advantage of the opportunities that they do.
But it doesn't end there. If you're going to be traveling, ask the train or airline representative if there are any opportunities to be upgraded as you leave. If you're staying in a hotel, perhaps there's a chance to upgrade your accommodations, such as canceled bookings. And if ever you are out for a birthday, anniversary or similar occasion, be sure to mention that you're celebrating. Businesses everywhere appreciate opportunities for positive experiences with their customers far more than simply appeasing complaints.
Keeping costs down is as simple as finding your voice and communicating your desires. Whether you clip coupons from the paper, seek out community services through Kijiji, Freecycle or Craigslist, employ mobile apps like Groupon or Foursquare for local discounts or much, much more, the ability to save is in the hands of the person who is willing to ask for what they want.
