Richard Wise, an SBC Yahoo DSL subscriber from North Little Rock, Arkansas, offers some astute advice. "I get my TV from one provider (Dish Network), and my phone and Internet access from the local telephone company (SBC)," Wise says. "I could get all three on one bill, but then I'd lose my leverage. Now when I see SBC advertising a special for new Internet service subscribers, I call them up and tell them to rerate me. When they tell me I'm ineligible because I'm a long-term subscriber, I tell them to reward me as a valued customer or else I'll switch," he says. Wise applies this technique liberally. "When I see my [satellite TV] rates start to creep up, I simply tell them I'll switch to cable unless they keep my rates down."
*Grabs popcorn*