Cable Bill High_ Phone Costs Up_ Now_ Let_s Talk

I mostly cover credit here at CreditMattersBlog.com. But I also point to stories that I know will be of interest to my readers. This is one of those stories. The Wall Street Journal (online) is out with a story that will appear in tomorrow’s newspaper. With the economy sputtering along, cable and phone companies are eager to retain customers — even if it means offering a hefty discount to keep them. From the Journal:Mr. Weinkrantz is among a number of savvy customers who realize that while times are tough for consumers, they are also tough for cable and phone companies. Under intense pressure from Wall Street to keep subscribers as the economy sags and competition intensifies, many carriers are bent on retaining customers even if it means offering big price breaks.”The key is to hang on to every possible customer right now,” says Alex Dudley, a spokesman for Time Warner Cable, the country’s second-largest cable operator by subscribers, after Comcast Corp. “They are our lifeblood.” Mr. Dudley says that Time Warner Cable is also more receptive to giving stretched customers a discount during these tough times.Times are tough. If you’re interested in shaving some dollars from your bills, you might want to get on the phone. Dialing for dollars. That’s what I call it. I ask for the “retention” department. These are the decision makers.