How to Choose a Cell Phone Plan to Save Money and Get More Features

Choosing cell phone plans is overwhelming due to the number of carriers and plans available. There are a few key points to keep in mind when making your selection to ensure you've chosen a plan that suits your needs. Although it seems like carriers are trying to trick, you, there ARE techniques that allow you to get what YOU want.
Deciding What You Need

1. In order to choose a cell phone plan, you first need to know what the coverage is like in your area. There is no point in buying a cell phone which you can't use in your own home! Ask your friends and family what carrier they use, as well as what their coverage is like in your town. Make sure to ask the cell phone carrier what the boundaries are before you are considered roaming, because you don't want to pay roaming fees in your own town. Additionally, if you often travel, you need to ask the carrier how much it costs to call, text, and use data (if applicable) when you are roaming.
2. Next, you need to identify how many minutes you use in a month. If you currently have a cell phone, contact your carrier and ask them how many minutes you use each month. If you do not have a cell phone, consider this: Allow three minutes for each phone call you would typically make. For example, for someone who makes one phone call per day, they would want a plan with 100 minutes per month. However, most carriers have times each day when calls are free, and some plans allow for free incoming calls. These two features will reduce your required monthly minutes.
3. Consider how many text messages you send in a month. Again, if you currently have a cell phone, you can call your carrier and ask them how many text messages you send each month. If you do not have a plan that includes text messaging, most companies charge 15 cents per text message! For example, if you send 5-10 text messages per day, you should look for a plan with 250 text messages per month. Consider unlimited text messaging if you send more than 100 text messages per day. Upgrading to a plan with unlimited text messages is usually better value than adding an unlimited text messaging add-on to your plan.
4. Decide whether you need data. Many "smartphones" available these days require data to access internet, email, and other online services. If you think you'll only surf the web occasionally and you don't get much email, 100MB per month should be plenty. If you occasionally watch videos and listen to music online, you should consider getting 500MB. For people who love YouTube, consider looking for a plan with unlimited data. Data add-ons are often cheaper than upgrading to a plan that already includes data.
5. Be sure to ask about contracts. To get your phone at a reduced price, most phone companies require you to sign a three-year contract. (If you want to pay full price for your cell phone, you do not need to sign a contract). If you break this contract, you'll be required to pay a large fee. If you want to upgrade your cell phone on the middle of your contract, cell phone companies allow this. It is usually cheaper to finish your contract before getting a new phone. Regardless of whether you think you'll want a new phone, be sure to check how long you have to wait before you can upgrade your phone, and what fee they will charge.
6. Use retention plans to your advantage. If you do not have a contract with a cell phone carrier, you can call customer service, explain that you are not happy with your current service, and ask to be transferred to the retentions department. You will be able to get extremely cheap cell phone plans which have excellent features, because cell phone carriers will do a lot to keep you as a customer. For this tip, make sure to refer to the "getting what you want" below, to make sure your conversation with the customer service representative goes smoothly. The last time I used this method, I was able to cut my costs by 30% and get about twice as many features as I had before, saving me $700 per year!

Once you have decided what you need out of a plan, search until you find a cell phone plan that meets your needs. There are many carriers and plans available so you are guaranteed to find one that is the right fit for you.
Getting What You Want
If you find an advertised plan that you are happy with, you can sign up online, or in the carrier's store. Online is the fastest and easiest way to get your cell phone plan. Keep in mind that if you go into the store, sometimes they might not have the phone you want in stock, so you may have to wait a week or two before picking up your phone. If you want the carrier to make you a special deal, you will need to phone in and talk to one of their customer service representatives, or CSRs. Below are some tips to make sure you get the best possible deal by talking to your CSR.

1. The MOST important thing to remember when you talk to CSRs is to remain calm. Many of us have hectic lives and we love taking out anger on others, but you need to KEEP CALM. This means no yelling, screaming, threatening, or being nasty. CSRs deal with hundreds of people every day, and if you give them respect by being nice, they will return the favor. You want to ensure the experience is mutually positive.
2. Realize that your CSR is a real person. They are only trying to do their job (which is helping you). Do not blame them for "messing up your account;" they are only there to serve you. Additionally, do not tell any CSR how to do their job - would you try to tell a police officer how to do his job when he pulled you over for speeding?
3. Always get the name of the person who is helping you, and keep a brief record of what they say. Things won't necessarily work out on the first call, so when you call back, you need to know who you've talked to before. You can often use something a previous CSR said to your advantage, but without a name, there is no chance of the cell phone carrier honoring it. This is why it is ESSENTIAL to keep a record of who you have talked to and the things they said.
4. If your CSR is truly unhelpful, don't be afraid to ask to talk to their manager. If you had a horrible experience at a restaurant, wouldn't you let the manager know? And if you did, do you think he would try to give you some coupons to come back? It works the same way when you are phoning your cell phone carrier.

By using the steps in this article, you can save money, get a plan that meets all your needs, and have great experiences with your carrier's customer service. I encourage you to go to http://www.phonesincanada.com to find more resources for Canadian cell phone buyers including phone reviews, instruction manuals, and more.

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