I’ve been a Rogers Wireless customer for six years and they have treated me well which is why I’ve stayed with them.

This spring my cellphone contract was set to expire and I decided I wanted to upgrade to an iPhone. At the time they were offering the phone to new customers for $299 plus taxes, and an introductory rate plan of $50 per month. Existing customers were being offered the same phone for $799 and $67 per month.

I called and explained what I wanted to do but they wouldn’t give me the lower rate. They said I didn’t qualify as an existing customer. It didn’t seem fair and I decided to do something about it.

1. Research and push back

I looked at what other wireless companies were offering. Telus was offering the iPhone for $299 and a monthly rate plan of $50. Next, I called Rogers customer service. Over the course of two weeks, I spoke to four different people. Three tiers of customer service reps later, the answer wsa no. So, my next step was to speak to someone face-to-face. I went into Rogers phone centres in two mall in Vancouver and got the same message.

2. Going public in my blog

I decided to turn to the Internet armed with my social media arsenal, including Twitter, Facebook, and a Wordpress blog. I used my blog to document my frustration. I linked and cross-posted my articles throughout my social media network. At first nothing happened.

3. The Twitter effect

I began tweeting my message as well. At first I was just linking to my blog posts, but when I started making statements like “Rogers Wireless does not know how to treat their existing customers fairly – but Telus does!” my tweets started to get re-tweeted. That’s when I really got noticed.

Two days after I started tweeting, I received Twitter message from Mary Prettoto, a Community Manager on the Rogers Wireless social media team. She asked for my e-mail address. A few hours later, a member of her team e-mailed me. “I saw your post and I would like to help,” he wrote. “Can you please send me the details of your issue [and] I will look into this for you.”

I was quickly referred to ‘The Office of the President of Rogers Wireless’ where after a few days of negotiating and comparing the rates of the competitors, I ended up with iPhone deal I wanted and a better rate plan than I had hoped for.

4. The lessons

Social media is powerful and emerging as a way for consumers and businesses to effectively communicate with each other. Complaining through social media engages the business in a conversation and also makes them nervous about the impact of the publicity on their brand. So, it is in their best interest to work with the consumer to solve the problem .

Moneyville blogger Ellen Roseman recently wrote about how Twitter helped her brother settle a lost baggage dispute with Delta Airlines.

5. My 5 tips

1.Know when to negotiate. The best time to negotiate with cell companies is when you have less than 1 year left in your contract.

2.Be polite! You’ll never get anywhere by screaming.

3.Don’t waste much time with a customer service rep. Ask to speak to the retentions department.

4.Do your homework. Find out what other companies are offering and use that as leverage.

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5.Be prepared to leave. If you don’t get what you want, there are plenty of other companies that are eager for your business.

My experience with Rogers Wireless taught me a lot. If you think you’re being treated unfairly by a business, don’t spend your time and energy being upset about it. Speak up and make them take notice.

Krystal Yee is a marketing and graphic design professional living in Vancouver. She blogs for Moneyville and also at Give Me Back My Five Bucks.

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