Ever wondered about the hidden tricks and secrets that industry insiders know but rarely share? From customer service hacks to money-saving tips, there's a wealth of knowledge that can make your life easier and potentially save you money. Here's a list of 23 surprising industry secrets and life hacks shared by Redditors who've been in the trenches. These tips cover a wide range of industries and services, from dealing with automated phone systems to getting the most out of your coffee order.
- Angry Customer Bypass
"Turns out if you say the F word a few times in a short span, the bot recognizes you as an angry customer and will switch you to a representative real quick." - Representative Repetition
"You can also interrupt the automated voice by repeatedly saying, "Representative" or "Customer Service" to get out of the automated menu and in the queue to speak with someone." - Hospital Bill Negotiation
"Hospital bills are negotiable, to a degree. Always ask for an itemized bill and put some effort into analyzing it." - Quick Payment Discount
"most hospitals will take pennies on the dollar if you pay what you are offering right that moment." - Retention Rate Haggling
"So if you call up and complain/threaten to cancel every other time they raise your rates they'll probably give you the introductory rate." - Marriott Points Cancellation
"Any Marriott booking made partially with points, with a 3-day cancellation policy, can be cancelled the same day of the booking without any fees." - Kindle Library Hack
"If you use Libby to download ebooks from your library to your Kindle, you can turn it to airplane mode and keep the books as long as you want. The next person in line is not affected." - Customer Retention Economics
"Most industries have retention teams because it costs 10X more to get a new customer than it costs to keep one you have." - Nitrogen Tire Myth
"'Premium tire' filling using nitrogen instead of atmospheric air has almost no research to back it up. There is basically no difference between the two (I must now add that there is no difference for the average consumer, but there are certain applications where it makes sense), it's just a way for tire shops to charge you an extra $50." - Air Duct Cleaning Scam
"You don't need your Air Duct's cleaned by a professional company. They're going to charge you out the ass, the equipment they use is going to fuck up your floors and walls, and you're probably going to cause as much damage to your house getting it done as you will pay for it." - Cart Abandonment Discounts
"Many online retailers have what's called 'Cart Abandonment' marketing strategies. If you put something in your cart and then don't check out, you'll likely receive an email or some kind of messaging with a discount code to incentivize conversion." - Hotel Price Matching
"If you go to a hotel and show them a Booking.com or Expedia price for their location that's lower, they can price match." - Car Care Package Scam
"When a car salesman offers you a 'premium car care' package, don't buy it. It's a scam." - Pharmacy Discount Cards
"if you do not have health insurance (yayyy america), there are FREE pharmacy discount cards you can get that will DRASTICALLY reduce the cost of your monthly medications." - Wells Fargo Escalation Keywords
"I worked for Wells Fargo doing customer service on mortgages. If you use the keywords: lawyer, media or government we're trained to escalate you immediately to the highest level of customer service." - Clean Car Advantage
"Don't take a filthy car to a mechanic. Clean cars are always treated better" - Garbage Driver Tipping
"If you have to get rid of a couch, chair, bed or anything big. Don't call your garbage company they'll charge you $25 minimum and up to whatever they want. The driver sees none of that. Talk to your driver if you can or leave a note and $5-10 or more if you want and we'll make it disappear." - Library Fee Forgiveness
"Library late fees will usually be forgiven if you ask nicely as long as you aren't a habitual late returner or on the library's shit list." - Shelf Stacking Strategy
"If use-by date is a problem for you and to prevent wasting food, then reach to the back of the shelf. Shelf stacker pack perishables from the back, to sell the stuff with a shorter shelf life first." - Spirit Airlines Airport Booking
"If you buy flights through Spirit at the airport one of the random fees (it's called the user fee or something like that) doesn't apply, so they cost like half as much." - Diamond Resale Reality
"Diamonds have no resell value (metaphorically speaking)" - Starbucks Secret Short
"As a former barista, I can tell you that one of the best-kept secrets in the coffee industry is that you can save a ton of money by ordering a 'short' size at Starbucks. It's not on the menu, but it's essentially a smaller version of a tall and usually a lot cheaper." - Bone Dry Cappuccino
"Lastly, for those who love their lattes and cappuccinos, if you're feeling adventurous, ask for a 'bone dry' cappuccino. This means you get all foam and no milk, which makes for a super strong and frothy drink."
Learn more life hacks on Boing Boing.
