How to lower your Xfinity bill: what the billing department told us

The transcript follows the recording. "Xfinity" is the voice assistant and its recorded messages. "Caller" is the call4me agent. The representative's first name and my last name are silenced in the audio and shown in brackets here. Key presses aren't audible.

0:00 Xfinity: Hello, and thank you for calling Xfinity. Ask how you can take advantage of a free Xfinity mobile line. Para español, oprima 2, por favor. This call may be monitored or recorded in accordance with our privacy policy. I was unable to find an account with your phone number. If you would like to try a different phone number, please say yes or press 1. Otherwise, please remain on the line.

0:33 Xfinity: Please say or enter the ZIP code where you have or want service.

0:44 Xfinity: If you're calling about services for your home, press 1. For services for your business, press 2.

0:53 Xfinity: If you need help activating your equipment, managing an appointment, or are an existing customer, press 1. To start or purchase new service with Xfinity, press 2.

1:11 Xfinity: This virtual voice assistant uses artificial intelligence to generate responses. I'll need a phone number or account number to look you up. Say phone number or account number.

1:30 Caller: I don't have an account. I'm just looking for some general information.

1:37 Xfinity: Say or enter your account number now. If you need a minute to look it up, press star.

1:46 Caller: Representative, please.

1:51 Xfinity: I understand you'd like to speak to an agent, but I need a little more information from you to better service your call. Let's try this again. Say or enter your account number now. If you need a minute to look it up, press star.

Our caller says "Agent," then "Speak to a person," and gets the same answer each time. Then: "OK, I'll wait. When you're ready to continue, just press one on your telephone keypad," and the account number prompt again.

3:09 Caller: I don't have an account number, and I'm looking for general information about lowering an Xfinity bill.

3:19 Xfinity: Are you calling to activate equipment you recently received?

3:23 Caller: No.

3:29 Xfinity: Do you participate in programs like SNAP, Medicaid, or National School Lunch Program? You may qualify for Internet Essentials, our reliable, affordable internet service. Would you like to learn more?

3:42 Caller: No, that's OK. I'm just trying to find out, in general, how an existing Xfinity customer could lower their bill.

The Internet Essentials offer plays twice more, each time after "I understand you'd like to speak to an agent, but I need a little more information from you." Our caller says no both times.

4:53 Xfinity: I can connect you with an agent, but I need more information to get you to the right team. Is this about billing, making a payment, or an internet issue?

5:04 Caller: Billing, yeah. I'm looking for general billing options.

5:10 Xfinity: I understand you have questions about your billing options, so I am connecting you with an agent who can help. Just a moment, please.

5:26 Xfinity: We have Xfinity chat agents available to assist you right now via messaging. Message and data rates may apply. Press 1 to connect with an agent via text messaging on your mobile device. Otherwise, press 2.

5:43 Xfinity: Please wait for the next available representative.

6:29 Representative: Hello, thank you for calling Xfinity. My name is [name removed]. How may I assist you today?

6:34 Caller: Hi, I'm just trying to get some general information on how an existing Xfinity internet or TV customer could lower their monthly bill. Like, are there promotions for existing customers, or maybe cheaper plans, or any other options they could ask about?

6:52 Representative: Okay, may I know your first name and last name, please?

6:57 Caller: I'm Nick [last name removed]'s assistant, just calling to get general info, not about a specific account.

7:06 Representative: Like, if a customer [is] on the promotion which is ending, like on November 24, after that the new promotion will be updated on the account. Like if customer [is] using 1 gig internet speed, and his use of the internet is around, like, she's using for the TV and some of the normal stuff, like emailing someone or doing streaming or something like that, so 500 Mbps will be good for them. So they can lower down to 500 Mbps, and in which the bill will be also lower. The promotion depends on the area to area. Like in the central area of US, their promotion are different. Like you will get a promotion of 500 Mbps of $65, $70, $75 for the five year, one year. And also on the same 1 gig, also there will be a promotion of $80 monthly. If customer turn on the AutoPay with the checking account, then also there will be [an] AutoPay paperless billing discount of $10. So that will also lower down your bill, to $70.

8:26 Representative: And also for the TV package, the TV package promotion is like, we have a sports package, $65, in which the limited basic channels you will get, which is around 30-plus channels. Second one is the TV+, that will cost you $105, in which you will get 125-plus channels, some of our premium channels like Lifetime, Showtime, and ESPN, and Disney, something like that. And the higher package, we have the TV Premium, in which you get 185-plus channels. And going to the separate packages, we have the two packages, which is a World Soccer Ticket, in which all the sports channels are included and some of our 10 to 30 limited basic channels. And second one is Sports & News, in which you will get around 95-plus channels, in which all the sports channels, all the news channels included, and also some of our basic channels. So it's around 125 or 130 channels you will get in that also, which cost you $90 and $95. That's the both two plans. So, like, how the customer is watching the channels, like she's watching the news and some of the limited basic channels, so we provide the TV+ or Sports & News. Or maybe we provide you TV with another extension channels, like a More Entertainment package, which is cost $11 extra. So that will be also lower down the bill there.

10:09 Representative: And also, if customer is trying to lower down the mobile bill or something like that, so we also have a promotion on that for one year. Customer have to pay nothing, and customer will get a promotion on the mobile services. She can keep same cell phone number, same cell phone, and she will get a line for the next one year $0, if she's paying $50 monthly. So it's around $550 or $600 she's paying for one year, so she can save $600 for the one year. And after that also, we have a promotion in which the bill is going to be only $30. That's the promotions we have.

11:03 Caller: Okay, gotcha. And can those kinds of changes be done over the phone, or would the customer need to go in store or do it online?

11:17 Representative: Yeah, this packages, this changes, we can do it on the phone. We have tools for that. We pull up the account, and we can do that, if customer have the details of the account.

11:33 Caller: And what would the account holder need to have ready when they call to ask about these options? Like, do they need their account number, or maybe the last four of their social?

11:44 Representative: Like, a customer have an Xfinity account number, that's a good thing. We can pull up the account, and we can check for the verification, what kind of verification steps he or she have on the account. Like if they register any cell phone number or email, we send a 6-digit verification on that. Or maybe if she store any kind of account details, like any kind of bank account, so we ask for the last 4 digits to verify it. And, yeah, that's the things we have. Or maybe we can pull up the account with the account number also. Or if customer don't have account number, we ask for the service address of the customer, and with that also we can pull up the account.

12:39 Caller: Okay, thanks. What's the best department for them to ask for if they want to lower their bill?

12:47 Representative: It is from the billing department, because all the billings are handled from the billing department, mobile billing, internet billing, cable billing. So the offer will come from the billing department. So that's a good thing.

13:03 Caller: Okay, great. And what are that department's hours, so they know when to call?

13:13 Representative: Like, because I am on another time zone... Okay, let me just give you a correct time, okay?

13:32 Caller: Sure.

13:53 Representative: So, as the customer is from USA, so customer [can] call at any time. So there is no issue, if customer want to call on the Saturdays also.

14:18 Caller: Okay, great. That's all I needed. Thank you so much.

14:26 Representative: Okay. Have a great day. Take care. Bye-bye.

14:30 Caller: Bye.