A friend told me that she if she doesn't pay her mortgage by the 16th of the month, a late fee is charged. Last week, she was running a little late and was not ready to mail her check until the 15th. So she called the mortgage company and asked if she could pay by phone. They said she could, but would have to pay a $10 fee.
She told them she shouldn't have to pay the fee, considering she was a longtime customer who had never made a late payment. She said she'd rather pay a courier's overnight fee of $16 than to pay $10 to the mortgage company, which she felt was trying to make a fortuitious buck at her expense. They waived the fee, proving once again that when it comes to money, you have not because you ask not.
Yesterday, I worked with my merchant processor to change the way I process online sales. The change results in a new $10 monthly service charge. I protested, pointing out that I had been a customer for several years and all processing fees had been paid on time. The nice customer service rep put me on hold for a few minutes. He returned to tell me that the monthly fee was waived, and that because of my good record, my per transaction processing percentage would be lowered. Proving once again that you have not because you ask not.
In life and in business, every penny counts. Don't let a service provider nickel and dime you with excessive and extraneous fees. Instead, use your track record as a good customer as leverage to keep more of the money you make.
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