Ending a relationship is never easy. It doesn’t matter if the relationship is a good or toxic one. The struggle applies to practically all connections you establish – from your relationship with people to trivial things like clothing, and even service partnerships.

And when it comes to ending service partnerships, one that most people get around to every year or two years is their phone plan contract. Most phone plan contracts only last that long and many find it necessary to move on to a new one.

You may be in such situation right now, especially if you rely on your phone to assist you with your growing business. If you are set on terminating your phone plan contract soon, take a step back first and make sure you consider the factors listed below before shopping for a new one.

How well has your current contract met your requirements

Has the contract been able to deliver on its promises and assist you in the many ways you expected it to? Identify how and where it has performed adequately. At the same time, pinpoint how and what it lacked.

The list of pros and cons of your old phone plan will help you in the necessary comparison game to finding the ideal phone plan for you. Likewise, it will help you have a meaningful conversation with the service provider, which you can be sure will ask you for the reason why you do not want to renew your contract.

Do you have new requirements

Phone service requirements can change easily, especially if you are a business owner. You may be expanding your operations and traveling more and need more affordable international roaming services for your phone plan. Or, you have noticed that the phone plan you have provided your employees accrued unnecessary costs for your operations.

If you and your organization are going through some changes, list the changes down. Since you are likely to have a conversation with your service provider about the termination of your contract with them, you can maintain friendly relations by expressing clearly how your needs have changed.

Can the same service provider give you a better option

Loyalty is a crucial component in business relationships. So, if it’s possible to stick with the same phone company, especially if it has been actually able to serve you well, it is going to be a beneficial move for you. Inquire if they have the ability to cater better to you.

Phone companies have a vast selection of plans that may be more suitable for you. Consider fortifying your relationship with your current service provider by picking up a new phone plan contract with them.

What is the contract termination process and its stated conditions

Understanding the termination process is particularly important, especially if you have no intention of completing the full term of the contract. Most service providers put customers in a lock-down, and for early termination, they require for the remaining months of the contract to be paid in full.

Some providers may also demand a personal appearance at their office, along with the submission of certain documents. The long process often deters customers from pursuing termination.

If you are seriously considering ending your phone plan contract early, learn more about the process and the conditions it presents. As a business owner, do you really want to spend a significant amount of money on something that you will not be using anymore? Or, would you rather just make do and wait it out until the end of the contract?

Is it possible to just renegotiate the contract

Service providers actually prefer renegotiations instead of early contract termination. Take your chance on getting the kind of service that you truly need without severing ties.

If the phone company is, say, open to downgrading or upgrading your internet data package, then there shouldn’t be any problem, right? Just be bold and ask. The worst thing they can do is say no and that will serve as the perfect justification for your decision to end the contract and shop for a new one.

All in all, do not be too hasty in ending a contract for any type of service. Think ever so carefully about the different drivers behind the decision. You want to be certain that, ultimately, it is the best decision in ensuring your advantage.

AUTHOR BIO

Al-moottil P Antony is a C-Suite Executive Support Professional for Zain, a leading mobile and data services operator with a commercial footprint in 8 Middle Eastern and African countries.