I recently heard an interesting scenario where a person was using a phone service with a company and he was really thinking about switching carriers since virtually all the other companies are a lot cheaper. However, the main reason he was hesitant to switch was that since he has been with them for over five years he was worried that he would potentially disqualify himself from getting potential deals that the company may or not not give to longtime subscribers. So as a result he stays with them.
I think ironically in these cases you usually get better discounts from these types of businesses if they feel that you are on the verge of leaving. It’s usually then when they would throw you all the deals as acquiring a customer costs a lot of marketing dollars from a traditional business point of view. If it really is all about the cost of the service that you feel isn’t as competitive then being prepared to walk if you don’t get a better deal seems like the most appropriate way to do it I think.