HP Technical "Support"

Heatsinked · 29 Jun 2007 at 11:31

First and foremost, I do not wish to offend anyone here who may be affiliated with the company in any particular capacity. I am aware there are many different departments and I do not wish to tarnish every HP employee with the same brush…

However...

HP TECHNICAL SUPPORT DRIVES ME INSANE!!!

*Deep breath*

To cut a long LONG six-month story short... The OfficeJet K550 printer has been deployed within my organisation and most of them have caused problems at some point. The latest printer didn't work out of the box. Hours have been spent talking to HP Tech Support about it, again and again, until six months later they FINALLY decided to send a replacement.

No less than TWO replacement printers arrived! RESULT! Once tested however... they didn't work. I contacted HP AGAIN and they demanded to know WHY I had two printers in my possession. Not only that but they had a go at me for not returning the ORIGINAL printer. Tell me, what is the point of swapping a broken printer for another broken printer? I was asked to un-package the two broken printers, due for pick up in a few hours, so we could TROUBLESHOOT them! Troubleshoot the two replacements which DON'T work and that were originally meant to replace the first.

You get the idea. I was bounced around from the Tech department, to Customer Care, to the "Complaints" department (I didn't ask for that) then finally back to Tech support. Over one hour later, repeating myself time and time again (do they even BOTHER to read the call logs?!) I finally arranged a "refurbished" unit to be sent, to replace a printer that has NEVER worked once out of the box.

I could go on. This is NOT the first time. I have complained, filled in questionnaires, spoken to various "higher-ups" on the phone but to what end? Am I not the customer? I was treated like an inconvenience because THEY screwed up, sent me too many printers, which didn't work (laughing so hard now) and still the problem was not resolved.

Thank you. Rant over.

Jono · 29 Jun 2007 at 11:37

I don't think I could've made it through the day without knowing this fascinating new fact. Thank you!

Edit: Ah you gave us a story. I feel your pain.
Unfortunately I don't have to deal directly with suppliers, but with our own set of buffoons in purchasing if something breaks and needs replacing.

Bill101 · 29 Jun 2007 at 11:37

It was when they started to play the full length version of 'Freebird' that I knew I was in to a bit of a wait............then they played the classic ''since you've been gone'' :rolleyes:

When I did get through the guy called me Bell throughout.

marin · 29 Jun 2007 at 11:39

I have always found HP Technical Support to be very good - just had two laptops repaired last week with no problems at all - If you think they are bad, try Dell, they drive you insane.

Burnsy2023 · 29 Jun 2007 at 11:43

marin said:
If you think they are bad, try Dell, they drive you insane.

I've always found Dell to be quite good, although I've only every contacted them with Gold Server support.

Burnsy

Heatsinked · 29 Jun 2007 at 11:44

Jono said:
I don't think I could've made it through the day without knowing this fascinating new fact. Thank you!

Sorry, I had originally intended to post more but clicked the wrong button

Heatsinked · 29 Jun 2007 at 11:45

burnsy2023 said:
I've always found Dell to be quite good, although I've only every contacted them with Gold Server support.

Burnsy

Well, I guess I have ***** Brown Printer support with HP.

Puffingbilly · 29 Jun 2007 at 11:55

marin said:
I have always found HP Technical Support to be very good - just had two laptops repaired last week with no problems at all - If you think they are bad, try Dell, they drive you insane.

You are 100% right, I was going to say exactly the same thing

TheDean · 29 Jun 2007 at 11:58

marin said:
I have always found HP Technical Support to be very good - just had two laptops repaired last week with no problems at all - If you think they are bad, try Dell, they drive you insane.

I worked for HP Tech support for just over a year. It is pants

Heatsinked · 29 Jun 2007 at 12:56

Based in the UK? What did you do? If you don't mind me asking

TheDean · 29 Jun 2007 at 13:17

Heatsinked said:
Based in the UK? What did you do? If you don't mind me asking

There's a few sites, but I now believe the campaign has been shut down where I used to work. We were based just outside Newcastle (opposite the Metro Centre for anyone who knows the area). It was working for a company called 'Twenty4Help'. They bidded for contracts with larger organisations who would outsource their helpdesks to twenty4help.

The training was appaling. My product knowledge was shocking and I know when I worked their (2002) the laptops were a total joke and would overheat constantly.

The printers however were excellent. Back then they controlled 2/3 of the printer market, but I'm not sure about now - I'm sure they are still market leaders.

Jimbo · 29 Jun 2007 at 14:22

Everytime you ring HP, don't bother with the technical agents, just ask for Exceptions or customer care, straight away. Or you will be in a world of pap.

Tell them you are ringing to make a complaint and don't let them fob you off.

TheDean · 29 Jun 2007 at 14:32

Jimbo said:
Everytime you ring HP, don't bother with the technical agents, just ask for Exceptions or customer care, straight away. Or you will be in a world of pap.

Tell them you are ringing to make a complaint and don't let them fob you off.

Exceptions are the only ones that can do anything tbh - but the only was you'll get through to them is if something mental has happened

Heatsinked · 29 Jun 2007 at 15:00

Over six months of tech support and still no working printer = "mental"

brocksta · 29 Jun 2007 at 15:04

Ive contacted HP once in the past before, regarding a dodgy laptop, and it was rather painless, apart from the silly questions which i suppose they have to do. Ive dealt with Dell quite a lot too and never had issues with them either. However i spose sometimes you just get lucky

Kell_ee001 · 29 Jun 2007 at 16:09

Well their desk is nicknamed "24 Hell" for a reason

Maccy · 29 Jun 2007 at 16:20

They never managed to fix my laptop that was sent in last November, bought it about 3 weeks before and then the screen just was permanently faded.

I was given a refund from the retailer in March and they said they'd let me know if HP told them anything. No such luck, I even went to the retailer who kindly phoned HP and they just didn't know where it was.

Disappointing....

TheDean · 29 Jun 2007 at 16:23

Kell_ee001 said:
Well their desk is nicknamed "24 Hell" for a reason

Haha - Another ex-employee?!

CrimsonAvenger · 29 Jun 2007 at 16:27

TheDean said:
I worked for HP Tech support for just over a year. It was pants

CrimsonAvenger · 29 Jun 2007 at 16:29

TheDean said:
There's a few sites, but I now believe the campaign has been shut down where I used to work. We were based just outside Newcastle (opposite the Metro Centre for anyone who knows the area). It was working for a company called 'Twenty4Help'. They bidded for contracts with larger organisations who would outsource their helpdesks to twenty4help.

The training was appaling. My product knowledge was shocking and I know when I worked their (2002) the laptops were a total joke and would overheat constantly.

The printers however were excellent. Back then they controlled 2/3 of the printer market, but I'm not sure about now - I'm sure they are still market leaders.

HP typically no longer outsources its support to 3rd parties. Although it is off-shored