HP deliberately adds 15 minutes waiting time for telephone support calls

vaxvms

Dunno just where to post this story.

HP deliberately adds 15 minutes waiting time for telephone support calls

HP Inc is trying to force consumer PC and print customers to use online and other digital support channels by setting a minimum 15-minute wait time for anyone that phones the call center to get answers to troublesome queries.

The wait time was added on Tuesday, February 18, according to internal communications seen by The Register, and impacts retail patrons in the UK, Ireland, France, Germany and Italy, though we anticipate more countries could be added.

https://www.theregister.com/2025/02/20/hp_deliberately_adds_15_minutes/?td=rt-3a

urbanriot

vaxvms I feel like it's not just HP. Since around the time Covid started, hold times are now insane with hardware and software support companies. I allege that they not only add arbitrary hold times, they also drop calls as a byproduct of ideas like this and not systems' failures.

I miss the days when I could pick up the phone and call someone in a support department that's about an hour away (Toronto). Kids today will never know what it was like to talk about the last Blue Jays game while diagnosing a broken computer with 1-800 support.

Thane_Bitter

vaxvms This is HP, they should roll out a new number that only subscribers may access, or offer a payment scheme to allow a customer to jump to the head of the line (and then slow the whole thing down to come up with an enhanced plus version of support that costs more and only offers a minimum wait time of 15 minutes or less).

I've never dealt with their consumer side of things, but on the enterprize side they certainly didn't pick up the phone very fast. What sort of grand advice or help does the consumer side techs dispense, reboot it, reinstall windows, or start a warranty claim?

Somewhat-Reticent

Too much stock owned by phone services ?

Blackbird

Classic! If your only computer is down, a phone is your only line of support... moreover a cell phone's little web browser screen is a poor substitute for obtaining coherent online troubleshooting support, particularly from some barely-cooperating online chatbot.

Heat84

Blackbird Classic! If your only computer is down, a phone is your only line of support... moreover a cell phone's little web browser screen is a poor substitute for obtaining coherent online troubleshooting support, particularly from some barely-cooperating online chatbot.

But how much better is a human reading from a script who probably doesn't know much about the tech they're supporting.

vaxvms

HP ditches 15-minute wait time policy due to 'feedback'

HP Inc today abruptly ditched the mandatory 15-minute wait time that it imposed on customers dialling up its telephone-based support team due to "initial feedback."

Now HP has abandoned the policy, and in a statement issued today, said:

We're always looking for ways to improve our customer service experience. This support offering was intended to provide more digital options with the goal of reducing time to resolve inquiries.

We have found that many of our customers were not aware of the digital support options we provide. Based on initial feedback, we know the importance of speaking to live customer service agents in a timely fashion is paramount. As a result, we will continue to prioritize timely access to live phone support to ensure we are delivering an exceptional customer experience.

https://www.theregister.com/2025/02/21/hp_ditches_15_minute_wait_time_call_centers/?td=rt-3a

Somewhat-Reticent

Some customers may be unable to use digital support options due to the issue they call for.

OmegaWolf747

HP are just too cheap to pay for human tech support.

InternetJeff

I love the hold music while waiting on these support lines.

/sarc

I could just que up these calls and pipe that music into my businesses for free. The joke is on them.

/double sarc

takeahike

I called them for some help on getting a fresh install of 11 on my laptop, an HP. It needed a driver to see the NVMe drive when booting up with an 11 setup USB. Since it was "out of warranty" they insisted upon a "lifetime" subscription to HPSmartfriend even though I just needed this one-time support (subsequently when I asked whether they had a one-time support option they said they did but it was twice as expensive). I paid the $51.99 for the start of the subscription and got a tech on the line, and while he got me pointed in the right direction with my general lack of patience I wound up ending the call in disgust without a solution when we tried a remote access session by him that wouldn't work. I wound up figuring it out later that evening from some posts on Reddit, so I called and not only insisted that they cancel the ongoing subscription but that I get a refund of even the initial charge and complete cancellation of the contract because, among other things, their website indicates a 30-day period to do so. I wound up getting the full refund and cancellation of the entire contract, including of course any charge for future months.

Bink63

takeahike I called them for some help on getting a fresh install of 11 on my laptop, an HP

Why not call HP for Dell support? /s

iahawkeye83

Personally I would like to make it so that if you want to complain about the service you receive in a supermarket you have to call a 1-800 number with a minimum 15-minute wait time to talk to a call center in India just like what HP has done with their tech support. Moral of the story, customer complaints already kick down an already overworked and stressed out staff who are already dealing with short staffing. A little off topic but I like the idea of a minimum wait time to speak to a customer service agent.

MacLeech

iahawkeye83 A little off topic but I like the idea of a minimum wait time to speak to a customer service agent.

Yet, you complain when you don’t get a live agent right away when you call Comcast.

Bink63

iahawkeye83 customer complaints already kick down an already overworked and stressed out staff who are already dealing with short staffing.

Funny you brought this up.

I treat every rep I deal with, with dignity and respect. I explain my issue in more detail than most can grasp, let alone work on in Tier 1 and request Level 2 escalation.

I've walked more than a mile in their shoes and have climbed more poles and run more coax than most of them have seen in their lives, added bonus for me of being physically present with less than gruntled subs.

Phone Reps don't get physically attacked by subs, nor have the policia called when they don't give the now perma-blacklisted sub free HBO.

You were saying?

Somewhat-Reticent

At least with 9-1-1 if you call and get disconnected they should call back … eventually.

takeahike

Although they’ve apparently reversed this policy, this kind of reminds me of a something that happened to me when I had my retail computer biz (since retired). I had a customer that was a successful local business and they bought a fair amount of stuff from me (systems, etc.). Best Buy came into the neighborhood after about five years of me being there that of course took a lot of my business, but I managed to survive nevertheless, including getting continued business from this client. So anyway, when you need a repair from Best Buy, covered or not, it’s the “usual” three weeks runaround, right? So with this client they had a warranty item (a motherboard), and having the great service I always tried to give I replaced it the same day, and after years of buying from me that was the last I ever saw of them. After that I wondered whether if I like Best Buy I had made them wait those three weeks whether I would have had their continued business.

Somewhat-Reticent

takeahike that of course took a lot of my business, …
I wondered whether if I like Best Buy I had made them wait those three weeks whether I would have had their continued business.

“of course”⁉
Not unless there was a unmentioned difference you neglected to negotiate.

broknsymetry

When I got out of the Navy the only electronics job available locally was as a TV repairman at a locally owned musical Instrument/consumer electronics retailer. It was a union position with IBEW even though we only had two techs. When I started in June there was a backlog of over 250 items (we repaired any type of electronics the store sold.) By December I had cleared all repairs including any that had recently come in. I was admonished by the senior tech (who was an old school tech and did not grasp newer technology) to never let that happen again lest one of us was fired because there was nothing to do.

Somewhat-Reticent

broknsymetry Pragmatic Advice.
Of course, senior may be replaced if IBEW offered more updated techs.
…
Might’ve been less pushback if other (cheaper?) options actually worked.