HP tech support: one person's story

Deb Shinder edits and writes two newsletters for Sunbelt Software, one on Windows XP and one on Vista.

A couple months ago she purchased a new HP computer and paid $169 for an on-site service plan. Then, a few days ago, when she needed a fan replaced, she documented the experience of dealing with HP in detail, starting in the current Windows XP newsletter. I found it a very useful read.

The problem was simple, the computer was making a ton of noise. Tracking down the problem to the fan in the video card was also simple. Yet, the whole phone call with HP took 1 hour and 39 minutes. This for a techie with all her ducks in a row.

In summarizing her initial dealings with HP Deb says:

I’m not bashing HP here. It could have been a lot worse. Everyone was polite and apologetic and they ended up agreeing to give me what ... we had paid for. They didn’t talk down to me like some phone techs do. They were thorough – way thorough – and made sure to double check every fact, every number that they gave me or I gave them, etc. The process wasn’t as painful as some phone support experiences I’ve had; it was just way too long.

But then things went downhill.

To begin with, HP sent her the wrong replacement video card. I guess there's thorough and then there's thorough.

The initial email from HP, when they shipped the video card, said that the model number they sent was the same as the defective video card. It wasn't, they actually sent very different hardware.

So different, that it was useless - it physically wouldn't fit in the computer.

But at least the video card showed up. That's more that can be said for the human being that was supposed to install it. No one ever showed up or called to re-schedule.

The story ends there for HP, because rather than deal with them any more, Shinder swapped video cards herself. Time is money after all. She had another computer with a small video card and lots of internal space. That machine got the new, large, video card and the noisy HP machine got the smaller video card.

In a final note of frustration, Shinder writes that

... the box in which the new card arrived was battered and squashed. The card itself was damaged – the edge of the bracket was bent ... it’s just one more example of carelessness and lack of customer service, this time probably on the part of the delivery service.  

What does all this mean to someone considering an HP computer? Shinder concludes

...after this fiasco, I certainly can’t recommend buying their on-site service plan. Save $169, because apparently you’re going to end up installing the parts yourself anyway.