My story is for HP’s customer-service, challenges won’t come as a surprise to the many folks like me. This real story points up a lesson to PC/Laptop buyers that, increasingly, you get what you pay for: Inexpensive PCs mean minimal support. But while cutting support costs is entirely understandable in this cutthroat business, I question whether this is the best place to save money. Even someone like me who paid whooping Rs.96, 000/- with 3 Years Service Pack for a Laptop darn well expects the thing to work, period. And if it doesn’t, you can’t blame them for wanting good, fast fixes. Whether it’s providing adequate support or building better products that just work, technology providers need to step up to the plate. Sell stuff that people are delighted with, instead of stuff that they merely endure, and maybe they might be willing to pay a few bucks more. Feeling harrased and taurmented I am compelled to share my this story with all of you.
My experience with HP Customer Care has been hell. I was impressed with the fast delivery in the beginning and great functioning of my laptop afterwards until I started getting problem since 26-Oct-2006. Five months of hell getting cut off, running back and forth between my office and HP Service Center, going around in circles. Below are the details of all the incidents since then:
Incidence #1:
Call No- 271006-01
Order No.(WFM ID) & Date: 2210572007, 26.10.2006
Return Date: 03.11.2006
The problem I had reported was that my my Laptop was not switching on and I was told later that the motherboard has gone and needs to be replaced. On Nov-03-2006 I was given back my Laptop saying that the motherboard is replaced and working fine. Only nearly after two months I discovered that the Laptop is not switching on again but after few retries it switched on again but the problem kept occurring time and time again with new problem of terrible noise of its fan until Feb-06-2007 when my HP Laptop refused to switch on which led to the incidence #2 below.
Incidence #2:
Order No.(WFM ID) & Date: 2211780101, 06.02.2007
Return Date: 17.02.2007
The problem I had reported this time that my laptop was giving noise from fan now and not switching on properly and was like lying dead. After keeping for 11 days I was handed over my Laptop with only fan replacement but the problem of its switching on was very much there which I showed to the staff but they only seem to be interested in moving my Laptop out of their office as fast as they could with no interest in its repairs. All of my business activities depend solely on this Laptop and without it I was going nuts. Seeing this "Care for damn" attitude of staff of such renowned company I wrote the fact - "My Laptop switch is not working till date, it was with you for 11 days", "not repaired till date - very bad service" etc. on discharge challan and papers. When they saw me writing this, staff sprang to life and they kept insisting me to change my remark and if not, at least to "Not Satisfied". Later at home I discovered that the CD drive’s front cover was also broken and was just left as hanging with the drive somehow. As I had expected, when I reached office Laptop refused to switch on and I had to wait till Monday Feb-19-2007 for opening the HP Service Center.
Incidence #3:
Order No.(WFM ID) & Date: 2211780101, 19.02.2007
I returned to HP Service Center on Monday Feb-19-2007 with the same problem of Laptop not switching on. I also came to understand from the views of service engineers there that at the very beginning the problem was only with the on/off switch and not the Motherboard which was replaced that time. I handed over my Laptop to them at 11.00 AM and they promised to call me back by 3.30PM to tell the exact status but nobody called. I waited for two more hours and then I called them at 5.30PM and I was told that they will call back after discussing the issue with their boss but as before nobody called me. I waited till 4.15PM today(i.e. Feb-20-2007) then I again called them to enquire the status and was informed that because the part which is to be replaced is very small therefore it was not pooled. Now, how on the earth I could know the meaning of this technical jargon’pooling of part’ and I was left to my imagination.
There is no real excuse for this delay other than someone not wanting to take the necessary time and interest in rectifying my problem.