Hewlett Packard: Don’t Buy HP Computers
I’m adding Hewlett Packard (HP) to the Hall of Shame. Don’t buy their computers.
It has been my experience that Hewlett Packard computers are of poor quality and HP customer service is poor.
For the second time, an HP computer has crashed on me. In both instances, the computers did not have Windows XP backup disks. To cut costs, HP created hard disk partitions where a small portion of each drive contained the OS backups. In both instances, the recovery partitions did not work. This meant pulling data off the crashed hard drives and back up data from a server to install on new computers, plus the joy of re-installing software.
Decided to give HP one last chance by ordering a replacement computer (and pay extra for a back up OS CD) last week. You would think that HP would be delighted I stayed with them despite having two horrible experiences with their shoddy computers.
However, 2-day shipping (also paid extra for) apparently meant only the extras (video docking station and case). Clicking to check order status, discovered the computer would not be shipped for 2 weeks and would arrive when I was out of state on business.
After numerous e-mails and a couple of hours of Hewlett Packard Customer Service, I was informed that absolutely no accommodations would be made. I could not get the computer any time in 2009…although I’d get the fun of looking at the case and video docking station until the computer arrived.
Hewlett Packard would not ship the computer sooner, refused to ship the computer to my office rather than home, and would not have the computer shipped and held to a local FedEx office until I could pick it up. Note that I had already paid for the computer, i.e. no money out of their pocket to have their shipper hold the computer for a few extra days.
It took 2 hours to request a cancellation of the order from customer support. Although they claim they can’t build and ship the computer for a couple of weeks, I was told that the request might not be processed because the computer might already be in the process of being built! Who knew that the process could take several weeks? If I get a shipping notice by e-mail, I’ll get to spend another 2 hours on the phone dealing with that too. And if they decide to refund my money for a computer they can’t timely ship, I’ll get an e-mail letting me know this…and it will take an additional 3-5 business days to process after receiving the e-mail.
Here’s the support e-mail received after spending hours on the phone…
[W]e are making an active attempt to fulfill your cancellation request.
If successful, we will notify you by email and the refund will be issued. Typically, your bank will post your credit within 5 business days.
If unsuccessful, you will receive a ship notification email. If you choose not to keep the product, please call us on 1-866-217-6014 to arrange a return and credit.
In contrast with HP, Dell computers have always been reliable and their customer support is excellent. Although I had been splitting purchases between HP and Dell, in the future I will be buying only Dell computers. I explained to the customer service agent that long-term loss of value to a company that happens when customer support is mishandled this way. She could care less. Perhaps her supervisors will care more than she does.
Will my purchases (or lack thereof) significantly affect HP’s bottom line? Of course not. However, they’ve lost at least 20 sales from me over the years plus hundreds from friends and clients who I recommend not buy a Hewlett Packard laptop, desk top, notebook, etc. Word-0f-mouth is a powerful tool that can positively or negatively affect a business. In this instance, WOM is going to cost Hewlett Packard far more than a single transaction.
If you have a choice between Hewlett Packard and any other computer brand, consider skipping HP and save yourself the headaches of dealing with a company that has lost its way both as to quality and support.
Samsung – Word-of-Mouth Marketing and Consumer Protection
The warranty provided for the TV to get in-home service “where available.” Translation: Not available in the metro area where I live that has a population of 5 million. Hmmm. Just a hint of deceptive trade practices…and then it got worse.
Filling out the paperwork, scanning in the receipt and uploading it, packing the TV, and hauling it to UPS to ship (at my expense) for repairs was just the beginning.
Samsung received the TV ten days ago (per UPS tracking) but only acknowledged receipt after two lengthy phone calls that involved Press #5, Press #1 etc., being placed on hold repeatedly, and speaking to room temperature IQ drones who had memorized scripts but lacked either the authority or incentive to actually provide customer service.
Now here’s where it gets even better. Samsung provided an option where one could receive a refurbished model if it would take more than 3 business days to repair the defective TV. I chose that option.
However, the last customer service drone denied the existence of the option and said that I could expect to wait another 14-21 business days calculated based on their erroneous decision to claim receipt of the TV yesterday instead of 10 days ago when they actually got it. He’s probably still trying to anatomically do to himself what I recommended in response.
What’s the important lesson in this?
Word-of-mouth marketing is a double-edged sword. While I frequently refer clients and friends to goods and services that are excellent, when a company like Samsung displays this level of arrogance/incompetence/disdain for the customer, I’ll be happy to let others know of my experience too.
As for Samsung, the company is about to get an expensive lesson in both word-of-mouth marketing and consumer protection laws…one that is more entertaining than a television show. I suspect they’ll try to shoot the messenger instead of fixing their internal problems.
There are important consumer protection laws at the federal and state level that may protect you in a similar situation. And if you own a business, you should be concerned about a consumer who makes a claim under those laws. Of course, in either case, consult your attorney to discuss your specific situation. This post isn’t legal advice.
For a related overview of consumer protection and word-of-mouth marketing, please watch the following video or listen to the podcast.
…And stay tuned.
