So, my great new HP dv2500 CTO with 2GB Ram, Core 2 Duo 2.00GHz, 160GB SATA hard drive, Dual Layer LightScribe drive, integrated webcam, fingerprint reader, and Vista 64-bit really is kick ass. It was noticeably better is most aspects.
Of course I wouldn't be able to run some applications right away, but hat wasn't a huge concern. They even gave me the recovery DVD with it.
Then I find out I only have two USB ports. When I take it to work and try to plug it into one of two spare AC Adapters I had, I find out the spares I have had for several years no longer work. They have different tips. OK, so I will carry around my adapter a little more.
I called HP because I couldn't make the recovery discs from the software provided. I figured I would make a spare one. They sent me a new one. I also discovered that when I run a recovery, it won't activate over the Internet. I need to go through the whole calling Microsoft bit, instead of being pre-activated like the systems used to be. I called them back and they wanted to send me recovery discs, not understanding that I already had some on the way.
Well, here it is about 9 months after delivery of my new laptop, and my XD card slot (none of the other ones in the all-in-one controller) does not work, the LCD is getting marks from the keyboard and every time I run a restore, I ran the recovery from the new discs and I still have to call Microsoft to activate. What the heck??
So I called HP one more time. They were going to escalate it. A month later and no one called me. I called back. At this point, I am too tired. I just want this over with, so they are sending a box. Apparently, they don't think I can run a recovery. I also stressed about ten times that the XD Card slot does not work. Wanna bet that comes back broken still?
2008/04/15
Why HP customer service sucks - Part 1
I'm not sure how far back to go on this. I actually used to receive great customer service from HP/Compaq. Although the more I think about it, I guess it was Compaq that I got great service from. HP always sucked. As a tech, we could call Compaq 24/7 for warranty repairs. With HP we had to call Monday - Friday daytime. I think their hours got better, but from the customer's standpoint, they really suck.
Any way, about two years ago, I got a replacement laptop from CompUSA. I bought a repair warranty on the original and since I got it replace, I bought it on the new one. The LCD started to get marks on it from the keyboard. I could clean it at first, but eventually, the screen got pretty bad. The first time I sent it in, the network jack got a little messed up. One of the metal tabs that help hold the cable in got bent a little. I bent it back, but eventually, it would get messed up again.
The LCD started getting bad again, so I called again and asked them to fix the LCD and the network jack. When I got it back, they replaced the LCD, but did nothing with the jack. I lived with it.
Again after a few months, the problem happened. I had the issue escalated at some point, and they said the would make sure everything was fixed. They replaced the LCD, keyboard, and system board. Problem was, the system board was a different one with an nVidia card on it. That wouldn't be so bad, except every time I tried to do anything graphics intensive, the system crashed. So, I called again, went through the customer support and they agreed to replace the laptop.
Any way, about two years ago, I got a replacement laptop from CompUSA. I bought a repair warranty on the original and since I got it replace, I bought it on the new one. The LCD started to get marks on it from the keyboard. I could clean it at first, but eventually, the screen got pretty bad. The first time I sent it in, the network jack got a little messed up. One of the metal tabs that help hold the cable in got bent a little. I bent it back, but eventually, it would get messed up again.
The LCD started getting bad again, so I called again and asked them to fix the LCD and the network jack. When I got it back, they replaced the LCD, but did nothing with the jack. I lived with it.
Again after a few months, the problem happened. I had the issue escalated at some point, and they said the would make sure everything was fixed. They replaced the LCD, keyboard, and system board. Problem was, the system board was a different one with an nVidia card on it. That wouldn't be so bad, except every time I tried to do anything graphics intensive, the system crashed. So, I called again, went through the customer support and they agreed to replace the laptop.
2008/03/24
Microsoft Vista sp1 customer service, or the Backroom of your average 7-11
So, I have been running Windows Vista 64-bit for over a year now. Yeah, some bugs here and there, but nothing like you would expect. I run most of the typical applications at work: Adobe Reader, MS Office, a bunch of Google apps. Most issues were fixed pretty quickly by those companies. At first I used it as a "side machine" but I slowly transitioned to using it for my main work. We still have a few apps that don't work (Windows Messenger over TLS) which I run on a machine that I remote on a second screen.
I decided a few months back to enable (the Microsoft approved away) the download of Vista's SP1 Release Candidate. Installed and ran all the same apps without any issues. I think I noticed some improvements, especially the file copy stuff.
Last week I decided to uninstall the RC so I can install the full blown release. I go to Programs, and uninstall. It goes through the various stages, gets through Stage 3 and reboots, then it just hangs with the little green "Cylon" bar at the bottom with two bars. I try safe mode, safe mode with networking, with command prompt, Last Known config, etc. NOTHING!
So, I call Microsoft's free support for SP1 issues. I get through in about 5 minutes and they prequalify me (64-bit Vista Enterprise, just uninstalled SP1 RC) and tell me there is about a 5 minute wait. WOW! only 5 minutes? Can't be right.
You guessed it. It was not right, and when I finally got through, they asked me a bunch of questions and determined I was in the wrong group. So they transferred me. I was on hold again for a while. I get another lady who after a few minutes and most of the same questions that since I am on a Domain, she can not help me and she proceeds to transfer me to another group. She holds with me and when we eventually get through, we go through the same questions and this guy says, "Well, since you are on a Domain, you support will cost ....." and he didn't get much further before I said, "OK, it's no longer on the domain" as I "unplugged" the network cable (as far as they knew). He asked the lady if they could help, she said she had to check with her supervisor...more waiting.
Eventually she came back and gave me a disclaimer about group policy and such. She then asked me to boot to the recovery Disk, which I had been for about the 8th time, and open up command prompt, which I already had, and go to the directory where the "5 system restore files are". Since booting form the DVD would not do a repair and it said I had no recovery points, she had me "manually do a recovery." We renamed these files to .old and copied files from a sub-directory, rebooted and PRESTO!! my PC still didn't boot!!
Well, she says we just did a manual recovery so I don't know what else to tell you. I look at my phone and see that that was a nice 2 hours and 15 minutes of listening to outsourced tech support give me 5 minutes worth of useless information. I thanked her, told her I was not happy and we hung up.
Needless to say on the follow up email, I was not happy either.
No wonder this country is going to pot. I wish people from CEOs all the way down to the street cleaners and garbage men would stop and realize that it's customer service that is suffering EVERYWHERE, and this is the perfect example.
I decided a few months back to enable (the Microsoft approved away) the download of Vista's SP1 Release Candidate. Installed and ran all the same apps without any issues. I think I noticed some improvements, especially the file copy stuff.
Last week I decided to uninstall the RC so I can install the full blown release. I go to Programs, and uninstall. It goes through the various stages, gets through Stage 3 and reboots, then it just hangs with the little green "Cylon" bar at the bottom with two bars. I try safe mode, safe mode with networking, with command prompt, Last Known config, etc. NOTHING!
So, I call Microsoft's free support for SP1 issues. I get through in about 5 minutes and they prequalify me (64-bit Vista Enterprise, just uninstalled SP1 RC) and tell me there is about a 5 minute wait. WOW! only 5 minutes? Can't be right.
You guessed it. It was not right, and when I finally got through, they asked me a bunch of questions and determined I was in the wrong group. So they transferred me. I was on hold again for a while. I get another lady who after a few minutes and most of the same questions that since I am on a Domain, she can not help me and she proceeds to transfer me to another group. She holds with me and when we eventually get through, we go through the same questions and this guy says, "Well, since you are on a Domain, you support will cost ....." and he didn't get much further before I said, "OK, it's no longer on the domain" as I "unplugged" the network cable (as far as they knew). He asked the lady if they could help, she said she had to check with her supervisor...more waiting.
Eventually she came back and gave me a disclaimer about group policy and such. She then asked me to boot to the recovery Disk, which I had been for about the 8th time, and open up command prompt, which I already had, and go to the directory where the "5 system restore files are". Since booting form the DVD would not do a repair and it said I had no recovery points, she had me "manually do a recovery." We renamed these files to .old and copied files from a sub-directory, rebooted and PRESTO!! my PC still didn't boot!!
Well, she says we just did a manual recovery so I don't know what else to tell you. I look at my phone and see that that was a nice 2 hours and 15 minutes of listening to outsourced tech support give me 5 minutes worth of useless information. I thanked her, told her I was not happy and we hung up.
Needless to say on the follow up email, I was not happy either.
No wonder this country is going to pot. I wish people from CEOs all the way down to the street cleaners and garbage men would stop and realize that it's customer service that is suffering EVERYWHERE, and this is the perfect example.
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