Volume 9 Of The Saga

10 August 2003

Volume 8 left off with Michael planning to call. That was a promise he made on August 5th. Nothing more has been heard from Michael since then.

My frustration forced me to tackle HP again on August 6. The score quickly ran up to F2/C23/P19. Here’s how it happened: 10:40 a.m. called HP and was cut off; 10:46 a.m. redialed and was cut off; 10:49 redialed and was cut off; 10:50 redialed and was instructed by a phonebot to call a different number.

At 10:52 a.m. I called the new number. I was promptly cut off. At 10:54 a.m. I called that same number and was greeted by Nancy. Something tells me Nancy was not this woman’s given name. I’m reasonably sure that Nancy was in India.

By 11:04 a.m., it was obvious that I needed Nancy to escalate my call to a supervisor. First, I needed to speak to someone I could understand. People in Bangalore, India don’t speak English exactly as we do in the Deep South of the United States.

Second, I was fed up and wanted someone to get this mess fixed. At 11:12 a.m. Philip got on the phone. Philip told me that he was based in Bangalore and had the authority to fix the problem. He first needed to do some research. He asked permission to put me on hold.

I granted that permission and waited interminably. When he returned, Philip assured me that my laptop service had been expedited and I would have it in 5 to 7 business days. Again, that promise was made on August 6.

Tomorrow may be the day! Philip may be my hero.

August 9 at 1:55 p.m. marked my last phone call to HP. An Indian woman named Elisa asked me five times for my case number. I held a long time while she researched my case. At 2:16 p.m. she asked me for my CSO number and I again held for quite a long time. Elisa eventually returned to the phone and said, ”your laptop will be returned four business days after August 11, 2003.” I kid you not.

After 24 phone calls, two faxes and conversations with 20 different employees at HP, I through up my hands and decided I wouldn’t pursue them again until the 12th or 14th of August. Tonight is Sunday, August 10, 2003. I’ll sit patiently until Wednesday of this week. If I’ve not got my repaired laptop by then, the floggings will begin anew.

HP should be ashamed. Carly should be ashamed. Those who posed for the recent Forbes magazine article should be ashamed. I’m simply very thankful that Mr. Hewlett and Mr. Packard weren’t around to witness the decline of such a formerly formidable company!

Here’s how to read this entire Saga::

Filed under:

 ||