Tom,
I too, have experience the same problems while calling the response center.
I have stayed on hold for an extended period of time, only to finally hang
up and call back or zero out to an operator.  I think HP has some sort of
bug in the phone system that throws you into never never land.  I have
spoken to the operators who finally hear my wrath after a call back about
the problem.  It seems nothing has successfully been done about this
matter.  This, however does seem to continue to be a problem.  Perhaps we
can only pass this on to those on the list so they will not experience the
same wait times.  When things are working correctly I have never been on
hold more than a couple of minutes.  Perhaps someone on the list knows
someone they can talk to about the problem, there does seem to be a pattern
here.

Forrest Smith
Systems Manager
Reviewco.




Tom Madigan <[log in to unmask]> on 09/27/99 09:55:38 AM

Please respond to Tom Madigan <[log in to unmask]>

To:   [log in to unmask]
cc:    (bcc: Forrest Smith/IS/FHM/FHS)

Subject:  HP Response Center (possible oxymoron?)




I'm trying to gauge the level of responsiveness from the HP "Response"
Center and if I am the only person who is experiencing a very long delay in
getting problems resolved.

Last Friday evening, we experienced a disk drive in the system volume set
drop offline, probably because of a bad signal on the SCSI bus.  Naturally,
all activity on the system eventually froze waiting for the errant ldev.
The only solution which proved successful was to cycle power on the entire
system which removed the bad signal and allowed the system to reboot.

When I called the HP "Response" Center and worked my way through the
"unable to boot your MPE system" path, I was placed on hold for over 30
minutes listening to "music on hold" and a much-repeated "please stay on
the line and an engineer will be with you shortly".  Finally, after
listening to this drivel for about 35 minutes, I pressed zero to get an
operator who, unfortunately, received an earful of my wrath.  In fairness
to all concerned, once I did reach the call coordinator, I did receive
fairly quick action on my problem.

I find myself asking two questions at this point:  1) if I did not "zero
out" to a call coordinator, how much longer would I have had to listen to
music-on-hold WHILE MY SYSTEM WAS DEAD? and 2) am I the only customer
experiencing this problem?  Judging from previous transactions with the
"Response" Center, I am willing to bet that the above situation is a COMMON
occurrence.  My original assumption was that HP installed the automated
phone system to increase its responsiveness to its customers; my assumption
now (and HP does nothing to counter this perception) is that the automated
phone system is being used to place more DISTANCE between HP and its
customers.  Am I wrong here?  Am I not seeing something I should be seeing
or reading too much into the equation??

Comments welcomed!!

Tom Madigan
HP Systems Manager
International Communications Research, Inc.
605 West State Street
Media, PA  19063-2620
Email:  [log in to unmask]

"My opinions are strictly my own and are posted for discussion purposes
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