Abdelrahman
In a surprising turn of events, HP has decided to eliminate the previously enforced 15-minute hold time for customers contacting its telephone support. This decision comes following “initial feedback” from users.
As reported exclusively by The Register yesterday, HP had implemented this mandatory hold period for PC and printer customers in order to encourage them to seek assistance through alternative channels such as social media and live chat.
This policy was introduced for customers in the UK, Ireland, France, Germany, and Italy on February 18 and was met with significant internal backlash. Many front-line staff expressed dissatisfaction, feeling overburdened by a management decision that left customers waiting unnecessarily on the line for 15 minutes.
Now, HP has rescinded this policy. In a released statement, the company acknowledged:
“We are continuously exploring ways to enhance our customer service experience. This new support approach was designed to provide more digital options while aiming to reduce the resolution time for inquiries.
“We’ve learned that a significant number of our customers were unaware of the digital support options available to them. From the feedback we’ve received, it’s clear that timely access to live support is vital to our customers. Therefore, we are recommitting to prioritizing direct access to phone support to ensure a positive customer experience.”
While The Register may have played a role in influencing this outcome, it’s clear that the dissatisfaction among customers and the pressure from dedicated staff played significant roles in this decision.
To remind our readers, on Tuesday HP had started notifying callers about the extended wait time with an automated message that apologized for the 15-minute delay. The company had taken steps to purposely create inconvenience for its customers. Moreover, at key intervals—five, ten, and thirteen minutes—callers received reminders about the extended wait and were prompted to explore digital support options instead.
In an internal memo, HP noted: “The expected wait time for each customer is now set at 15 minutes, but this notice is only mentioned at the start of the call.”
This move appeared to be a strategy aimed at testing customers’ endurance. The goal was to “nudge customers towards online solutions” while simultaneously “taking swift actions to enhance warranty cost efficiencies.”
We reached out to HP for comment and suspect we may have to wait longer than 15 minutes for a response. ®
