Case in Point Incident #1 for 2011—Company HP

I have a HP Pavilion Entertainment PC model DV6-1245dx purchased in July of 2009. In March of 2010 the 8 month old AC adapter stopped working with no warning one morning while I was working. Did I say that I work from home as a web developer? It is imperative that my computer work in order for me to make a living. So on that particular morning I freaked out when my system died from a dead battery and I had no way to charge my computer to continue to work that morning on my HP system. My system was currently under warranty so I was able to call up HP customer service talked to the representative in India and get an AC adapter replaced. During the conversation with the HP representative in March 2010 I asked about the warranty on the new AC adapter, he told me that I would have a 1 year warranty on the replacement AC adapter and that is was new and not a refurbished unit.  In a couple of days the adapter arrived and I was back working again. So that HP experience end well, I got the faulty AC adapter replaced, was told it was a new unit and it would have a 1 year warranty with it.

RULE #1 “Golden Rule"-When making any call to a company have pen and paper in hand. Write down representative name; ask for the spelling if needed, customer service rep #, and call reference #, date and time of the call.  The customer service reps in a lot of company cannot give you their last name, but have numbers associated with them, and the call will have a reference number as well. Just do it from the beginning and you will have a reference point and contacts in case this does not go well or you don't get what was promised to you. This is the GOLDEN RULE of customer service interactions.  

January 12, 2011 guess what happens? That replaced AC adapter stops working around 8 am while I am working. Once again I freak-out because it is a work day, now there is snow on the ground from the Metro Atlanta snow storm and I am stuck at home unable to solve the battery problem on my HP computer. I remember that back in March I was told I would have a year warranty on the 1^st replacement AC adapter so I call up HP customer service. I am quickly told that I no longer have any warranty and that I can purchase a $70 adapter from HP. The replacement only lasted 10 months, I explain to the HP representative that in March I was told I had a warranty and obviously there is something wrong with the product, because it should last more than 8-10 months. He begins to tell me ALL AC ADAPTERS ONLY LAST FOR A YEAR according to the manufactures. REALLY?!? I confronted him on this; there is no way any AC adapter is only designed to last only 12 months. So now I am upset, I have told something different from the HP representative back in March and guy today just jabbered on and on about the policy which of course had changed from March to now. . or from HP rep to HP rep. I had had a 90 warranty on the 1^st replacement AC adapter, but now….blah, blah, blah…. I finally just let him know that I do not agree and want to speak to a manager. He tells me that a manager will “just tell me the same as he has”, but I insisted on speaking to a manager. Remember at all times most all conversations are being recorder for “customer service improvements”, sometimes you have to remind the customer service rep that as well if they refuse to move you on. Worse case scenario you have to call back and refer to the conversation you just had and ask recording be pulled and reviewed.

RULE #2 If you are not getting anywhere with the current representative ask or if you have to demand to speak to the manager. Remember Rule #1 write his/her name down.

So I get to a manager and she tells me kind of the same information that the first guy told me except she tells me the 1^st replacement was a refurbished unit and it did have 6 month of warranty on it, but of course that is up and I will just have to buy another AC adapter.  So here in one call we have a customer service rep telling me one thing about my 1^st replacement, and his manager telling me something entirely different.  So here is where I really start to get upset, I cannot work on my HP laptop it is dead, no one at HP has their story straight on policy past or present.  Here is where phone conversation being recorded comes in handy for the consumer. I tell Sharad the manager to pull my phone conversation from March 2010, where I asked about the warranty and the type of product I was sent as a replacement. Back in March I had asked the right questions about warranty and making sure I was not sent a refurbished unit. Sharad now lets me know that she will take my “case”, and sent it further up management. I was not happy and was not just letting this go. I know what I was told. I do not want something that I feel I do not deserve. I am going to hold this company to the policies and product commitment that I originally purchased and what their representative presented to me.  So in about an hour after I got off the phone with Sharad, another manager called me and told me he would do a one-time exception since I was misinformed of the warranty policy of the AC adapter sent to me in March 2010. So today I received the 2^nd replacement AC adapter, it does not have warranty and it is probably a refurbished unit, but at least my computer is working.  I know the policy of this AC adapter so there will not be any further confusion about HP’s products.

Yes, in the end I got what I need, and thought I deserved. It was because I was persistent, and confident in what I knew. I had my notes, with names, times and dates. I never cussed or disrespected the HP representatives, though I did raise my voice admittedly when they could not keep their story straight when I got to the manager and I was told the opposite of what the other HP CS rep had just told me in the same phone call.

RULE #3- Never disrespect, curse or use fowl language to anyone dealing with your problems. If you do raise your voice or feel yourself getting upset apologize and let them know you are upset with the company and its policies. Remember you are talking to another person just trying to do their job, no matter if you are not results you want.

Note:  Due to the fact this affected event my ability to work on my normal workday computer I could not afford (literally) to wait for a HP manager to call me back within 24-48 hours so I did order on a replacement cord online. Not from HP, I found one much cheaper from another site. So I did have a back-up plan and I was out money in the end, but I am still happy with the resolution with HP.

Good Customer Service what happened? "We care, we want your business?"

I don't know about you, but I want to know what happened to GOOD customer service with any company out there. Over the last many years I continue to find customer service reps and their managers who just do not want to keep my business. Now hear me out...... I do not think that the representatives that I am talking to are the ones who do not care. I always feel it comes from the company itself, the company's CEO, president etc. who do not seem to care if they retain the customer. I feel they think another one is around the corner, so who cares if this person is not satisfied with a transaction or the problem resolution the company was willing to give.

I have dealt with several companies over the last couple of years who really did not care if I was happy with the outcome of our business transaction when I had a consumer complaint. The number one worst company is Verizon wireless. I have heard this from others as well. They have horrible phones with constant problems (I have 3 phones in my family with this company) and no one customer service person on the phone or in the store as well as the manager on duty at the time you have a problem will tell you the same policy twice. Verizon the company does not allow the customer service person to be as helpful as needed when a problem comes up with either the phone, or billing. You have to move on to a manager and at that point you better have all your notes together and all persons you have previously spoken with up to that point. Be willing to spend lots of time on the phone, in the store or probably both. Dish network is another company that has a hard time keeping their billing correct, and getting it corrected can take months after month and before a time suck nightmare for the consumer.

What happened to a company wanting to earn and keep my business? I want to give my “hard earned” money to companies that value me as a customer, who wants me to be happy and keep coming back to them. Luckily in this day and age we do have more choices and if possible (when contracts do not get into your way) you can exercise your right to choose and move from company to company if needed.

One company that I have to give a standing ovation to is Discover card; they are wonderful and helpful if you ever have a problem.

So this year I am going to report the problems that I have with any company and how it was resolved. Let’s see in a year how many companies are involved and what it takes to make the consumer happy.