HP realizes that mandatory 15-minute support call wait times isn’t good support

In an odd approach to trying to improve customer tech support, HP allegedly implemented mandatory, 15-minute wait times for people calling the vendor for help with their computers and printers in certain geographies.

Callers from the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Ireland, and Italy were met with the forced holding periods, The Register reported on Thursday. The publication cited internal communications it saw from February 18 that reportedly said the wait times aimed to “influence customers to increase their adoption of digital self-solve, as a faster way to address their support question. This involves inserting a message of high call volumes, to expect a delay in connecting to an agent and offering digital self-solve solutions as an alternative.”

Even if HP’s telephone support center wasn’t busy, callers would reportedly hear:

We are experiencing longer waiting times and we apologize for the inconvenience. The next available representative will be with you in about 15 minutes.

To quickly resolve your issue, please visit our website support.hp.com to check out other support options or find helpful articles and assistant to get a guided help by visiting virtualagent.hpcloud.hp.com.

Callers were then told to “please stay on the line” if they wanted to speak to a representative. The phone system was also set to remind customers of their other support options and to apologize for the long, (HP-induced) wait times upon the fifth, 10th, and 13th minute of the call.

The mandatory support call times have been lifted, per a company statement shared by HP spokesperson Katie Derkits:

We’re always looking for ways to improve our customer service experience. This support offering was intended to provide more digital options with the goal of reducing time to resolve inquiries. We have found that many of our customers were not aware of the digital support options we provide. Based on initial feedback, we know the importance of speaking to live customer service agents in a timely fashion is paramount. As a result, we will continue to prioritize timely access to live phone support to ensure we are delivering an exceptional customer experience.

HP didn’t immediately clarify when it removed the wait times. Some HP workers were reportedly unhappy with the mandatory hold times, with an anonymous “insider” in HP’s European operations reportedly telling The Register, per its Thursday report: “Many within HP are pretty unhappy [about] the measures being taken and the fact those making decisions don’t have to deal with the customers who their decisions impact.”