Tech support gonna make me lose my mind... up in here, up in here
Every day this week (Monday-Friday) I had to get on tech support with HP for my computer. I have been having problems with my battery fulling charging. Two weeks ago, I realized my computer had a message "plugged in, but not charging."
At that point, I got on chat, and they took remote control of my laptop, did some updates, ran a battery test and told me all was well and I wouldn't have the problem again.
It was fine for a time. Then last weekend, it happened again.
Monday I got on chat. They did the updates all over again. All was ok until I launched Tuesday.
Tuesday I got on chat. They wanted to reset my computer to factory settings. I said no and asked for someone to call me. I got on the phone, they agreed with me and tried some other things. They said they would check back the next day.
Or was that Wednesday. I don't even remember anymore. I know I talked to them every day. Oh yea, on Wednesday they called back after I recalibrated my battery.
Thursday they did call back. They wanted to do an advanced diagnostic test that would take 4 hours. I said, "Not during business hours. I can't function on my other one for the day." They called back at 7:30 PM. I went round and round again about the reset thing again. The tech started me down that road though he told me he wasn't. Then, he realized what I needed to do -- the full diagnostic. I ready off that it said it would take 3 hours, 56 minutes, 20 seconds. About 30 seconds in, I got a failure on my battery even though it passed all the tests before.
Then I was on hold so the tech could get with the supervisor to get me a battery. He said someone would call me the next day between 1 - 5 PM on Friday.
On Friday, I had to call them because I got no call. I fought to get through to a human. The phone tree didn't like that. I finally get someone, and she says I have to pay. That's not what the guy said the night before, but then again, I've had conflicting info all week. I asked for a supervisor, hoping to get an American who spoke English as their native language. I don't think I talked to anyone out of like 10 in the week that would apply to. I was fed up of being repeated back to or having to explain myself repeatedly.
I finally got a supervisor after a long hold and spilled my whole frustration. They asked for a callback number in case we lost connection, and it was a Denver number they read to me. Their computer system was obviously lacking... Just like calling AT&T on a bad phone line connection.
After 38 minutes on that call, I got disconnected. I was on the verge of tears by this point out of straight up frustration. He called back and I was on hold forever while they got to a point on their computers where they could take my credit card information.
What I can't figure out is why it took all these days to figure out I needed to buy a battery. That should have been early in their solutions, even if the battery was testing right.
I bought their factory battery since I am under extended warranty. I've already learned my lesson on going with the name brand, even when it costs more.
The last couple of days, we've also been dealing with getting a trailer hitch put on my car. Dad's been in charge. We went the more affordable route with a local tire shop. What they didn't say is that they couldn't program the lights.
I warned Dad of this in my research, but he didn't believe me and an ignorant service writer at the dealership did not confirm what I had read/seen online because he didn't ask the right questions.
The tire shop says, "oh, yeah, you have to go get it programmed. They should just charge you $20."
Nope. Cost $115.
Dad got mad at the guy at the dealership that pointed out the tire shop should maybe not be putting hitches on cars they can't program. He found it unprofessional. It probably was, but the man had a point.
Supposedly, we still saved more than $100, but we really didn't. I think the name brand install would have done some other things differently that would have been more what Dad wanted with the electrical hook-up and would have been a higher mount so he wouldn't have had to buy another ball to adjust the height.
I'm done. Simply done for the week.
(Saturday update to this story: he bought the wrong ball. He thought he was getting a 2", but actually got a 1 7/8" we realized after I pulled the trailer back and forth to an event and it kept jerking and making noise. He had to buy another new one on his dime and has another issue he's going to have to get someone with the proper tool to fix. He had to get someone to do it yesterday, and is hoping my uncle can get this one. It's a mess, I tell you!)
At that point, I got on chat, and they took remote control of my laptop, did some updates, ran a battery test and told me all was well and I wouldn't have the problem again.
It was fine for a time. Then last weekend, it happened again.
Monday I got on chat. They did the updates all over again. All was ok until I launched Tuesday.
Tuesday I got on chat. They wanted to reset my computer to factory settings. I said no and asked for someone to call me. I got on the phone, they agreed with me and tried some other things. They said they would check back the next day.
Or was that Wednesday. I don't even remember anymore. I know I talked to them every day. Oh yea, on Wednesday they called back after I recalibrated my battery.
Thursday they did call back. They wanted to do an advanced diagnostic test that would take 4 hours. I said, "Not during business hours. I can't function on my other one for the day." They called back at 7:30 PM. I went round and round again about the reset thing again. The tech started me down that road though he told me he wasn't. Then, he realized what I needed to do -- the full diagnostic. I ready off that it said it would take 3 hours, 56 minutes, 20 seconds. About 30 seconds in, I got a failure on my battery even though it passed all the tests before.
Then I was on hold so the tech could get with the supervisor to get me a battery. He said someone would call me the next day between 1 - 5 PM on Friday.
On Friday, I had to call them because I got no call. I fought to get through to a human. The phone tree didn't like that. I finally get someone, and she says I have to pay. That's not what the guy said the night before, but then again, I've had conflicting info all week. I asked for a supervisor, hoping to get an American who spoke English as their native language. I don't think I talked to anyone out of like 10 in the week that would apply to. I was fed up of being repeated back to or having to explain myself repeatedly.
I finally got a supervisor after a long hold and spilled my whole frustration. They asked for a callback number in case we lost connection, and it was a Denver number they read to me. Their computer system was obviously lacking... Just like calling AT&T on a bad phone line connection.
After 38 minutes on that call, I got disconnected. I was on the verge of tears by this point out of straight up frustration. He called back and I was on hold forever while they got to a point on their computers where they could take my credit card information.
What I can't figure out is why it took all these days to figure out I needed to buy a battery. That should have been early in their solutions, even if the battery was testing right.
I bought their factory battery since I am under extended warranty. I've already learned my lesson on going with the name brand, even when it costs more.
The last couple of days, we've also been dealing with getting a trailer hitch put on my car. Dad's been in charge. We went the more affordable route with a local tire shop. What they didn't say is that they couldn't program the lights.
I warned Dad of this in my research, but he didn't believe me and an ignorant service writer at the dealership did not confirm what I had read/seen online because he didn't ask the right questions.
The tire shop says, "oh, yeah, you have to go get it programmed. They should just charge you $20."
Nope. Cost $115.
Dad got mad at the guy at the dealership that pointed out the tire shop should maybe not be putting hitches on cars they can't program. He found it unprofessional. It probably was, but the man had a point.
Supposedly, we still saved more than $100, but we really didn't. I think the name brand install would have done some other things differently that would have been more what Dad wanted with the electrical hook-up and would have been a higher mount so he wouldn't have had to buy another ball to adjust the height.
I'm done. Simply done for the week.
(Saturday update to this story: he bought the wrong ball. He thought he was getting a 2", but actually got a 1 7/8" we realized after I pulled the trailer back and forth to an event and it kept jerking and making noise. He had to buy another new one on his dime and has another issue he's going to have to get someone with the proper tool to fix. He had to get someone to do it yesterday, and is hoping my uncle can get this one. It's a mess, I tell you!)
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