----- Original Message ----- From: "Herbert Graf" To: "Microcontroller discussion list - Public." Sent: Friday, February 11, 2005 9:48 AM Subject: Re: [OT] The HP I miss... > On Fri, 2005-02-11 at 10:06 -0500, Dave VanHorn wrote: > > I was thinking of their printer "support". > > Oh yes, HP's printer support: I have one for you guys and this just happened yesterday. I have a customers home PC here that needs a new drive (yet another quality topic, but we'll save that for later). Naturally the customer doesn't have any restore media or CD for me to use to re-image the new drive. Of course there is a sticker on the machine with a serial number, but I need an HP specific media (cool huh?) I can't use a regular OEM install CD with their license number. So I get on the website and painstakingly click my way to the part number for a recovery disk only to find that it's available, but not in stock, just call this number to get more information. I get on the phone and within about 5 minutes I'm talking to a "support" person. I give him the scenario about the failed drive and what I need. He makes me give the model number AND SERIAL NUMBER of the machine. Now keep in mind, the model number is all that matters, but I guess they are in the stolen property lookout and recovery business now. He quickly tells me that he'll be right back and then puts me on hold. I wait 5 full minutes on hold and then he finally comes back.....and gives me the part number that I already knew. :-/ He then tells me more stuff (that I already know) and I rudely interrupt him to ask what the ETA is. As it turns out, there is no ETA. At least not until I fork over the $13.00 for the CD and the minimal $10.00 ground (3-4 day) shipping. Only then I will receive an ETA on shipping and that will be in FIVE BUSINESS DAYS via email. :-O He graciously offered to speed things up by telling me that I could get it shipped next day for only $20.00. That is.....when it ships....whenever that may be, I'll get it the next day. I asked him if this PC originally shipped with a restore CD and he (as I expected) told me that it did not. I asked him why not, and he informed me that none was needed since the recovery image is located on the hard drive. (brilliant planning wasn't it?) He then asked me if I wanted to order it. I told him no, I'd just go finish my web order instead. For lack of a CD that couldn't cost more than 15 cents to mass produce, the customer will be without their computer for at least two more weeks. I guess that's why I'm not getting rich, I don't make smart business decisions like that. I can't believe they are going to screw me like that on shipping too, when it's likely only coming across town. In a world where so much rides on word of mouth advertising, it's amazing that such powerful companies conduct themselves this way. Some day I'll tell you all about the brand new LaserJet 4100 that printed one test page and then the high voltage section crapped out. Every page after the first one was solid black. Not bad for a $1500.00 business class printer, huh? Thank God I still have my LaserJet IIIp (1989 vintage) and a spare one for parts. It's slow, but at least it works and prints about 10,000 pages on one $35.00 toner cartridge. Oh, I did have to replace the fuser bulb once for $15.00. -- http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive View/change your membership options at http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist