Hewlett Packard (HP) PCs: A Product and Customer Service Review

We have all come to rely so much on our computers, either in the work force or for personal use. They have pretty much become a staple in our everyday lives. Either way, when something goes wrong with them, it can be extremely frustrating, time consuming and costly, especially if one is not able to identify and fix the problems themselves.

When purchasing a computer, it's sometimes hard to figure out just which one is the best brand for your money. There are the well known names that have been around for a very long time, and then there are always the newer companies that have sprung up on the market. This can make it doubly hard to determine which would be the best brand for one's hard earned dollar, and which ones would last a fair amount of time. After all, we do expect our computers to last a decent amount of time before they start to break down, considering the (still) high cost of computers. If we're not that familiar with all the new brands out there, we either go with something we're familiar with or we ask family and friends which brand of computer they would suggest.

My first computer was a Packard Bell. It lasted approximately nine years, which I thought was extremely good for a computer. In fact, it still worked quite well when I decided that it was time to upgrade to a newer one. The old Packard Bell was starting to become a little slow and sluggish. It wasn't so much the computer, but that the internet was changing and there were always newer and better programs coming to life, that my old computer just wasn't able to keep up with. Yes, it was time to get a new one. Because my first computer was a Packard Bell, and had a good life-span, I decided to opt for a Hewlett Packard model (Packard Bell was no longer in existence). For me, it stood to reason that the name Packard would also stand the test of time, even if it was now known as Hewlett Packard.

How very wrong I was.

I didn't get a computer with all the bells and whistles. I'm not that adept with technology, nor were my computer needs that extensive. All I really needed was one that would allow me access to the internet. However, after only two short years of owning this new model, I started to run into big problems! I sure wasn't expecting anything to go wrong with this new Hewlett Packard so soon.

As it happened, the new Hewlett Packard wasn't starting up when I tried to log on. My monitor was informing me that there was no "input signal". It took a few tries, but eventually it did start up. Over time, it was beginning to take more and more tries (I consider myself fortunate that I got it to start on this occasion to write this article).

With my limited knowledge of the workings of a computer, I tried to fix the problem myself. I did all the scans, file cleanups, defragging and ran my anti-virus, even unplugging and re-plugging all the cords, all the things that anyone would think to do first, before calling for help. I even took the side panel off to rid the machine of 2 years of accumulated dust. When the problem persisted, I then decided it was time to try the experts.

I went to Hewlett Packard's web site and presented my problem to their online technicians. Well, I tried this a few different times, each technician giving me a different possible solution, each to no avail. Not only was I getting all the wrong solutions, but not one technician told me "why" this was happening. I found them to be very "impersonal". Unfortunately, the problem was not only persisting, but it was getting worse.

As a last resort, I decided it was time to call HP's 1-800 number and hopefully talk to a real person so that I could describe in full what the problem was and hopefully get some answers as to what needed to be done to fix the problem. Again, I hit a brick wall. Because my computer was now 2 years old, it was out of warranty..... of course!

I was told that for a mere fee of $39.00, I could be directed to a technician. What? I had to pay to talk to a technician to find out what was wrong with THEIR product? I was informed that this was "their policy". I don't think that many companies would last very long in the market place with this kind of policy! The product doesn't work.... pay us and we'll tell you why. I suppose only computer companies can get away with this kind of policy.

Therefore, I cannot in good conscience, recommend that anyone purchase a Hewlett Packard computer. It is possible that I just got the "lemon" of the bunch, but still, one would think that the company would stand behind their product and try to do whatever is within their means to rectify the problem, so that they keep this customer coming back, to purchase future computers and/or their computer paraphernalia. After all, THEY make the computers so you would think that they would be aware of any and all problems that might arise, AND be able to identify and suggest the "right" way to overcome the problem, even if it should require more in-depth maintenance.

I suppose they have no need to give good quality service anymore. They know that people will always be in need of a computer. They have a guaranteed customer base no matter what, as we have all become so dependent on computers in our daily lives.

HOWEVER, there ARE new computer companies coming on the scene all the time. There are more to choose from and there may come a time when consumers will have had enough of poor quality products and uncaring, unsympathetic customer service from companies who might have thought they were "too big" to help out the consumer.

Consumers do not have money to throw away, especially with the economy as it stands today. People will start to demand better products and better service for their money. This might eventually weed out the companies that are only there for the taking and care little for the needs of their customers.

For my product and customer service review, I give Hewlett Packard, and especially their service, an F! My next computer will NOT be a Hewlett Packard and unfortunately, this is one product that I cannot recommend to my family or friends!