HP ditches 15-minute wait time policy due to 'feedback'

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Reaction to HP’s 15‑minute wait policy

  • Many see the policy as evidence of open contempt for customers and “anti‑support” by design, intended to make callers give up rather than be helped.
  • Commenters note it only collapsed once leaked and publicized; they assume similar undisclosed anti-customer tactics continue elsewhere.
  • Surprise that no one in the decision chain anticipated internet backlash; people question how insulated leadership must be from real customer experience.
  • Several call HP’s public statement (“improving customer service experience”) a blatant lie or pure PR boilerplate.

Incentives, MBAs, and corporate culture

  • Thread repeatedly blames misaligned incentives: support is treated purely as a cost center, with targets of minimal acceptable service and short‑term savings.
  • Strong criticism of MBA-style management: focus on financial metrics and shareholder value “within the current leadership’s tenure,” not long‑term product or brand health.
  • Counterpoint: some argue finance/MBAs are necessary but misused; investments in quality and support are harder to justify than immediate cost-cutting.
  • Former reputation of HP as an employee- and customer-friendly “gold standard” is contrasted with today’s “zombie brand,” with some blaming specific past leadership eras.

Customer support systems and transparency

  • People highlight that the 15‑minute delay was undisclosed, making callers think queues were naturally long; anger escalates once artificial delays are known.
  • Suggestions that regulators should require publishing average support wait times to enable informed buying decisions.
  • One user describes being unable to invoke warranty support without paying for an extra support tier, calling US support “worse” than the policy described.

HP printers, subscriptions, and user experiences

  • Many vow “never again” for HP, citing forced accounts, internet-connected printers that refuse to print offline, region-locked cartridges, nagware, and subscription lock‑in.
  • Others report older HP lasers working flawlessly for ~20 years, and some are satisfied with Instant Ink, especially low-volume users on grandfathered or cheap plans.
  • Several say the hardware is fine but ruined by business decisions (DRM ink, subscriptions, aggressive upsell).

Alternatives and changing printing habits

  • Brother laser printers receive strong praise for reliability, longevity, Linux support, and low total cost of ownership.
  • Canon and other brands get mixed but generally better reviews than HP.
  • Many question owning any printer at all, suggesting print shops or libraries for rare printing needs, while parents and home offices still find printers useful.