HP trialed mandatory 15-minute support call wait times (2025)

HP’s Mandatory Wait Policy & Intent

• HP trialed a system where callers were forced to wait ~15 minutes, while being told hold times were due to “high call volumes” and pushed toward digital self-help.
• Many commenters see the intent as deliberate call deflection to cut support costs and justify investments in chatbots/“digital” channels, not to improve service.
• A minority argues it’s rational: many support calls are trivial, and delays may encourage users to self-resolve.

Customer Experience, Ethics, and Impact on Agents

• Callers typically phone only after online options fail; a fixed 15‑minute delay is seen as punitive and disrespectful of customers’ time.
• Several note that long, obviously artificial delays make customers angrier, increasing handle time and abuse toward agents.
• Some view always-on “high call volume” messages as outright lying; one commenter says this should be considered fraud.
• Others point out a perverse effect: better support pushes competent customers away from bad vendors, leaving only high‑cost, low‑skill users.

Call-Center Operations and Metrics

• Multiple participants with call-center experience note that queue lengths and staffing needs are well-modeled (Erlang formulas); persistent long waits are therefore a management choice.
• KPI culture (Average Handle Time, first-line scripts, etc.) is criticized for encouraging deceptive or harmful practices and punishing real improvements (e.g., a faster internal tool leading to the creator being fired because it skewed metrics).
• Some describe how cost-cutting outsourcing led to slow, low-quality IT and support operations.

HP’s Reputation and Corporate Trajectory

• Many lament HP’s fall from a respected engineering company (test gear, workstations, robust printers) to an aggressively anti-consumer brand, especially around printers and now support.
• Historical splits (Agilent/Keysight, HP Inc vs HPE) are mentioned; some argue today’s HP bears little resemblance to the earlier company.

Broader Industry Patterns

• Commenters see HP as part of a wider trend: US firms treating support as a pure cost or legal shield, not a service—parallels drawn to ISPs, banks, airlines, Microsoft, etc.
• Some report choosing vendors (often Apple or niche hardware brands) primarily for responsive, empowered support, valuing time and low friction over lower hardware prices.