HP forced customers to wait 15 minutes for tech support - on purpose - backpedaled after backlash

Facepalm: In what might be one of the biggest gaffs of the year, HP is trying to dislodge its foot from its mouth after getting caught intentionally forcing customers to wait for 15 minutes on technical support calls. Even HP's customer service staff criticized the bafflingly dumb move. The Register reports that HP intentionally forced customers to wait 15 minutes when trying to reach tech support. The "minimum" wait time idea mentioned in an internal memo that The Register obtained was floated as a way to push users to go online and look for "self-support" as the company tried to "improve" its overall customer service experience. The change would have impacted retail customers calling from the UK, Ireland, France, Germany, and Italy. The memo from HP management informed customer care staff that, effective February 18, people using the "Interactive Voice Response" (IVR) system would need to wait at least 15 minutes before reaching support. The company aimed to "influence" customers ... Read full article.