Part X: The 2nd Email sent to HP CEO Mark Hurd

After five weeks of unreturned messages to Graham, it seems I've again exhausted all my options. Back to Mr. Mark Hurd.



Dear Mr. Hurd,

Nearly three months ago I wrote to you expressing my dissatisfaction with HP customer service. I had run the gamut of technical support and customer service representatives, each of whom contradicted one another and would without hesitation flat-out lie to me. My HP laptop experienced a common hardware problem with the zd7000 series - the computer would power on, but the display would remain off. Many web sites confirmed that this was a common issue experienced by numerous customers. Later, I found out through my corporate case manager Graham, that it is now standard HP policy to repair all display issues with the zd7000 series laptop regardless of warranty status.

At the time I wrote to you I didn't know that. All I knew was that HP technical support wanted to charge me $700 to repair a widespread design flaw, which I didn't feel was right. I wrote to you out of frustration and I very much appreciated the quick response from someone in your company. I was given a case number and got in touch with a corporate case manager named Graham. After describing my problem, Graham confirmed that all display issues with the zd7000 are repaired free of charge. The laptop was shipped to HP for repairs and promptly came back. Unfortunately, soon after it began to behave erratically and frequently shut down. Again I spoke with Graham and the laptop was again sent to HP for repairs. Again, the computer was repaired but still exhibited all manner of problems, including a black screen, the problem I had sent it in for originally. The state of the laptop is now worse than it was before I sent it into HP for repairs.

As per Graham's instructions, I once more tried to contact him. And I tried again and again. For the last five weeks I have left over six messages with your corporate case manager but have yet to have any of my calls returned. I hope you find this as unacceptable as I do.

This is a time line of my experiences with your company:

* November 2004 - Laptop purchased

* April 2005 - Failure One
o Black screen of death, laptop is sent to HP (1st time) and repaired

* January 2006 - 1 Year extended warranty purchased and registered from HP (turns out to be fraudulent due to it being an expired warranty at time of purchase - still waiting for refund...)

* November 2006 - Failure Two
o Black screen of death returns

* December 2006 - HP clarifies that all zd7000 display issues are repaired free of charge due to company policy regarding design flaws. This is in direct contradiction to HP Tech support representatives who attempt to charge $700.

* December 2006 - Laptop sent (2nd time) to HP for repairs. Motherboard and heatsink are replaced.

* January 2007 - Failure Three
o Laptop behaves erratically, system shuts down and freezes, blue screen becomes common
o Laptop again sent (3rd time) to HP for repairs, ram replaced.

* February 2007 - Failure Four
o Laptop continues to behave erratically with constant shutdowns and blue screens.
o Still waiting for resolution, I've left over four unreturned messages with corporate case manager Graham.

If you desire a more comprehensive account of my travails with your company, please don't hesitate to visit the blog I have set up: http://shameonhp.blogspot.com, which has been receiving visitors from all over the world. Commenting is open and I would love to hear any feedback from you.

To me at least, one of the most troubling aspects is how your employees are so quick to blame each other. For instance, when a myriad of HP tech support representatives tried to charge me 700 dollars for a repair that HP policy states is free of charge, Case Manager Graham certainly didn't try to rectify the situation for future HP product owners by making sure Technical support gets it right in the future and is keyed into official HP policy regarding zd7000 screen issues, no, he wasn't interested in that. And he definitely didn't do anything as simple as offer an apology for what could be a costly mistake to a lot of people, he just said they're wrong and blamed the lowly representatives for the mistake. Last I checked they are just reading text off of a screen. Text you write?

I've been a longtime HP customer, feeling a certain affinity for founders Bill and Dave's California ingenuity, and I don't think I'm asking for too much to get this obviously faulty laptop either adequately repaired or replaced. Should your customers expect a $2000 investment to include being lied to by representatives of HP? Is the quality of your products so low that customers should expect to have to send their laptops in for repairs at least three times? And that even after all that, the computer returns in an even worse condition. Should I accept that my calls won't be returned by your corporate case manager? Shouldn't I expect more from a major American corporation? Shouldn't you?

Nearly three months ago, when I first wrote you, I expressed my sincere hope that the poor level of customer service I had received up to that point was an anomaly, that the company founded by Bill and Dave could not have fallen so low. Unfortunately, after this serious and sustained lack of even the most basic of service I am beginning to worry that the dishearteningly low degree of customer support may have become the new norm for HP. I will hold out a small measure of hope that you can prove me wrong.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,