Paul Kunert for The Register, on Thursday:

HP Inc is trying to force consumer PC and print customers to use online and other digital support channels by setting a minimum 15-minute wait time for anyone that phones the call center to get answers to troublesome queries. […]

At the beginning of a call to telephone support, a message will be played stating: “We are experiencing longer waiting times and we apologize for the inconvenience. The next available representative will be with you in about 15 minutes.

“To quickly resolve your issue, please visit our website support.hp.com to check out other support options or find helpful articles and assistant to get a guided help by visiting virtualagent.hpcloud.hp.com.”

Paul Kunert for The Register, on Friday:

HP Inc today abruptly ditched the mandatory 15-minute wait time that it imposed on customers dialling up its telephone-based support team due to “initial feedback.” […]

It went down like a lead balloon internally at HP, with some staff on the front line unhappy that they were having to deal with a decision taken by management, who didn’t have to directly interact with customers left hanging on the telephone… for at least 15 minutes.

Now HP has abandoned the policy […]

Imagine being so tone-deaf as a company that you force your already frustrated customers to unnecessarily wait for help, as a way of foisting them off to online “self-solve” options (which, I’m guessing, many had already tried—and which failed to help).

Perhaps HP was trying to save a few ducats to cover their recent acquisition.