HP Assistance technique

Calling this number really didn't work out, as I wasn't able to get anyone on the phone from HP, nor was I able to get an automated system. I checked to see if I had mistakenly gotten my hours wrong, but when I called, I was within the hours posted on the site. However, the number told me I needed to call back within normal business hours, which were unavailable on the weekend.

That left me stuck, as there isn't any kind of automated system available to provide help in an after-hours situation. If you can't get the actual HP people on the phone with this number, there's no recourse with an automated system or any other form of assistance through this phone number.

The system does push the HP website as an option for getting assistance when you call outside of its posted hours of Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern, but that's really not effective if a person is having issues with connecting their HP computer to the internet. I get the idea for HP to push its website whenever possible as a computer and technology-based company, but given that the average person would call tech support because they can't actually get connected to the internet, having a backup plan for these people would seem like a must.

Instead, the average person is simply out of luck if they happen to call outside of these hours. It also isn't really helpful to have this phone setup for people based in other time zones. HP is a company that operates throughout the United States, and someone based in California or Hawaii would either need to call during their work hours or wake up early just to get technical support.

For these customers, some kind of automated system would make a big difference. It doesn't have to be a deep, expansive menu, but anything would be better than the current setup. As it is, you get connected and told to call back again another time, with the system hanging up on you. If you're calling because you need assistance with a printer, you might still be able to get help from the web, but if the problem is with your computer, you're in real trouble.

Overall, I wasn't impressed with this phone number. The customer service from HP might be strong, but the lack of an automated system and the hours not working the way they should meant I wasn't able to find out for sure. If I could guarantee this number would work, I'd consider using it, but I'd also look for an alternate solution.