HP live chat tech support

[superdave1984]

OK, I contacted HP support about a printer issue. I'm not sure, but I think they are all smoking something there. All I wanted was to know what model number laser printers support duplex and CUPS for a PC running Winxp. We have a program that is a UNIX program and the printer MUST be CUPS compatible for it to translate correctly. Here's the actual chat convo.


Welcome to HP's Chat Service.
Please hold for the next available Sales representative.
Hello, you are now chatting with Nick.
Nick: Welcome to HP Chat, we have several teams to assist you based on your needs today. Do you already have this product or are you looking for assistance before you purchase?
Guest: i need a laser network printer that has duplex capability and supports CUPS.
Nick: Glad to assist you with getting you transferred to a specialist on the product you are looking for.
Nick: Will you be reselling this product?
Guest: no, this product will be used in a doctor's office
Guest: we use windows XP but have a program that is unix based and in order to print from it the printer must support CUPS
Nick: Thank you for the information and your patience. Please hold a moment while I transfer you to a specialist now.
Please wait while I transfer the chat to the best suited team.

(7 minutes later)

Hello, you are now chatting with Vance.
Guest: ok
Vance: I'd be glad to help you find a printer to fit your needs. Hp has a great line of laser printers. Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?
Guest: sure
Vance: Can you clarify what you mean by CUPS?
Guest: common unix printing system
Vance: Okay great. Can you tell me a bit about what you print and how you ill use the printouts?
Guest: they are medical forms.
Guest: the program is unix based and sends the output as raw to the printer. the printer must support unix printing in order to correctly translate the data
Vance: How many of these forms do you print in a busy month?
Guest: 500 maybe. hard to say exactly
Vance: Okay other than duplex, what other features did you have in mind/
Vance: *?
Guest: laser and it must be a network printer
Guest: i think the 2015 would be great if it was compatible but it doesn't seem to be
Vance: Let me check.
Vance: The drivers for your UNIX system are available for the P2015 online at hp.com. You can download them there for free.
Guest: i know but we don't use unix, we use windows XP. the program is a unix based program.
Vance: Okay well the P2015 is also compatible with Windows XP.
Guest: when i spoke with the support from the software vendor, he said CUPS compatibility was embedded into the printer, not a software fix.
Guest: he also said that the 2015 does not have the compatibility
Guest: so i need to know what model HP printer is cups compatible.
Vance: OK, can I have a moment to look into that?
Guest: sure
Vance: Thank you, It'll be just a moment.
Guest: ok

(4 minutes later)

Vance: I am still checking on that for you, is that okay?
Guest: yes
Guest: any idea how long?
Vance: It shouldn't be much longer.
Guest: thank you
Vance: Okay, the general consensus is that the UNIX driver that is available on hp.com will allow for printing on that system. I think that I asked about everyone.
Guest: so if i download and install the unix driver it should be fine even though the operating system is windows XP?
Vance: Thats what I have been told. If the UNIX driver doesn't work then the Windows XP driver should.
Guest: thanks for your help.

[Saxon]

Man that sucks I just can't believe how retarded tech support lines are.

I read something the other day that said they are worried about the level of customer turn around in call centres, Just after reading that I thought that customer turn around could be speeded up if they educated there staff in what they are selling, AND keep the call centres in the country that you are in.

[superdave1984]

Yeah, I am supposed to install a UNIX driver on an XP machine. HOW? And this was after I spent 35 minutes on the phone with "Mark" and then "Eric". Yeah right Achmed, good names there. They both had the same answer, buy a P2015x printer, it will work fine. Well, the P2015x is the same thing as the P2015dn (which is what I already have) but with an extra paper tray. Yeah that will get it working...

[Saxon]

I don't know why they persist on with the thinking that all computer users are dumb idiots that can only turn on a computer and play minesweeper!

Call centres the brand new circle of ****!

[Keyboard Cowboy]

Hurray for foreign outsorsing

There pre-sales support is just has good too.

Harper :- Hello, I would like to get a Color Lazor Multifunctional with fax that scans and prints A3.
Pre-Sale :- Which model are you enquiring about?
Harper :- Not sure. I was hoping you tell me that. After all this is pre-sales support

In the end, she gave me a discontinued model.

[motoxer4533]

LOL I am pretty sure that most of those Online tech support people have keys that they press that enters in a message automatically - that's why they are so retarded. I know AOL has that.

Did you get the issue fixed??¿¿

[superdave1984]

Originally Posted by motoxer4533

LOL I am pretty sure that most of those Online tech support people have keys that they press that enters in a message automatically - that's why they are so retarded. I know AOL has that.

Did you get the issue fixed??¿¿

Nope. May have to get a much more expensive printer. Funny thing is, the older printers work fine, it's the new ones that have problems.

[mssssee2]

At least your live support is quite ok. When I asked about new modem drivers to my ISP support (The dsl pack included the modem) he didn't even knew that a knew OS was coming out and that it wouldn't be completely compartible with unauthorised drivers! I had to contact Sagem which was modem's brand and fortenately found the patch for Vista RC2, because as I was told the Official Vista drivers wouldn't have installation problems.