HP support fails woman with monitor problems

FLOGGER OF EXPENSIVE PRINTER INK HP has been accused of letting down a woman who turned to it for help with her monitor.

"Can a man help?" was the unfortunate and rather inappropriate response given to the woman who, as a reader of the Consumerist web site, decided to go public with what happened.

However the phone call ended, which in this case was the suggestion that she get some male assistance, none of it sounds particularly helpful.

"I was transferred to E., a customer service representative. I briefly explained my problem, and he started asking me to press buttons on the monitor. I explained that I don't think this is the issue, but he asked me to 'do him a favor and try anyway'," says the Consumerist reader named Tara.

"After five minutes of pressing buttons, I stated, 'I don't think you understand the nature of my problem. The monitor won't raise to the full-height position. In the manual, it says to press down on the display head to unlock it then pull up on the display head to raise it to the full-height position. I tried this, and it won't raise any higher.' E. apologized for not understanding me in the first place, and told me he got it now. He asked if he could place me on hold for two minutes."

These two minutes turned into five minutes, says the disgruntled shopper, and when it finished lead to some rather hands-on advice.

"E. picked up the phone and told me to press down on the monitor and try to lift it to the full-height position. 'I read that, too,' I said. 'That's what I've been doing.' He told me to 'try harder.' Fine. I tried again. I put the monitor on the floor and even stepped on it while I tried to pull it up. He said, 'Try as hard as you can, you can't break it this way.' I do it multiple times, slamming the monitor up and down, and nothing. I say, 'It is not working. I think it is defective.'"

Then, perhaps because he sensed that Tara did not have the strength required to make an HP monitor extend to its highest position, 'E' suggested that she give up and get someone else to do it. That someone being a man.

"E. says, 'Is there someone more technically savvy in your office or maybe a man that can try?'" Tara reported. "Excuse me? He asked me to find a man to help me with my problem? Thanks, E., for sending the women's movement back about 80 years."

We've asked HP to comment on this report and will update if we get a response. µ