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Unfortunately for all, he was fired (and later died) after stealing & reselling large amounts of company software. Some details at http://www.compaqsucks.com/wwwboard/messages/545.h tml. But he'd been with MS for several years at that point.

Here is a example posting of the tech support hell from a Compaq tech support tech.

Tech from Site 38
I'm a Compaq technician; not really I work for Sykes Corp., which contracts to Compaq. Most customers don't understand why they get the support they get. Most techs want to help out but the restrictions that Compaq imposes stops us from helping.

One restriction that Compaq imposes is a time limit. You may call and ask if we have a time limit and we'll answer "no, we don't have a time limit", as we are required to say. When I first started out, we had twelve to fifteen minutes to solve your problem, which can be done if it's a simple question. (I.e. how much RAM can I put in the machine) Then about four months later the time length moved again to ten through twelve minutes to solve and if you had to rebooted the system three times then your times up. Well, guess what... the time limits have moved again. Currently the limit is from six to ten minutes to solve your problem. Currently the only way to get complex machine corrected is to QR the machine whether it needs it or not. Wait... Hold on a bit... I know what you're going to say and I AGREE WITH YOU. A lot of problems can be fixed without doing the QR..... Here's the catch 22 for us the techs.... If we don't get you off the phone in the current time limit when we will be written up or later fired if it keeps happening (PERIOD). For an incentive, we the techs get paid more money if we get you off the phones faster. Yes this is the first time that I've gone to work for a company to deceive people about Compaq's problems.

Another restriction that Compaq imposes takes place in giving support to the customer. According to Compaq, we are under no condition to tell people about the major problems with different systems. If you read the tech's (from site 58) information when you could see what I'm talking about. Also if you get a computer that will not work and it's out of the box or about every component has been replaced, we can not tell you to take it back even if we thinks it's a Lemon. If we tell you the customer to take it back to the store and Compaq is monitoring the call they will call Sykes and tell Sykes to remove that tech from their employment. So what do you think Sykes will do... fire an honest tech or jeopardize losing the contract? So what do we have to say is that we (Compaq) will get the computer fixed. Now for the fun part is that out of box monitor or printer not working we can replace it...But what we can't tell you is that it will be replaced with a refurbished component...Yes someone old rebuild piece of equipment in exchange for your new monitor or printer. I have finally got it all figured out. We are not here for customer support but for customer management... Do you remember during the Gulf war when all the American people in Iraq were forced to stay at military site so that we wouldn't bomb those sites? Well Compaq must have thought it was a great idea because they're using the same tactics. And we the techs are there to protect from any customer from getting to them but instead of oil or weapons we're protecting Compaq's money. We the tech are the human wall set up by Compaq.

Not only do we have to deal with Compaq but we have to deal with Sykes too. Some of the internal operations disable us from help you. After our initial training, we start receiving less and less training. All of the software that comes with the computer old and new, we have had no training unless we have the program a home or check it out after hours. Many techs have requested formal training on a program that people uses a lot but all requests for trainin

Ya... *sigh* i work the night shift

so now when i get to work i have to reprogram myself to say "thank you for calling compaq... a part of the NEW HP"

geez ppl.. who writes this stuff?

i wonder whats going to happen to Compaq.Com now?

Their whole support model is a WOMBAT, because with the money they're spending putting you off, they could have covered the COGS on the lemon laptop.

Nothing in the article suggests this is changing now, but in the long term? Does this mean Compaq is gradually losing the main NYSE account? Damn! At least Compaq got the whole Sabre account as compensation...

www.compaqsucks.com
real link.