Thread: Hewlett Packard chat with an online Technician, AI?

I saw a rumor that HP was willing to replace my model printer because of an issue with the printer carriage jamming, and I was directed to this 'Chat with an HP Online Technician'. From the start, the chat session seemed like one where the other person was really some AI, with preprogrammed responses.

Here's a log of it, with some personal info editted out. I am Alan - the technician was Alex.

Code:

Chat Transcript Begins Here
--------------------------------------------------------------

Alex
Hello Alan.


Alex
Welcome to HP Total Care for Deskjet Products.


Alex
How may I assist you today?


Alan
My Deskjet 3820 cradle is jammed


Alex
Alright.


Alex
Alan, I understood the issue.


Alex
Let us try to trouble shoot the issue.


Alex
please open the top cover of the printer and see whether the carriage is coming
exactly to the center.


Alan 
It is not


Alan 
It is stuck on the far right


Alex
Alright.


Alex
Alan, it seems your printer is having a carriage stall.


Alex
However, I will provide the steps to resolve the issue.


Alex
I will share a page with you.


Alex
The page will appear as a pop up on the computer screen.


Alex
You can perform the steps online.


Alex
Shall I provide the page?


Alan
yes please


Alex
Alright.


Alex
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/g...name=c00255558


Alex
Alan, did you get the page?


Alex
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/g...name=c00255558


Alan
yes I did


Alex
Alright.


Alex
Please let me know once you have done with the steps.


Alan
ok, it'll take a bit


Alex
Sure.


Alex
Go ahead.


Alex
I will wait for you.


Alan
ok I did the steps


Alex
Alright.


Alan
and the carraige is still stalled on the right


Alex
Alright.


Alex
Let us check out some more steps.


Alex
Here are the steps:


Alex
1. Turn off the printer by pressing the Power button on the front panel of the
printer. 

2. Open the top door on the printer and leave it open. 

3. Press the Power button to turn on the printer. 

a. Printer activity continues for approximately 20 to 25 seconds (feed roller
activity, alternating between turning forward and reversing). 
 
b. After activity stops,  the Power light and Feed light (bottom two lights)
will now be flashing.

4. Pressing the Feed (middle) button results in activity and activity duration
similar to the power up cycle noted above, with the Power light and Feed light
continuing, uninterrupted, to flash in unison. 

5. Pressing the Power button after step 3b,  have completed will immediately
power down the printer with no further activity or flashing lights.


Alan
ok


Alan
done


Alex
Alright.


Alex
Still the carriage to the right side?


Alan
yes


Alex
Alright.


Alex
Thanks for trying all the steps.


Alex
As the solutions provided  did not resolve the issue, This issue requires on
site diagnosis as it might be a equipment malfunction.


Alex
The issue seems to be due to Carriage Stall.HP has identified this issue with
the printer and announced a special consideration for the customers.
I am initiating the replacement of the printer for you.


Alex
Alan, I need some information to initiate the case.


Alan
ok


Alex
Alan, how is the printer connected to the computer?


Alex
Using the Lpt or the Usb cable?


Alan
right now, by parellel port


Alan 
lpt


Alex
Alright.


Alex
Alan, you will be getting HP Deskjet 5650 printer instead of the 3820 printer.


Alan
ok


Alex
To initiate this case  I would require the following information:

Country:
Email Address
First Name  
Last Name  
Mailing Address  
(including City,State and Postal Code) 
Telephone No.  
Product Serial No.(ex: MX23I5Q7B9)  
Product Number (ex: C1234A)


Alan 
ok


Alan
country: ...


Alan 
email address: ...


Alan 
First Name: ...


Alan 
Last Name: ...


Alan
Mailing Address: ...


Alan 
Road I mean


Alan
Tele #: ...


Alan 
Where can I find the product serial number?


Alex
Alan, could you please confirm the address once again?


Alan 
...


Alex
Thank you.


Alan 
product serial #: ...

Alex
You can find the serial and the product number located at the bottom of the
printer.


Alan
yes I found it :)


Alan 
product #: ...


Alex
Thanks for all the information.


Alex
Please provide me two convenient time and dates to contact you.
Alan, you will receive a call from our staff for the Credit Card number.
It is for security reason. You will not be charged. 
You will receive a printer from HP and you have to return the defective printer
within 30 days.
If you do not return the defective printer to HP then you will be charged.


Alan
Will I be reimbursed for the shipping of the defective printer?


Alex
No.


Alex
Both way shipping charges will be born by HP.


Alan 
Oh, so absolutely no charge to me in regards to shipping charges?


Alex
Alan, you can get the further information when you receive the call from HP.


Alex
They will provide the complete information you want.


Alan
ok


Alex
Right now I need two dates and times to call you.


Alan
monday, may 22 7pm


Alan 
saturday may 28 7pm


Alex
Thank you.


Alex
I have initiated the replacement process. Our concerned team will contact you
and provide you all further information.


Alan
thank you


Alex
Are you satisfied with the chat session?


Alan
yes


Alex
A copy of our chat session will be e-mailed to you shortly.  You may also
receive a chat survey in a day or two.We would appreciate your feedback.


Alex
Do not forget to give the feedback.


Alan
ok, thanks


Alex
We appreciate your feedback.


Alex
Thank you for using HP Total Care and providing us an opportunity to serve 
you through Real-Time Chat.  

Please contact us again if you require any further assistance. 

Our exclusive Owner Services will help keep all of your HP and Compaq products
up and running.  Please visit our Web site at: 

http://www.hp.com/home/ownerservices


Alex
Bye Alan.


Alan
good bye


Alex
Good Night!

His typing was incredibly fast, especially all those steps and stuff, it seemed generated by itself. I don't know if its AI persay, it might be a real person trained to talk and type in a very controlled way who is assisted by some script monitoring the chat session which puts the large pieces of text like at the end about the feedback and stuff.

The beginning seemed weird where he said "Alan, I understood the issue." But where I typed in all my personal info, he understood the way I typed it. And I mispelled the word Road in my address, and he asked for me re-enter the entire address. That seemed weird.

It might just be a well trained custom service representative aided by a script that inputs text for the technical stuff. What do you think?

hmm, i called microsoft yesterday with a query about xbox games, and i got put through to a guy who spoke like a robot, i asked if he ws a recording, and almost starting abusing the yank bastard but fortuanely for him he convinced me in the next few statements

With the internet, you don't know who you talk too. You can't see them. AI is something still around the corner but we approach it closer every day. Fuzzy logic, vague picture recognition, and increasingly more complicated programs all are begininng to blur the lines of what is and is not intellegent to someone that can't see or talk to the other end verbally. The telephone has been a great driver of the automated message and the blurring of this line also. Predominately those calls looking for directory information as a good example. Did you get the info from a real person or from a very good program designed just for that? Usually today you got it from a program.

If AI is developed to the point of responce to people it will show up in just such sort of applications. When it reaches the level of doing what it should there won't be a question of if you talked to someone or a program. You will be firmly convienced you did.

For now, it could well be you talked to someone of limited humor. Typing fast for such responces could well be a set sort of responces to hot keys. I am sure this guy has done a lot of these. Could well be his "techincal book of responces" includes the instructions to press F1 or some such and wait for a responce before continuing. In such a scenrio the type would appear almost machine like in speed as it would be.

Just provide us with the link so we can do some testing of our own. I'm sure they didn't program the thing to deal with a DEC worshipper who is angry because they killed off Alpha and Tru64 UNIX

Originally Posted by cleft

If AI is developed to the point of responce to people it will show up in just such sort of applications. When it reaches the level of doing what it should there won't be a question of if you talked to someone or a program. You will be firmly convienced you did.

As soon as AI is at such a high level you can't tell if it's a machine or a human the box has passed the Turing test

With all the poor punctuation and capitalization, I don't think that it was an AI but probably a person in a third world country who gets paid $5 a day to post answers out of a book provided by HP.

I call Computer Associates a lot for various problems with backups. Their first level technical support is in India and the support we get from them is atrocious. They are definately reading from a book, and it always makes me chuckle a bit when the tell you their name is Tom/Bob/Fred/John/Jim and attempt to cover up their accent. Funnier still was when they were reading from the same manual that I already had in front of my and I started reading it with them. They passed me to second level support that time.

Microsoft hardware support is also in a very foreign country, and it depends on the product as to which nation you get on software support. Dell's support is also in other countries. For me, it gets a bit frustrating because I am an IT professional and have been through all the steps in the manual and don't want to repeat them. Thankfully HP/Compaq server support keeps my name and expertise level so that when I call I don't have to jump through hoops to get problems solved.

Originally Posted by arditezza

Thankfully HP/Compaq server support keeps my name and expertise level so that when I call I don't have to jump through hoops to get problems solved.

I can't say that I'm very happy with HP-Compaq support. In fact it pretty much sucks a lot of the times I need them :/

It's only good if you have a Carepaq. Everything else is worthless.

Originally Posted by arditezza

It's only good if you have a Carepaq. Everything else is worthless.

We give a large sum of money to HP-Compaq every year so we get support. If only Carepaq is good I really don't want to know how expensive that would be.