With one in four gifts expected to be an electronics product this holiday season, HP (NYSE:HPQ)(Nasdaq:HPQ) has added a new capability to its consumer services that will help people spend less time getting their products to work and more time enjoying themselves.
HP Instant Care, available as an addition to SmartFriend by HP and HP PC Tune-up, will allow service agents to connect to customers’ PCs over the Internet and provide personalized advice and assistance while customers sit back and learn.
These services, which give consumers a place to turn with their “how to” questions and can assist with improving PC performance, are available to customers in or out of warranty and can be purchased at anytime.
SmartFriend by HP is a tech support advice line for consumers, available in 45- or 75-minute calling plans. With HP Instant Care, customers of SmartFriend by HP can get more out of their sessions and have a range of questions answered — from how to set up a home network to learning how to use software applications.
HP PC Tune-up service has specially trained tech “mechanics” take customers through the tasks needed to help make PCs run at their best. Now with the HP Instant Care capability, customers can watch the steps that help bring their PCs back to health as agents do the work of defragmenting hard drives, deleting unnecessary files in the “Start Up” menu that bog down boot up times, and much more.
When purchasing electronic products this holiday season, consumers will often be asked about adding extended warranties, which can be good insurance for those who like added peace of mind. Services such as SmartFriend by HP and HP PC Tune-up can help consumers get the most from their technology and can be purchased anytime.
These extended service plans are part of HP Total Care, the service and support portfolio that supports consumer products. The Service and Support Professionals Association recently awarded HP Total Care two STAR Awards — the only service and support industry award from a professional association dedicated to serving industry professionals.
Availability and pricing
HP PC Tune-up service costs $99 and SmartFriend by HP costs $59.99 for 45 minutes and $99.99 for 75 minutes. HP Instant Care is available with both HP PC Tune-up and SmartFriend by HP; it is available to customers in-warranty at no charge. These services are available now by calling +1 866 234 1377 in North America.
More information is available at http://www.hp.com/go/totalcare.
About HP
HP is a technology solutions provider to consumers, businesses and institutions globally. The company’s offerings span IT infrastructure, global services, business and home computing, and imaging and printing. For the four fiscal quarters ended Oct. 31, 2006, HP revenue totaled $91.7 billion. More information about HP is available at http://www.hp.com.
