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restingboredface ,

I don't get why HP continues selling in the consumer market if they are struggling so much to make a profit.It seems like they are trying to force a business model on the wider market that doesn't work.

The subscription model makes more sense in the B2B world where companies just want fixed costs without doing too much shopping around (for things like printer cartridges anyway).

BleatingZombie ,

Maybe they think there's a large untapped market for home businesses, but I don't think there are a lot that need to print frequently

GhostMatter ,

Because this is the HP that's focused on consumers, that's their business. The enterprise segment was spun off in to Hewlett Packard Enterprise. They do have commercial printers, but it's not that much larger of a business for them than home printer, from what I can gather.

Evotech ,

Hp just trying to save the environment by making home printing as painful as possible. It really is a 4d chess move

Bearlydave ,

HP: why can't we be together?
Me: It's not you, it's me.

Pohl ,

Investments? Do customers cost you money? That’s now how any of this is supposed to work. I’m not sure the CEO of HP knows anything about business. Dude, the customers are supposed to give YOU the money.

Atomic ,

Yes. They are investments. It's a very common business model across several industries. To sell the initial machine for net cost or even at a loss, if it means customers will have to come back to you for additional supplies. Because that's where the money is.

I'm extremely confident that the CEO of the very profitable company HP. Knows more about business than you do.

Pohl ,

Nah I get it. Calling your customer an investment was just a little too naked for me, so I made a joke.

YeetPics ,
@YeetPics@mander.xyz avatar

Oh, okay.

So HPs shitty business practices are at fault here. Glad it isn't ignorance from the CEO. Phew.

Atomic ,

When you say "at fault" what exactly do you mean? "At fault" for what? Making profits?

They're not here to make your life easier. They're here to make money for themselves.

YeetPics ,
@YeetPics@mander.xyz avatar

At fault for making customers the world over hate their company and products. What do you think I meant?

I have the displeasure of telling you I have owned a half dozen printers from this shit-hole company from the last 20+ years. If an asteroid hit earth tomorrow I would use my last moments to cheer on the burning of their corporate HQ.

Atomic ,

I'm sure they can wipe their tears with the bills people keep giving them despite being hated.

YeetPics ,
@YeetPics@mander.xyz avatar

Cool, this comment adds a lot to the conversation

Atomic ,

As opposed to your story of how you've bought HP printers? Very illuminating

YeetPics , (edited )
@YeetPics@mander.xyz avatar

First hand experience with a companies product line for multiple decades?

When queried about their actions detracting from their public image?

Yea, quite fucking illuminating LMAO

Got more quarter-assed sarcastic distractions from HPs shitty business model/business plans going forward?

Atomic ,

Congratulations. You've bought products from the company you hate for over 20 years and kept giving them money year in year out despite telling us all they are terrible.

I have no distractions at all. Only hard facts that their business model works and is profitable. Why should HP deviate from a model that brings them billions in profits?

YeetPics ,
@YeetPics@mander.xyz avatar

I learned to hate HP. believe it or not I was once as ignorant as you are now.

Atomic ,

How exactly am I being ignorant? You're the one buying HP products. Not me.

You guys started talking about how bad this is for them and I simply pointed out that it isn't bad for them at all. They made $3b in profit last year.

YeetPics ,
@YeetPics@mander.xyz avatar

I was the guy buying products, but if you've been listening to what I've been telling you you would know I no longer buy their shitty products and I've completely avoided this hp ink subscription nonsense by using different brand printers.

You're being obstinate and trying to argue but you can't argue with someone who doesn't value your opinion. I don't value what you have to say. Sorry mate.

People hate HP and if you choose this can be your own hill to die on. Idk why you're in love with a shitty corp.

Atomic ,

I've not once said I like them. Nor am i in love with them. If thats what you think i suggest you redo your third grade reading comprehension.

I just told you I'm not buying their stuff. I haven't owned a single HP product in my entire life. I'm not dying on any hill.

I'm stating a very simple fact. Their current business model is working for them. It makes them a lot of money. Despite people not liking them, they still make a lot of money.

That's not an opinion. That is what the reality looks like according to their 2023 financial report.

dustyData ,

You do realize that the article being discussed here is precisely about how the model is not making people give them too many bills, right? Like, that's what the CEO is complaining about, that they aren't rolling in money and profits are not as high as they want them to be, so he is compelling the company to be more aggressive and abusive towards customers to correct what he perceives as a flaw. They are literally being sued for their anti-competitive practice that they insist on despite not being profitable unless they break the law. A battle they have lost several times on other jurisdictions, this business model has costed HP penalty fees before.

Atomic ,

"You do realize" they made $3b in profit 2023.

YeetPics ,
@YeetPics@mander.xyz avatar

Well as long as they profited we can all ignore the ethical issues and bad quality product line.

/$

Atomic ,

The fact that they profited means people DO ignore the ethical issues and bad quality product line.

What was that you said about adding value to the conversation before?

____ ,

I mean, yeah. Cost of acquisition is a thing. I’m hardly an exec, but basically it’s amortizing total cost of acquisition efforts over net new subs.

In no way do I intend to defend the shitshow that is HP. Just pointing out it’s a valid metric.

AgentGrimstone ,

Maybe take it as a sign that your product sucks?

Appoxo ,
@Appoxo@lemmy.dbzer0.com avatar

Too much subsidized by accessories and usables*

uriel238 ,
@uriel238@lemmy.blahaj.zone avatar

Executives lately are going full James Bond villain. They should evil laugh more.

ohlaph ,

He's not wrong. They are bad for their product as a subscription model.

Just like anyone who still buys HP. If you buy HP, you deserve their absolute garbage products.

Kushia ,
@Kushia@lemmy.ml avatar

I don't want you to invest in me HP.

aesthelete ,

Kind of like their stock bud dum tssss

tonyn ,

I have a Canon Color LaserJet scanner/copier/printer for documents, and a large format Canon inkjet photo printer. Aftermarket toner, aftermarket ink, and they work flawlessly. I did a ton of research for both. I would never buy an HP printer.

partial_accumen ,

Aftermarket toner, aftermarket ink, and they work flawlessly. I did a ton of research for both. I would never buy an HP printer.

I did the same when I purchased my Samsung color laser. I specifically excluded HP....then Samsung went and sold their entire damn printer division to HP. I refuse to use the Samsung drivers now because I suspect HP would push firmware into the unit blocked non-HP owned toner.

bus_factor ,

No regrets on my Brother laser printer! Didn't even consider HP, they've been trash for ages.

june ,

Brother has gone pretty down hill over the past 5-10 years.

RedEyeFlightControl ,
@RedEyeFlightControl@lemmy.world avatar

I was fortunate enough to get an older HP color laser MFD that can use 3rd party toner carts. I've never bought a first line HP cartridge for it and I never will. My next printer will be some other brand that plays nice with customers.

The only reason I even have this printer now is because I got it crazy cheap off of craigslist about 10 years ago, with extra supplies. When it dies, I'll get a brother or something better. I've bought 3 sets of toner carts for it in 10 years or so for a grand total of maybe 150$, and I use it a lot.

mindlight ,

TIL Customers aren't customers. Customers are investments.

abhibeckert ,

You say that like it's a bad thing?

When I buy a jar of peanut butter, if I have a good experience eating it I'm going to buy that brand again. "Investing" in your customers is business speak for making sure your customers have a good experience.

The disconnect here is HP doesn't seem themselves as being in the "printer" business. They see themselves as being in the ink/paper/repairs business... and they advertise their printers as costing 8.6 cents per page. If you're happy to pay that much, then I'd argue HP probably is a good choice.

Personally I use a basic Brother laser printer, with cheap paper and cheap toner it comes in at around 1 cent per page. When I need higher quality, I get it printed by a professional printer - those cost quite a bit more than HP's pricing but I don't do it often and it's much higher quality than any (affordable) HP printer.

mindlight ,

Investing in customers is not necessarily the same as customers being investments.

I would argue that HP made bad investments in their customers and their customers not being bad investments.

ulterno ,
@ulterno@lemmy.kde.social avatar

if the customer does not print enough

Meaning all home users are a bad investment for HP.

That explains the ink cartridges malfunctioning before giving enough prints.
That's been engineered into them.

MySwellMojo ,

I mean, doesn't this make sense? Why market and make products for people you don't know will buy, especially if you already have a market

thejml ,

He said the quiet part out loud.

Snapz ,

The "P" in HP stands for poop.

RandomVideos ,

HP actually stands for (extremly)high profits. It refers to the how much money they make from ink

Kushia ,
@Kushia@lemmy.ml avatar

Heap of Poop, because we can't say the S word to investors.

dylanTheDeveloper ,
@dylanTheDeveloper@lemmy.world avatar

I thought it was Printer

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