Webthoughts

Okay...another work-related rant today.

At my place of business, we offer customers a public-use fax machine for outgoing faxes (all incoming faxes are in a secure location and we have to retrieve them). The public-use fax is a self-service machine. Customers can just walk up to it and use it at their convenience. We offer step-by-step instructions for them to follow. If they would like, they can ask for assistance.

When we are asked for assistance (which is quite regularly), the most common reason is because the customer did not dial the fax number correctly. Invariably, the number they need to dial is a local number, but they added the area code anyway, or it's long distance, but they didn't prefix the number with a "1".

Mistakes happen, and that's fine. What astounds me is the frequency with which this particular mistake happens. And, most of the time, the customer will tell us "I didn't know I was supposed to dial that way." Um...it's a phone. A specialize phone, granted. But it's still just a phone. Dial it like you would any other phone.

Pretty much, it boils down to the fact that many people are simply intimidated by a fax machine. I have no idea why. I've seen people who can find their way around a computer like no other, but the moment you stick them in front of a fax machine, they're not sure what that number-pad is for.

I really just don't get it.