Do you use Fax?

 

(I saw a thread and decided to create a poll)

I've never sent a fax in my life. In fact, my only memory of a fax machine was when my dad's one started belching out a huge length of spam from this company in the US – oh, that and the dodgy ring when someone called to fax!

 

It's interesting this concept has come up though as only the other day I heard someone in the office talking to a client on the phone – something like this…

 

Office: "Hello, this is … speaking. How can I help?"

Client: "I'd like to subscribe to one of your services"

Office: "Ok, that isn't a problem. I've emailed you a form, and If you could email it back to … we can sign you up"

Client: "Oh, can I not fax it?"

Office: "Er, we use email and PDF's nowadays. I don't even know if we still have a fax machine. Let me check…"

*pootles off into a random cupboard in the office"

Office: "You're in luck! Send the fax to … … …"

 

Etc, etc.

 

Personally, I don't see the point of faxes in today's climate. The internet, email in particular, is a much better medium for sending written or photocopied (scanned, anyone?!) documents. Not only do you get near 100% quality, you also have a digital file that you can store somewhere.

 

The fax needs to die!

Sadly not every client is as comfortable with using a scanner and email as we are - even when their fax machine has a "scan to email" button!

 

It doesn't hurt to have an account with somewhere like Faxtastic set up ready for that client.

I have never used fax to fax anyone. In uni the fax was my favourite thing to use, as you could create some really interesting illustrations using a fax machine

I have to say that I do use the fax machine.

Yes, most people don't use them anymore but some people do (usually the slightly older generation, no offence intended!).

The way I see it, it's another way for people to contact you and for the sake of £40 you can get a decent fax machine/phone combo so why not?

I hate fax. In my last job, I had to sit next to the fax machine (which incidentally spewed forth a constant avalanche of drivel) and it drove me mad. It stank! Every time a fax came through it let off this noxious pong that made me feel sick. But by far the most irritating thing it did was waiting until the office maintenance guy had three days off and then running out of toner. Not only did the fax stop printing and bottleneck all incoming messages for the end of the week so you'd be working overtime to make the deadline, but it let out this high pitched beep every 15 seconds. In the course of a working day that's 1,920 beeps. It was the harbinger of suicide - I hated it. B@stard!!

Usually usefull for signed documents ETC. Faster than scanning / mailing something

I've never sent a fax in my life. In fact, my only memory of a fax machine was when my dad's one started belching out a huge length of spam from this company in the US – oh, that and the dodgy ring when someone called to fax!

 

It's interesting this concept has come up though as only the other day I heard someone in the office talking to a client on the phone – something like this…

 

Office: "Hello, this is … speaking. How can I help?"

Client: "I'd like to subscribe to one of your services"

Office: "Ok, that isn't a problem. I've emailed you a form, and If you could email it back to … we can sign you up"

Client: "Oh, can I not fax it?"

Office: "Er, we use email and PDF's nowadays. I don't even know if we still have a fax machine. Let me check…"

*pootles off into a random cupboard in the office"

Office: "You're in luck! Send the fax to … … …"

 

Etc, etc.

 

Personally, I don't see the point of faxes in today's climate. The internet, email in particular, is a much better medium for sending written or photocopied (scanned, anyone?!) documents. Not only do you get near 100% quality, you also have a digital file that you can store somewhere.

 

The fax needs to die!

 

Agreed. I also have never sent a fax in my life.