I figure I might as well provide a small amount of entertainment, tonight, to keep you all smiling. I made a startling discovery today, when my brother-in-law asked me to fax a document for him, to the 'usual place,' his Union Hall. I had done this repeatedly, for months on end,... until I got a new computer, loaded with Vista Ultimate-64bit version. Well, I thought I had loaded my printer software, because it would print whenever I wanted, but... until today, I never did try to fax anything. I looked on my desktop for the little familiar icon, but it was missing... Hmmm... that is strange. So, I started searching the internet, and found that for my printer to function 'properly,' it would be necessary to download and install a piece of software, offered by HP, to make their printer function with Vista. I did so, and then jumped on the HP On-line Customer Support link:
Yours truely : After downloading and installing your proffered software, which was billed as "Full Feature Software and Drivers," to make my HP printer compatible with my new PC's OS, Windows Vista Ultimate 64-bit, I find the interface insufficient!!!
[An agent will be with you shortly.]
[You are now chatting with Pierce .]
Pierce : Hello Chris.
Pierce : Welcome to HP Total Care for All-in-One products. My name is Pierce. Please give me a few moments while I review your problem description details.
Pierce : Thank you staying online.
Yours truely : The problem I have is with the capability to fax a scanned document. The HP Solution Center is a giant step backwards... It is cumbersome and convoluted. But, the bigger problem is, once all the steps are taken to prepare a fax for transmission, there is no possibility to add a cover-sheet! I thought that a cover was required, by law, for all fax transmissions. The only thing apparent (where this function used to be) is the opportunity to add the number of fax pages. Where is the solution?
Pierce : Let me know the file name you had downloaded to install.
Yours truely : AIO_CDB_Full_Network_enu.exe, (1/1 , 163.07M)
Pierce : Thank you for the information.
Pierce : Let us work together to isolate the issue.
Yours truely : I thought I just did...
Yours truely : Hey, Pierce, did you fall off your chair?
Pierce : May I take a few minutes of your precious time to research this issue?
Yours truely : You are doing that already....
Yours truely : (7:48 ) That's five minutes....
Pierce : I regret for the delay in response.
Yours truely : How about the research?
Pierce : Iunderstand that you are unable to fax scanned docoment. Am I correct?
Yours truely : As you may read in my second statement, I am looking for the capability to insert a FAX-Coversheet, before transmitting! I have not yet determined if I am unable to fax anything.
Pierce : Thank you for correction.
Pierce : Open Printer and Faxes folder.
Pierce : Click Finish.
Pierce : Click on Apply and OK on the Printer properties window.
Pierce : Please ignore the above typo.
Yours truely : (7:55) OK.... seven little minutes...
Pierce : I am afraid to inform you that HP has removed fax cover page feature for Vista. However, you can download the fax cover page templates from the HP website.
Yours truely : Why?
This is a feature of the Printer! If I download cover page templates, How do I get them into my fax of a scanned document?
Yours truely : I also cannot scan the image to MS Word, as was the custom!
So, how can I 'attach' the required FAX-Coversheet to my fax before transmitting?
Yours truely : (8:02) What time-zone are you in, Pierce?
Pierce : You need to attach the fax cover page manually to the document you are trying to fax.
Pierce : Insert the cover page as the first page of the document in Word and then send the fax,
Pierce : Let me provide you the weblink.
Pierce : Here is the weblink:
Pierce : .
Pierce : https://windowshelp.microsoft.com/Windows/en-US/Help/ab9e5045-714e-4fc2-a4cc-78faf2e5cf5c1033.mspx
Yours truely : What the hell do you mean, manually?
I just got through telling you that I cannot scan the image to Word, because it is not an option!
Pierce : Just clink the link to open the page title as"Create or edit a fax cover page"
Pierce : I regret the inconvenience caused.
Pierce : May I know the Micrsoft Word version you are using?
Yours truely : (8:05) I'm using Word 2007.
Pierce : Okay.
Yours truely : Your suggestion simply robs me of the versatility that I had when using XP. Your Compatibility Update for the All-In-One Printer is a dismal failure. There no longer is any functionality!!!!
And that is NOT OK!
Pierce : I understand your situation.
Yours truely : And when and how is HP going to remedy that situation?
Pierce : Let me provide you the steps to scan to Word 2007.
Pierce : 1. Open Microsoft word.
2. Click on Insert-->Clip Art-->
3. A window will appears in the right pane saying Clip Art. Then Click on "Organize Clips" option which is at the right bottom corner.
4. A window will popup saying Microsoft Clip Organizer-->Click on File-->Add Clips to Organizer-->From Scanner and Camera wizard-->Select the scanner and Follow the onscreen instructions to scan the picture.
[note: he's got the copy-paste routine down pat!]
Yours truely : I'm clever enough to figure that out. I want to know how to get a coversheet on a scanned image that I have ready to be faxed. You will tell me that I must first insert that image into Word. Not an elegant solution. Your Printer no longer functions as it did. Where can I get a refund?
Pierce : The fax cover page feature is removed in All-in-one software by HP>
Pierce : You need to download fax cover page template and send it with the document you want to send fax.
Yours truely : (8:13) TWENTY-FIVE MINUTES... for nothing.... You have been most patient with my frustration. Pass my frustration along to HP. Tx.
=================<end of transmission>====================
How typical is this sort of conversation, whether live, or on-line? If you were standing next to "Pierce," shouting in his ear, he would not listen to what you're telling him! How do illiterates get positions as Customer Support representatives? GRRRRRRRRRR!!!!
*Rant over* As you were, everyone!
8)
Nov 19, 2008 @ 03:03:15
