On Call: Exec couldn’t identify a photocopier, which made for a fax-inating tech support call

This week's installment of On Call features a reader known as "Orson," who shared a particularly amusing tech support story. Orson, formerly a Facilities Manager at a major UK food company, recalled an incident from years prior that reminded him of a previous On Call column about a lawyer without knowledge of italics.

One morning, Orson arrived at work to find his Company Secretary in distress. She had attempted to send an urgent fax the previous night, but the fax machine had failed to function. Determined to help, Orson followed the Secretary's actions, observing as she placed a document on the in-tray, entered the fax number using a numeric keypad, and hit Enter.

Upon completing these steps, the Secretary turned to Orson, clearly seeking his explanation for the failure of the fax machine and the condition of the equipment. Orson gently informed her that she had mistakenly used the photocopier instead of the fax machine.

While the presence of multi-function printers (MFPs) in many workplaces may have made this mistake somewhat understandable, the incident nonetheless serves as a humorous example of a peculiar tech support moment for this week's On Call. If you have a similar tale to share, you can submit your story through the provided link. Unfortunately, The Register no longer retains any fax machines.