Taxing Faxing: A Saga

I am working the late shift (1:00 pm to 9:00 pm) at the local public library. An older lady approaches the reference desk.

Older Lady: “I need to fax this piece of paper.”

Me: “Okay. Just so you know, our fax machine can only take a credit or debit card, Apple Pay, or Google Pay. No cash.”

Older Lady: “Ugh.” *Digs through her purse* “Okay, I have a card.” 

We walk over to the fax machine about 100 feet away. I help her scan her document and input all the information, and then we get to the part where she has to pay. (Our fax machine requires that you pay before it will let you enter the fax number.)

I put her card into the chip reader. It fails. I try swiping it. It says to use the chip reader. I try again. It fails.

Older Lady: “You have to type in the amount.” 

Me: “No, that’s not how our machine works. It knows to charge you $1.00 because you’re faxing one page.”

Older Lady: “No! Everywhere else I go, they type in the amount. I don’t understand why you won’t help me!”

Me: “Ma’am, that’s just not how our machine works.”

I call over a coworker who knows more about the fax machine than me. The coworker messes around with the machine. 

Coworker: “Ma’am, [My Name] is correct. We don’t have any way of typing in an amount.”

Older Lady: *Angry gibberish*

I walk back to the reference desk. A few minutes later, the lady comes back over to me.

Older Lady: “I just don’t understand why you won’t help me!” 

Me: “Ma’am, our machine doesn’t work the way you want it to. I’m sorry about that.”

Older Lady: “No! Don’t say you’re sorry! If you were sorry, you would help me!” 

Me: “Okay, ma’am. There’s nothing else I can do for you. You have a good night.”

Older Lady: “No! I won’t have a good night because you won’t help me! I want a complaint card! I want your name and your coworker’s name!” 

Me: “Okay.”

I hand her my boss’s business card and give my name and my coworker’s name. The old lady leaves. 

Thankfully, my boss is in the building hosting a program. She comes back to her office as I’m in the back staff area trying to calm down. I tell her that she’s probably going to get a complaint about my coworker and me.

Boss: “Well, it sounds like you did everything you could. I’ll deal with it.”

A few minutes later, the old lady returns, this time with a cane.

Older Lady: “I went all the way to my car and got cash to send my fax.” 

Me: “Ma’am, I’m sorry, but our fax machine doesn’t take cash.”

Older Lady: “Oh, so now you’re discriminating against me because I’m paying with cash and I’m disabled!” 

Me: “No, ma’am, our machine just isn’t able to accept cash. It’s just the way it’s set up. I’m not discriminating against you.”

Older Lady: “Ugh!”

Me: “Let me get my boss for you.”

Older Lady: “You do that!”

She angrily sits down in a chair at a table not too far away. I call my boss on the phone and ask her to come to the reference desk. I explain the situation to her quietly.

Boss: “Is this the same woman?” 

I nodded slowly. My boss went to calm her down while I went in the back to calm myself down again. This woman made me so mad by accusing me of not wanting to help her. I did want to help her; she just almost actively made it so I couldn’t.

My boss found a free online faxing service — who knew those were a thing?! — and the lady walked out slightly less grumpy.

What was she faxing? A discrimination claim to the EEOC.

I was shaking for the rest of my shift. I should have said, “Ma’am, if you can type $1.00 into the fax machine, I will give you a dollar.”

Related:
Taxing Faxing, Part 40
Taxing Faxing, Part 39
Taxing Faxing, Part 38
Taxing Faxing, Part 37
Taxing Faxing, Part 36