Are most people using email instead of FAXing paperwork for signatures etc.?
What program do you use to scan your documents?
I would like to change from FAX to email and am interested in what others are doing.
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Since almost everyone uses email these days, I rarely use the fax anymore. All of my bids, estimates, drawings, etc are sent via email. Bids have a signature/date line which I ask the customer to sign and return with their deposit. I usually try to do that part in person, but will book a job on an affirmative email response. It's worked fine, so far.
If it's something that requires my signature (ie, a contract), I print it out, sign it and then scan it using Irfanview and then email it. The customer can do the same or sign it and mail it or sometimes I do the contract part in person.
Proposals and invoices, I email directly from Quickbooks.
http://grantlogan.net/
I haven't had a phone line in my house for 3 1/2 years now - the only time it's been a pain is when someone needs to fax to me or from me.I found Faxaway.com a few months ago - and it just works and is cheap.In a nutshell - $1.00 a month for months that you have any faxes and on top of that each fax is something like $.10 a minute.If someone sends you a fax - it comes to you as an email attachment. If you need to send someone a fax, you scan it and send it as an email to faxaway and they deliver it to your receiving party as a fax.Handy to have as there are still quite a few fax holdouts.Nice to know that I'm saving about $35 a month with no phone line and have saved about $1400 by getting rid of my phone line when I did.JT
Thank you.
This is exactly what we needed. We're where you were 3 1/2 yrs ago except we've been $45/mo for landline + fax tolls. 10x more outgoing faxes than incoming. Most of them will now be email attachments, reducing our monthly expense to < $10.
The scanning time for us was a necessity anyway.
PAHS Designer/Builder- Bury it!
I don't even use a scanner - I just take a picture with my digital camera and than res down the file.One note - your new fax number thru Faxaway.com will be a Seattle area code. I didn't mind as the cost for the service is so low - most others I looked at had a monthly fee of 17-25$.Julian
Thanks for the warning, not an issue. The few incoming faxes were always a toll call for the sender. And maybe now they'll email.
Did an exhaustive search yesterday for landline alternatives. Seems I was wrong, they aren't cheaper. We're still dropping the landline, but our cost will increase $15/mo, $90 (now, plus fax) to $105. No savings.
DW was thrilled that I was willing to haul a cell phone. She worries about me using machinery alone in the woods. Haven't made a trip yet to the ER, but she worries. Did have a close call recently, took a nosedive after becoming airborne from a large rootball that didn't hinge.
She thinks I'm worth more alive than dead. That's a good thing...PAHS Designer/Builder- Bury it!
What are you using for substitute phone service? Computer? Cell? Something else?
Don K.
EJG Homes Renovations - New Construction - Rentals
I've only had my cell phone for the last 3 years or so - have had the same number for at least the last 4-5 years.JulianOther possible drawback on no home phone is that people can't find you like they can with a directory search. Might be a plus also I guess.
I'm steering away from subcontractors that can't handle email. My time is valuable and I can send them plans via PDF file in the email. I can't fax plans.
We use efax but i like the idea of $1 per month and .10 per minute and continue to steer away from those who are 21 century challenged.
I recently purchased a cheap printer. My only criteria was that it scanned to PDF file. It was a HP (I hate HP and will never buy another) and they supplied the software.
Chief Architect gave me the software to save my prints as a PDF. I think the program is PDF995. It's a cheap program...I think you can register it for $9.95.
Bob's next test date: 12/10/07
I have to agree as oddly enough many subs in our area still refuse to do any work via email. They won't look at PDF plans nor use email as a means of communication.
I still have to fax alot of stuff and make alot of phone calls.
Mike
I use E-fax (http://www.Efax.com ) that allows me to receive faxes as .tif files in my E-mail. Whenever I sign a contract in the field i just feed it into the fax machine and fax it to myself so I can organize it along with the rest of the stuff in my digital job folder.
M
------------------
"You cannot work hard enough to make up for a sloppy estimate."
Truthfully, I'm one of those 21st century challenged folk. I prefer paper. I would prefer a fax, but about 6 months ago, my scanner (HP) decided to have a fit and it won't fax. Don't know why, but I haven't been able to get it to work. (It all started after I let DW use it....)
I've had to switch to e-mail for some stuff and on occasion, I use overnight mail. Maybe someday I'll feel comfortable with all this stuff and change. Maybe not too.
Don K.
EJG Homes Renovations - New Construction - Rentals
I would love to have my home phone shut off and not have to pay the $30 per month.The only thing I use it for is faxing.So I tried an experiment today. I called the bank and said "email me the pre-approval letter and good faith estimate for so and so"He responded by saying "I can email it but it won't have my signature on it"So in other words, I've got to keep my fax for these kinds of things.If he could sign the paper work, scan it, and then email it, I would be fine. But some or most people, including me, just don't have much experience scanning documents.But I'm learning
Scanning is easy if the scanner has software that scans to PDF. I would not buy a copier that didn't scan to PDF. That's my only litmus test. Bob's next test date: 12/10/07
My experience lately is that the fax is for insurance companies and email is for everyone else
Tom
Try Maxemail.com. Same service as Efax, only less expensive. I've used the service for years without a problem.
If you get a multifunction printer, you will be able to do either (provided you keep a landline - I still have one for that reason). I have the HP 7210, and it comes with software sufficient for most things. I would say stay away from the $99 models, but $250 to $300 will get you a very nice one.
I like have slots for memory cards. I can print photo proof sheets directly from the memory card, mark the pictures I want and then print them. I think mine was $300 after a $100 rebate. The model has been replaced.
"The model has been replaced."
That's part of the problem for me. Stuff keeps changing. Have a good solid model, wear it out and try to replace it, can't. Another complaint is trying to get customer service, but that's another thread and it's been beaten to death.
I've had HPs, Epsons and other brands. The old ones were ok or good. New ones are trash. Had a service guy that used to work on them. He won't even touch the machines now. Tells me go buy a new one.
A piece of mail or fax I can understand. The computer is another world.
Don K.
EJG Homes Renovations - New Construction - Rentals
We prefer to use email. So easy for change orders and such with the clients. Create a file in the inbox for each client and all correspondence goes to that file. Once a week I back it up on a zip disk and away we go.
Some people find it easier to respond to an email rather than pick up a phone and call you back after you have left them a message. Then they leave you a message and so on and so on. Email it back and then there is a record. A "virtual paper trail".
Edited 12/28/2007 9:32 pm ET by 24/7
DonK;
Sorry, last post was not meant to go directly to you. Been away for a while and it will take a bit to get back into the forum.