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the Inter</title></head><body>
<div>I'm not a librarian, but in the past list members have taken my
queries and communications in good humour, so I'll try another
post.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>You have no doubt noticed that corporations, on websites and
elsewhere, tend to make it difficult ---more so than in the past---
for customers and the public to communicate with it. Addresses and
coordinates are often concealed, and often Google does not help very
much.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>For example, I have a fairly new printer/fax machine from
HP---Hewlett-Packard. The user guide is quite long, but the set up
instructions for so simple a task as sending and receiving faxes are
contradictory and impossible. Actually. I called HP tech support and
waited --actually-- on hold for about an hour before being
accidentally (I'm sure) disconnected by the "specialist"
located in the Philippenes. I was crazy enough to call back, and this
time after only about ten minutes was informed that I would have to be
transferred to another department. At this point it was mainly
curiosity that got me to endure the telephone music on the
speakerphone. The rep promised he would do the transfer efficiently
and would stay on the line till there was a response, but guess what,
I was on hold for 90 minutes --yes, 90 minutes-- and then
noticed that it was then a few minutes to what was given as closing
time, and then guess what happened. This was day before
yesterday.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>I have found that often corporations (for example, phone company
and electric company) provide a much higher tier of service when there
is a referral from the executive office as a result of a consumer
call. I did a Google web search for HP and got to a company page
that has a listing for investor relations ---this was about six
hours ago--- and left a phone message saying I had a question
about the company.<font size="+1"> The info I seek is for the name and
coordinates for the CEO at HP</font>, to whom I had it in mind to post
or fax a letter if I could not get through to the secretary. I guess
that is still my plan if I ever do back from Investor Relations.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>My next thought was to phone the local library tomorrow, where
the incredible service actually includes inter-library loans: if the
Waterloo library does not have a book, they will try to get it from
the library in Granby. Imagine! (In the small town in Texas I
lived in forty years ago the public library would provide a book from
the UCLA library or elsewhere within a few days.) And then I thought
of Eril-L, with the idea that my problem may be of more general
interest. Is it?</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>I hope so, and even hope it may be useful.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>Thanks.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>Walter</div>
<div><br></div>
<div><font face="Lucida Grande" size="-2" color="#000000">Walter
Miale, PhD</font></div>
<div><font face="Lucida Grande" size="-2" color="#000000">Green World
Center</font></div>
<div><font face="Lucida Grande" size="-2" color="#000000">Waterloo,
Quebec</font></div>
<div><font face="Lucida Grande" size="-2"
color="#000000">w@greenworldcenter.org<br>
www.greenworldcenter.org<br>
www.itsyourmovie.org<br>
www.imagesmiale.com</font><br>
<font face="Lucida Grande" size="-2" color="#000000"></font></div>
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