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Faxing letters using Outlook and Customer First 111-10010090

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This document outlines how to send a fax using Outlook and Customer First. Staff can use this method to send documents that are not available in the desktop fax workflow.

Faxing personal or protected details to customers

If a customer calls asking for a form to be faxed to a given number, the Service Officer must:

  • ask extra questions to authenticate them
  • take extra care to make sure the fax number is correct
  • be satisfied of the customer’s identity

If the customer asks to fax documents with personal details, such as income statements, consider each request on a case by case basis. Examples of appropriate situations include:

  • a customer’s accountant, who is a person permitted to enquire (PPE), asks to get a faxed copy of the customer’s income and assets statement. If it is not faxed, there could be extra charges from the accountant or a delay in the customer's reassessment of income support payment
  • a customer has applied for a loan, and the financial institution needs to receive details about their rate of payment before progressing the application
  • a customer lives remotely and has no access to the internet, but they need a form or income statement

Faxing information to third parties

Service Officers must verify a third party’s contact details and identity when:

  • issuing a notice to request information from a third party about a customer
  • responding to a request from a third party who is acting for a customer

Take care to make sure that the fax number is correct. A Service Officer must be completely satisfied the fax is sent to the correct person or nominee in the organisation or business.

For all third party notice requests, the fax information must:

  • have the relevant legislation, such as:
    • the authority to request the information
    • privacy information
  • include the minimum customer detail needed to fulfil the request
  • include clear instructions about how the information can be returned to Services Australia

What Service Officers must do for every fax

Consider every request on a case-by-case basis.

If it is appropriate to use a fax, it is the Service Officer’s responsibility to make sure the fax goes to the correct recipient. There is no excuse for misdirected faxes.

Service Officers must always:

  • be completely satisfied that the fax is sent to the right person or organisation
  • keep a record of any faxes sent to the customer in a DOC. Include details of the request, the fax number, and any resulting action to the customer’s record

The Resources page contains an attachment of current forms available for desktop faxing and common errors.

Privacy, sharing, and storage of customer information

Requests lodged under the Freedom of Information Act 1982

Disclosing information to third parties

Viewing or reissuing a letter or electronic message

Using the Desktop Fax workflow to fax forms and modules