An exemplary method herein operates to help diagnose and correct facsimile transmission errors. The method detects a first facsimile transmission error using an arbitrarily named “first” facsimile machine (which can be a sending facsimile machine or a receiving facsimile machine). The facsimile transmission error occurs during a first facsimile transmission sent from the sending facsimile machine to the receiving facsimile machine. Upon detecting the first facsimile transmission error, the sending facsimile machine automatically contacts a service center computer. The service center computer automatically connects the sending facsimile machine to the receiving facsimile machine through the service center computer. Then, the sending facsimile machine sends a test facsimile transmission to the receiving facsimile machine through the service center computer. The method automatically records sounds sent by the sending facsimile machine and the receiving facsimile machine using the service center computer to produce an audio diagnostic file and automatically forwards the audio diagnostic file to a service engineer for diagnosis.