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Found the title: "Technical Communication" by John M. Lannon, ISBN: 0321023951, Published Aug 1999 by Addison-Wesley, 680 pages. I paid $75; saw it on Half.com today for less than a buck.
-----Original Message-----
>From: jim guarino <jag9330 -at- earthlink -dot- net>
>Sent: Feb 17, 2006 9:15 AM
>To: Peter Neilson <neilson -at- alltel -dot- net>, TECHWR-L <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
>Subject: Re: Customer satisfaction survey?
>
>When I was just starting out in this business, I read a Tech Comm book by a man named Lannon, who is a professor of (some sort of) Communications at the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth. I believe his name is John Lannon. His book contained an excellent template for a usability survey. I'm not suggesting that anyone copy Lannon's work, but it could serve as a pretty good model from which to develop your own survey.
>
>Jim Guarino
>
>-----Original Message-----
>>From: Peter Neilson <neilson -at- alltel -dot- net>
>>Sent: Feb 17, 2006 7:55 AM
>>To: TECHWR-L <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
>>Subject: Re: Customer satisfaction survey?
>>
>>Geoff Hart wrote:
>>> Jennifer Gidner wondered: <<Our small (2-member) Technical Writing shop
>>> has been told that we will be measured this year by the results of a
>>> customer satisfaction survey that we must create. Yikes!>>
>>>
>>> The first step in designing such things is to sit down with the people
>>> who will be interpreting the results and find out their parameters for
>>> success: What metrics do they want you to collect, why, and how do they
>>> intend to use those metrics? For a few thoughts along those lines:
>>> http://www.geoff-hart.com/resources/2004/metrics.htm
>>
>>Doing job reviews for people who are all performing well is notoriously
>>hard, especially when you are trying to justify what you are doing. To
>>some, it seems somehow more "scientific" if you have numbers. I submit
>>that this sort of measurement is bad at best, and counterproductive or
>>severely harmful at worst. The trouble is that you'll get what you
>>asked for, without realizing what you were actually requesting. Maybe
>>the good folks will just leave, or will start "working to spec" instead
>>of being properly innovative.
>>
>>The job review for a thief or a total nonproducer is easier--fire the
>>SOB. (We just did that.)
>>
>>Sometimes the lower (so-called "middle") management is told to rank
>>everyone in the department and get rid of the bottom 10%. This is not
>>an effective strategy for small departments that function well!
>>
>>I've often been told that my resume should include strong data, like the
>>amount of money I've saved or extra revenue produced. But we as tech
>>writers know that those figures do not exist. How much did I save on
>>the preliminary plans I wrote for the project that was cancelled before
>>I could do the actual work? How much did I save for the company that
>>was totally scuttled by poor management on the upper levels? What
>>revenue did I generate in getting ready for the contract that fell through?
>>
>>One might try looking into the cost of not having the documentation, or
>>of having it written by the SMEs at the cost of lost design and coding
>>time, or something like that.
>>
>>My wife says, "When they start talking that way [reviews based on silly
>>numbers], it's time to look elsewhere." Bonne chance!
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>WebWorks ePublisher Pro for Word features support for every major Help
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>Doc-To-Help includes a one-click RoboHelp project converter. It's that easy. Watch the demo at http://www.componentone.com/TECHWRL/DocToHelp2005
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