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Subject:Re: Eliminating the need for technical support From:Jennifer Kraus <jlkraus -at- AMETEKWATER -dot- COM> Date:Thu, 19 Jun 1997 11:22:44 -0500
I don't think improved manuals, online help, etc will ever eliminate the
need for technical support, in the computer industry or any other. I work
for a company that manufactures water filtration equipment, and for an
hour each day I answer technical support phone calls. Here's what I've
learned in the past few months about the connection between technical
support and technical writing:
1. No matter how great your manual is, how explicit the instructions,
how intuitive the layout, it will never be perfect. Someone will always call
with a comment about some portion of the manual that will make you sit
back and go "Hmm, you know, he's right. That could be misconstrued" or
"Ah, there's something I should add during the next revision."
2. At some point, a situation will arise that you did not (or could not)
anticipate. One of the full-time technicians I work with has been at it for
15 years, and he still gets stumped.
3. People don't read manuals as often as they should. Some (gasp)
throw them out as soon as they get them. Now, this may be less
prevalent in the computer industry, but I'm sure it still happens. In
addition, people lose manuals, dogs chew them, young children rip out
pages. As for online help...what if the help file is the part of the program
that isn't functioning?
I don't think that tech support and technical writing are necessarily at
odds; in fact, where I work they complement each other. Yes, if I do my
job well I can reduce the number of calls they get, but I can never
eliminate the need for tech support entirely. In addition, by doing some tech
support myself, and from the feedback of the other technicians, I get a
better idea of how our documentation can be improved.
My 2 cents.
Jennifer (Kraus) Jelinek
Technical Writer, Web Wonk, and newlywed
jlkraus -at- ametekwater -dot- com
Sheboygan, WI
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