Re: Writing Corrective Actions for customers?

["Gene Kim-Eng" <techwr -at- genek -dot- com>]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ned Bedinger" <doc -at- edwordsmith -dot- com>
 > What began as an insufficiently-specified writing 
> task was treated as a design task (because it was not well specified), 
> which some respondents developed into secretarial work and on into a 
> tech writing task, primarily IMHO because it was sent to this list, but 
> also because it needed more information ("research") and some writing, 
> which was identified more or less as our process.

Produce a document ("letter") that relates technical information
to a customer and satisfies certain specific company and customer
requirements...sounded exactly like "our process" to me.

> I've studied law, and I've worked in tech writing for nearly twenty 
> years, and if my understanding of the task was as thin and uncertain as 
> Deborah's, I could end up looking like I sacrificed the client's 
> interests to forward my own ambition. I hate it when I look like that, 
> it is just so bad for business.
> 
> I wonder if *anyone* refrained from designing a solution because they 
> didn't have enough info?  No?  I thought not.  We are good designers.

With due modesty, I would say yes, "someone" did.  Deborah
said "I've been asked to write a letter" and then asked what
others suggested to satisfy a short list of goals.  Some of us 
just answered her question as best we could, with the 
presumption that she would take all our suggestions (not
solutions), sit down with her client and together devise a 
plan that suited their needs.  

If I ever thought for one moment that anyone in this forum
would take one of my suggestions and blindly implement it
as a one-size-fits-all "solution," I'd be loathe to express
my opinion on anything.  Remember that, and the next time 
you want to shut me up just tell me you're waiting with baited
breath to go back to the office and do whatever I suggest.

Gene Kim-Eng



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