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Subject:Reducing the Need for Technical Support From:"George F. Hayhoe" <george -at- GHAYHOE -dot- COM> Date:Fri, 20 Jun 1997 10:21:05 -0400
Matthew Long asked:
<<Do you think that it is possible that the need for technical
support for
software be eliminated or at least reduced if the documentation
were
written well enough?>>
Yes, we know it can be significantly reduced. See the special
section on the value added by technical communicators in the
February 1995 issue of _Technical Communication_, guest edited
by Ginny Redish and Judy Ramey, for an explanation of how to
measure our added value as well as a number of case studies.
As for the problem with your ISP, Matthew, why not offer to
revise their install documentation in exchange for X months of
free service (determine number of months based on your hourly
rate and the amount of time it will take)? I did something
similar.
--George Hayhoe (george -at- ghayhoe -dot- com)
George Hayhoe Associates
Voice: +1 803-642-2156
Fax: +1 803-642-9325
Award-winning Web site: http://www.ghayhoe.com
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