Re: Customer satisfaction survey?

Subject: Re: Customer satisfaction survey?
From: jim guarino <jag9330 -at- earthlink -dot- net>
To: Peter Neilson <neilson -at- alltel -dot- net>, TECHWR-L <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
Date: Fri, 17 Feb 2006 09:15:39 -0800 (GMT-08:00)

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!
>^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>
>WebWorks ePublisher Pro for Word features support for every major Help
>format plus PDF, HTML and more. Flexible, precise, and efficient content
>delivery. Try it today!. http://www.webworks.com/techwr-l
>
>Doc-To-Help includes a one-click RoboHelp project converter. It's that easy. Watch the demo at http://www.componentone.com/TECHWRL/DocToHelp2005
>
>---
>You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as jag9330 -at- earthlink -dot- net -dot-
>
>To unsubscribe send a blank email to
>techwr-l-unsubscribe -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
>or visit http://lists.techwr-l.com/mailman/options/techwr-l/jag9330%40earthlink.net
>
>To subscribe, send a blank email to techwr-l-join -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
>
>Send administrative questions to lisa -at- techwr-l -dot- com -dot- Visit
>http://www.techwr-l.com/techwhirl/ for more resources and info.
>

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

WebWorks ePublisher Pro for Word features support for every major Help
format plus PDF, HTML and more. Flexible, precise, and efficient content
delivery. Try it today!. http://www.webworks.com/techwr-l

Doc-To-Help includes a one-click RoboHelp project converter. It's that easy. Watch the demo at http://www.componentone.com/TECHWRL/DocToHelp2005

---
You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as archive -at- infoinfocus -dot- com -dot-

To unsubscribe send a blank email to
techwr-l-unsubscribe -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
or visit http://lists.techwr-l.com/mailman/options/techwr-l/archive%40infoinfocus.com

To subscribe, send a blank email to techwr-l-join -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com

Send administrative questions to lisa -at- techwr-l -dot- com -dot- Visit
http://www.techwr-l.com/techwhirl/ for more resources and info.


Previous by Author: Re: Formality is going bye-bye?
Next by Author: Re: Customer satisfaction survey?
Previous by Thread: Re: Customer satisfaction survey?
Next by Thread: Re: Customer satisfaction survey?


What this post helpful? Share it with friends and colleagues:


Sponsored Ads