Re: online feedback methods

Subject: Re: online feedback methods
From: "Rick Stone" <rstone75 -at- kc -dot- rr -dot- com>
To: "Stacia Marlett" <smarlett -at- digitalriver -dot- com>, <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2006 13:34:48 -0500

Hi Stacia

Just an observation from my perspective.

I have to wonder how effective the Microsoft solution really is in actual practice. I mean, it would be an awfully labor intensive task to take the time to analyze each of these that came in and correlate it with the appropriate help topic. Particularly if it were used frequently. I guess I've always taken the stance that this was put into place more to allow frustrated users to get a "warm fuzzy" that Bill Gates himself might actually viewing each and every one of these that gets submitted and cracking the whip on the developers and documenters to straighten things up pronto. Of course we all know that reality is probably far from that scene. ;) Who knows? Maybe they really DO use the feedback. Maybe that's how Clippy was born. Gee, if only I could have a talking paper clip ask me endless questions that don't seem to be related to what I'm really trying to do here!

I think it also will depend on your audience. I come from experience with a call center environment. In this environment, if half a second can somehow be shaved off call time, that's what you want to do. The poor souls that staff these environs are measured this way. So you can only imagine how effective and useful such a feedback mechanism would be in this situation. Hmmm, I'm already 2 minutes over my "limit" for this call, do I spend another minute or so filling out the feedback and risk another "talk" about my slipping performance level with my supervisor?

Just a thought. I know it all depends on the audience. ;)

Cheers and happy Monday... Rick :)

----- Original Message ----- From: "Stacia Marlett" <smarlett -at- digitalriver -dot- com>
To: <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
Sent: Monday, April 10, 2006 1:13 PM
Subject: online feedback methods


Hello fellow TWs,

Since I had so much great feedback from my last query (about error
messaging standards), I thought I'd quiz you kind folks again.

We're going to revamp our feedback system for our online help. Currently
we assign a URL to a button at the bottom of each help topic. Clicking
the button opens a new window with a bunch of questions and a Submit
button. Then someone else in our group puts the feedback in a
spreadsheet. We've gotten very little feedback over the course of a year
with our online help system.

Plus, we've abandoned the unique URL in most recent help topics because
we ran out of numbers (to tack onto the end of the URL) and nobody
seemed to know how to get more. This method was way too much work. We
also recognize that our feedback form was way too long.

Does anyone have any good feedback examples that they've seen or
implemented themselves? I do like Microsoft's "Was this helpful" yes or
no and then you write a little text why and hit submit.

Thanks!
-Stacia

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Follow-Ups:

References:
online feedback methods: From: Stacia Marlett

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