ONLINE HELP AUTHOR - WHAT THE CLIENTS THINK. Customer Comments on Expeditory UK Technical Writing.

Testimonials - what Clients say

"I had a look at the Help file over the weekend, and it's brilliant! You've pitched it just right...
"It looks better than the product itself." - Steve Zammit, Development Manager, CDE Solutions.

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"You've got an outside perspective...
"You've given us about 12 months' customer feedback!"
- G. Beddard, Data Architect. CDE Solutions, Cheltenham.

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"I just wanted to let you know that I have spent some time looking at the Procedures Guide. It looks really great and extremely user friendly."
- Frank Aguirre, Help Desk Team Leader, Elsevier Science, New York. (Part of Reed Elsevier, a FTSE100 company).

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"The help file has been very well received by our staff and customers. If you ever need a reference site in the future, I will be happy to help in any way I can. Everyone at NDC was extremely pleased with your work."
- Steve Marriott, Marketing Manager, NDC Health, Droitwich..

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"I hope they pay you a lot of money, my friend - you're worth every penny!"
- Rob Marsh, Senior HelpDesk Analyst, Elsevier Science, Oxford.

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"We shipped your [Help] notes to our new Hobart City client and he was absolutely delighted with them. He said that if he had help notes like that with his old system he would not have had to get rid of it ! " - John Williams, Managing Director, Quota Pty, Australia.

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"I've heard a lot of good comments about these help files ... I would have no hesitation in recommending Philip for similar work" - Business Systems Program Manager at a major international Financial Services company.

Technical Author Feedback questionnaires

I usually include feedback sheets in printed documents such as Upgrade Notes and User Manuals.

Here are some comments returned from End Users over recent years from end users; ordinary people, many were not computer literate.

'Is the new-style documentation helpful?'

'Hints & Tips section especially - it cuts out most of our calls to support.'
'The screen depictions in particular are good.'
'I notice that [these] are now in layman's terms.'
'Please produce a new manual in this style !!! '

'Do you find them easy to understand?'

'Nice plain English!! '
'It's OK - more diagrams so you can actually see.'
'Yes - precise detail.'
'I found them easy to understand.'

'What do you particularly like about it?'

'It helps me at a glance to see what may be useful to our particular system.'
'Clear and easy to understand. Very user friendly.'
'Simple explanations and clear accompanying screen prints.'
'Not too 'wordy'.
'The Hints and Tips section is useful.'
'Easy to follow.'
'Illustrations make it a very easy process to follow.'
'More helpful than previous style.'
'Simpler terminology - the Speaking Voice!'
'Easy way of passing Training info.'
'Quickly highlights new features.'
'Sections are clearly identified, so can be given to appropriate staff.'
'Headings are clear.'
'Excellent presentation.'
'Easy to understand - Pictures Speak a Thousand Words !!'

"Any other comments?"

'Good idea to include a section on Hints & Tips. I can now pass these on to all PC operators.'
'For computer illiterate - nice, simple, informal language style.'
'I found [the upgrade] very easy because of the information and the presentation.'

Locations covered: UK and overseas

Technical Author for Abingdon, Avon, Bromsgrove, Buckinghamshire, Bucks, Burford, Cheltenham, Chippenham, Chipping Norton, Cirencester, Cotswolds, Devizes, Droitwich, Evesham, Faringdon, Glos, Gloucester, Gloucestershire, Gloucs, Great Malvern, Hereford, Herefordshire, Hungerford, Kidlington, Lechlade, Ledbury, Malmesbury, Malvern, Marlborough, Melksham, Newbury, Oxford, Oxfordshire, Oxon, Pershore, Redditch, Stow on the Wold, Stratford-upon-Avon, Stroud, Swindon, Tetbury, Tewkesbury, Wantage, Warks, Warwicks, Warwickshire, West Midlands, Wilts, Wiltshire, Witney, Woodstock, Worcester, Worcestershire, Worcs, Yate. And further afield in Amsterdam, Sydney, New York, Naples... With the internet, many things are possible!