My role is that of a technical writer, but as a *part* of the support department (and with an extensive background in support). I actually do support - hopping into the queue and answering emails - about 10-15% of any week.
I'd argue that anyone creating the end user self service materials, no matter who ultimately owns it, should be at least very closely working with the support team if not embedded in it, as these are the people that are directly answering the questions that your self service content isn't answering, and are the most directly affected by lacking or ineffective content.
Also, knowing how customers think about our product by interacting with them as a support person absolutely informs how I approach the documentation for those customers -- being in support is one of the most effective methods to truly know your audience that I've ever encountered.
Not only that, having the documentation be a part of support creates a smooth career path for a support person who still wants to help people, but maybe wants to move on from being all front line all the time. Technical writing is often just an extension of talking to customers, or I think it should be at any rate.
Melanie: Thanks for sharing your experiences. I agree, the support team should be more of a focus for those who say they value the customer experience.
My role is that of a technical writer, but as a *part* of the support department (and with an extensive background in support). I actually do support - hopping into the queue and answering emails - about 10-15% of any week.
I'd argue that anyone creating the end user self service materials, no matter who ultimately owns it, should be at least very closely working with the support team if not embedded in it, as these are the people that are directly answering the questions that your self service content isn't answering, and are the most directly affected by lacking or ineffective content.
Also, knowing how customers think about our product by interacting with them as a support person absolutely informs how I approach the documentation for those customers -- being in support is one of the most effective methods to truly know your audience that I've ever encountered.
Not only that, having the documentation be a part of support creates a smooth career path for a support person who still wants to help people, but maybe wants to move on from being all front line all the time. Technical writing is often just an extension of talking to customers, or I think it should be at any rate.
Melanie: Thanks for sharing your experiences. I agree, the support team should be more of a focus for those who say they value the customer experience.