Web 2.0 Tech Support

I’ve been shadowing MadCap’s tech support online to check out how well Web 2.0 focused Tech Support works.

First, part one of my MadCap Feedback Server review actually has some of the Web 2.0 implementation within their own company. See the parts about eating their own dog food and unexpectedly, a bit of humor with the Internet Explorer title bar named appropriately for the holidays matching the pumpkin orange web color change in the Knowledge Base.

Also, check out Richard Ferrell’s forums post on the HATT listing feature requests right out there in the open for Flare. This is extremely confident and transparent. Excellent use of Web 2.0 along with Cluetrain principles.

I can’t keep up. MadCap Vice President and Help Authoring Guru Mike Hamilton trumps Richard Ferrell’s Tech Support posts on the HATT forums with his index / search hack for WebHelp generated from Flare.

For those of you not on the HATT, basically it’s a freebie hack given away contradicting the normal marketing viewpoint of not giving anything away for free. Particularly if it may compete with your own product.

Here’s my incredulous post in reply:

Dude. Way to trick the webhelp ranking system!
If anyone is wondering about the highwater mark for corporate
transparency online from a software vendor, this is it. This is a
killer hack for their product that enhances the searchability…

…posted by one of the executive staff right as they launch their
Feedback Server which is supposed to do the same thing.

Talk about calling the shot right out of the ballpark. Mike, you must
be pretty confident about how much BETTER than the recommended hack the
Flare output search works with the Feedback Server enabled.

A true example of Corporate Authenticity and high marks for your usage
of Web 2.0. Obviously it’s very Cluetrain of you also…
http://charlesjeter.com/category/corporate-authenticity/

Thanks. I’ve been working on a Tech Support employment of Web 2.0
tools. This will go down on your permanent record.

Quoted from Key Pointe: Information Architect, Content Strategist, Vancouver BC » Flare and AuthorIt:

Onto Flare and AuthorIt… They’re both pretty much the same in terms of feature sets, but AuthorIt imports multiple projects into one help project much more seamlessly. AuthorIt is good, solid, all there, but with Flare I get a sense of excitement: it’s easier to use, the product is evolving, the company is excited, their response times are great. AuthorIt’s customer service is good, too, but not as good as Madcap’s.

…But what put me over the edge towards Flare was the possibilities of what else can be done with a product that is great already and is only 2 years old, and the customer service.

Update 04/24/2008: MadCap Software wins 2008 ASP Online awards. See Web 2.0 Tech Support: Part 4 for the link.

Related Articles:

• Does Tech Support Count? Can Good Service Sell in the 21st Century?
• Web 2.0 Tech Support: Part 4
• Web 2.0 Tech Support: Part 3
• Web 2.0 Tech Support Usage On HATT Re: flare evaluation
• MadCap Software’s New Digs | More Adobe Layoffs
• Adobe and MadCap’s Cold War: Who’s the Superpower Today?
• Another Satisfied Adobe Customer…
• Company blogging 101