Writing Matters

How to Write a User-Friendly "File Not Found" Page

When my recent search for USAID information on preparing your family for an avian flu pandemic dead-ended in a 404 "File Not Found" page, I expected to head back to the drawing board: Google. Then I took a closer look at USAID's error message page. (Click on the thumbnail to get a full-size, readable view.)

Rather than stranding the user, it tries to help by:

• Linking to the USAID home page where the user may be able to get her bearings and start the search again
  
• Linking to the site map, which may seem like a "vintage" method of way-finding but which some users actually prefer
• Linking to the Help Desk, a page that explains in easy-to-read text what each of the main content categories contains, what drop-downs are, and the right-hand navigation relates to the content on each page
  
• Providing a search field and allowing the user to search all/part of the USAID web site or the Internet instead.

Now THAT's attention to detail.

Do you have a favorite "File Not Found" page? (Am I really asking this question?!) If so, let us know.

-- Leslie O'Flahavan

P.S. I never did find the exact avian flu page I had been looking for, but I did use the search field in the "File Not Found" page to find other relevant info.

Is it me, or is Word's Grammar Checker BROKEN?

I'd just drafted a rather terse "when am I gonna get paid?" e-mail to a client who owed me money. I was all ready to hit Send when I reminded myself, "Always run a spelling and grammar check," even if you're writing in a state of righteous (unpaid) indignation.

So I ran Word's spelling and grammar checker, and here's the confused mess of feedback I got in return:

Both of Word's helpful suggestions were wrong:

• Please let me know if you'd like me to submit these invoice...
• Please let me know if you'd like me to submit this invoices...

What was going on?  The Microsoft Office Word Help article on the grammar checker explained:

The grammar checker is a "natural language" grammar checker that flags possible problems by performing a comprehensive analysis of the text. The grammar checker may not look for all types of problems; it's designed to focus on those that are most typical or frequent.

So, maybe choosing a pronoun (this, these) that agrees in number with the noun it modifies (invoice, invoices) was just too exotic for Word's grammar checker? I pity anyone who actually needs the grammar help this tool should offer, including the multilingual people I teach in my Business Writing Workshop for ESL Professionals.

Has Word's grammar checker ever steered you wrong? If so, let me know. It'll be fun to gang up on this unreliable tool!

-- Leslie O'Flahavan

Rumor Central: A Gossip-Quelling Blog from Missouri's Retirement System

After my recent web writing presentation at the National Association of Government Communicators' annual Communications School in Orlando, Candy Smith, Communications Supervisor for the Missouri State Employees' Retirement System (MOSERS), asked me to take a look at her organization's blog. Now, I must admit that I didn't expect fascinating reading at a state retirement system's blog, so when Candy told me the blog's name, Rumor Central, I was intrigued. Candy explained that MOSERS uses Rumor Central to squash rumors about changes to retirement benefits and insurance, etc., rumors that flourish during the January - May legislative session.

Rumor Central posts are straightforward but not straitlaced. They provide answers to questions such as:

• Were any of our retirement funds invested with Madoff?
• I read an article on CNN that said Missouri was one of the states losing money in investments in the retirement system. What does this mean to us as state employees?
  

In a follow-up call with Candy, Krista Myer (communications manager), and Scott Simon (benefit services section manager), I learned that Rumor Central successfully counters incorrect information in the rumor-sphere with an authoritative, accurate response. It also helps MOSERS cope with high call and e-mail volume in their contact center. Simon estimated that in 2005-6 MOSERS' contact center handled 2000 e-mails per year, but in 2008 e-mail volume shot up to 8000. 

When it launched in 2005, Rumor Central wasn't a blog; it was just web content. But as the content grew, it became unwieldy and impossible to search. Pulling the content into Blogger provided a custom search engine and allowed MOSERS to tag posts. And while the communications team may reopen the discussion of whether to allow comments (currently, Rumor Central doesn't accept comments on posts), they are confident that Rumor Central is serving its purpose. It provides access and accurate information to a wide group of people, and it helps people see MOSERS as forthright and real.

Want us to tell your blog's story? Get in touch, and we'd be glad to feature you in an upcoming post.

-- Leslie O'Flahavan

Transactional E-Mail: I'm Tim, I'll Be Your Installer

I've gotten excellent customer service from Next Day Blinds. So I wasn’t surprised to receive a transactional e-mail the day before the scheduled appointment to install new shades, reminding me of the date and time.

Somewhat unexpected, however, was the information the company provided about the installer. Along with his name, the e-mail told me he had worked for the company for 12 years. In addition, it included this information:

“Tim is extremely organized. He takes great pride in being efficient and this reflects in his installations. Certified in all Great Windows and Hunter Douglas window treatments, Tim is great for any job!”

I liked that the e-mail included a name. A person, not an “installer,” was doing the work. I was reassured that the man who was showing up at my house, drill in hand, was no Johnny-come-lately to installation. And it reinforced my positive feelings about the company. A company that has long-term employees must treat them right.

But I confess that I was unsure about the “extremely organized” and “efficient” information. It made me feel like I had to tidy up the living room before he arrived. I was apologetic when he found an earring under the sofa he moved. I was grateful that the installation wasn’t in my office! 

In the era of Facebook and MySpace, I shouldn’t find it strange that the e-mail provided personal information about Tim. But the information was edging over the line between installer and friend. Should I stick around and chat while he worked? How are the kids? Or perhaps pick up some tips on being more organized? Gather all your tools before starting the project.

After Tim completed the installation, I had to sign a checklist stating that he had followed installation procedures: removed his shoes, showed me how the new shades worked, cleaned up debris. As he left, I wondered whether he was filling out a form about me: customer was polite, living room was neat, didn't offer me coffee.

And did he tweet when he got back in his van? "Just completed organized and efficient installation of shades in Marilynne’s living room.” 

--Marilynne Rudick

For more of our thoughts on transactional e-mail, take a look at:

• E-Mail Customers Love: Your Order Is On Its Way
• How to Write a Confirmation E-Mail: Don't Take a Lesson from Amazon Advantage