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How Technical Writers Can Make or Break Your Customer Experience

Let’s be honest—when was the last time you thanked a technical writer? Probably never. But when was the last time you cursed at a confusing manual, an incomplete help guide, or a misleading error message? Exactly.

Technical writers are the unsung heroes (or villains) of the customer experience. They have the power to make your life easier, or turn a simple task into a rage-inducing nightmare. Whether you realize it or not, they shape how you interact with products today and how smoothly things go in the future.

Smiling person looking over the shoulder of two people wearing headsets and working at computers. Caption reads: “Integrating writers into the feedback loop ensures they can identify areas for improvement based on how users interact with the documentation. By working closely with customer support and product teams, technical writers can monitor common user questions and problems, allowing them to adjust the documentation to meet users’ needs better as the product develops." -Wisdom Nwokocha, Senior Technical Writer, Sportradar

Today: The Frontline of Customer Satisfaction

A great technical writer is like an invisible concierge, ensuring you never have to call customer support because everything just makes sense. A poorly written document, on the other hand, can send you spiraling into an abyss of confusion, frustration, and keyboard-smashing anger.

Imagine setting up a new coffee machine. A well-crafted guide gets you brewing in minutes. A bad one? You’re watching YouTube tutorials, sifting through forums, and seriously contemplating whether instant coffee is the way to go.

The Good
  • Clarity: Good technical writing explains things like you’re five—without making you feel like you actually are.
  • Brevity: Nobody has time for a novella when they just want to reset a password.
  • Accuracy: Nothing ruins a day faster than “Press Button A” when there is no Button A.
The Bad
  • Ambiguity: “Turn the knob slightly until you hear a click.” Slightly? How slightly? Which click?
  • Jargon Overload: “Engage the thermodynamic oscillation sequence via the primary interface.” Just say “Turn on the heater.”
  • Unhelpful Error Messages: “An error has occurred.” Oh, thanks! That narrows it down.

Bar graph showing an increase in competitive advantage. Caption reads: "When developed and maintained, technical writing enables companies to not only operate more smoothly and with competitive advantage, but also serves to improve customer satisfaction and can also meet regulatory requirements." -Curt Robbins , Senior Technical Writer, Curt Robbins & Associates Technical Writing Agency

The Future: Where AI and UX Collide

Technical writers aren’t just making today’s experience smoother—they’re shaping the future of how we interact with technology. As artificial intelligence, voice interfaces, and augmented reality evolve, clear documentation is more critical than ever. After all, a world run by AI still needs humans to understand how to, well, run it.

Think about chatbots and virtual assistants. Who do you think scripts those helpful (or hilariously unhelpful) responses? That’s right—technical writers. Without them, your AI-powered fridge might tell you to “adjust the humidity settings” without explaining how, leading you to angrily Google: “What is fridge humidity and why do I care?”

As products become more complex and technology becomes more integrated into daily life, the role of technical writers will only grow. Their ability to make information accessible will determine whether users thrive or just survive in an increasingly digital world.

Confused-looking person on the phone with an open box in front of them. Caption reads: "Without documentation, customers are left to fumble in the dark, or else to contact your support team. And the likelihood is, if they have to reach out to a human for support, many customers won’t bother. They’ll just abandon your product instead, maybe asking for a refund, and that outcome is not good for anyone." - Document360

Appreciate Your Technical Writers!

Next time you breeze through a setup, effortlessly troubleshoot an issue, or understand a complex feature in seconds, take a moment to thank the technical writer who made it possible. And if you ever find yourself trapped in a labyrinth of bad instructions? Well, now you know who to blame.

Great technical writing is the difference between a seamless experience and a tech-induced meltdown. So, whether they’re writing for today’s users or future generations navigating the world of AI-driven everything, technical writers truly make or break the customer experience. Let’s hope they keep making it.

 
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9 Technical Writer Myths: Fact or Fiction?

The Anti-Buzzwords Revolution: Why Technical Writing in 2025 is About Clarity, Not Clout

 
Resources

Nwokocha, Wisdom. “Why Technical Writing Is Key to Product Success.” Built In. 10/23/24. Accessed 3/6/25. https://builtin.com/articles/technical-writing-key-product-success 

Robbins,  Curt. “The Importance of Technical Writing in Enterprise Organizations.” LinkedIn. 8/17/24. Accessed 3/6/25. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/importance-technical-writing-enterprise-organizations-curt-robbins-xoo5c 

“User Documentation: Expert tips, Best Practices and Examples.” Document360. 2/27/25. Accessed 3/6/25. https://document360.com/blog/user-documentation 

 
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