Chapter 11
Look! It’s an Instruction Manual
In This Chapter
- Understanding the KISS principle
- Reaping the benefits of clear instructions
- Applying the elements of good instruction manuals
- Choosing from the many types of electronic manuals
So you just got a raise and you go out and purchase that wall unit you’ve been waiting to buy. It’s one of those pieces that you have to put together. You open the box expecting to see a manual of simple instructions. Instead, out falls a piece of paper with one or two crude diagrams that claim to show how to build the unit.
You stare at the diagrams in disbelief. You empty the box and climb in looking for the manual that surely got stuck in the box. Still no manual! But now you’re stuck in the box.
You crawl out and once again look at the sheet with the crude diagrams and ask yourself if there’s anything you’re missing, like your sanity. You start questioning your level of intelligence as you realize you have no clue as to what the diagrams are telling you. You resort to calling a neighbor or friend and having to admit that you are really stupid and forced to ask if he or she—or better yet, their 12-year-old genius—could come over and do what appears to be a simple job. Does this sound familiar?
Of course, if you ever found yourself in this situation, you weren’t the stupid one. The company that provided the instructions really let you down.
Watch It!
Your company may manufacture products overseas in a developing nation, but that doesn’t mean your instructions need to be written there. We are absolutely baffled why companies insist on selling products with instructions written by someone who obviously doesn’t speak the language they’re writing in. A typical example goes something like this:
“Remove switch or put to on flat surfer. CAUTION! If case you finding switch or not, go now to on surfer place! Under no circumcisions touch there or hot may result. You am warn!”
Puh-lease don’t force anyone to waste time trying to translate confusing, cumbersome, or crazy instructions!
Instructions are meant to make the job easy for the person installing, setting up, or using a product or service. They should not be an IQ or stress test.
When instructions confuse more than help, the customer immediately starts to resent the supplier. Buyer’s remorse—that nagging doubt that maybe the purchase wasn’t such a good idea after all—haunts most people anyway. Don’t do anything to increase this potentially deadly feeling, such as make your customer feel like a complete fool.
Bad instructions can trigger a negative Instant of Absolute Judgment that we talked about in Chapter 4. Why lose a customer forever over a piece of paper?
Hello from Everyone in the Box
Instructions are probably the first contact many of your customers have with your products. They can shape a lasting first impression. Yet, as important as this communication is, instructions are too often taken for granted as nothing more than a necessary evil. That’s a big mistake!
Instructions contribute greatly to a customer’s perception of your product quality. When instructions are done well, you can vastly decrease the number of irate customers that your support personnel will have to deal with. Poorly written instructions, on the other hand, increase both the frustration levels of your customers and your costs to field their complaints.
Let’s take a look at how you can use well-designed instruction manuals to increase customer satisfaction, and decrease both your support costs and merchandise returns.
The KISS Principle
If you want to make your customers happy, write your instructions with the KISS Principle in mind. KISS stands for Keep It Sweet and Simple. For instructions, like all other customer service communication, that means:
- Be clear
- Be helpful
- Be friendly
No Smarty-Pants
Just as poorly written or incomplete instruction manuals frustrate customers, the opposite can be true. Overly complex or detailed instructions can be just as annoying. Instructions aren’t an excuse for your company to show off its intelligence, engineering prowess, or breadth of knowledge.
An instruction manual (video, CD-ROM, or any other media containing instructions) should be designed to take your company’s collective intelligence and use it to simplify instructions to where the average person can easily understand what they have to do in order to achieve satisfactory performance from your product.
Tales from the Real World
A manufacturer of store displays for dairy cases developed an instructional video for $15,000. The developers were certain that the information was simple and easy to follow, even for the young store employees who were expected to put them together. After countless phone calls from frustrated store managers and a great deal of money wasted on needless customer support, a second video was developed, further simplifying the process. The second video cost an additional $24,000.
It took two videos at a cost of $39,000 and a lot of frustration on all sides before everyone was happy. If the first video had been done properly for $24,000, can you imagine how much money and frustration the manufacturer would have saved for its customers and itself?
What are your instructions costing you?
Kid-Proofing
In the movie Big, Tom Hanks played a boy transformed into an adult body. He had an adult’s body and child’s mind. He was discovered by a toy company as being a prodigy and given an executive position. One of his ideas was to put all new toys through a vigorous testing system. The system involved unleashing a crowd of children who used and literally abused the toys.
At Your Service
Create a manual that anyone who uses your product or service can read and understand. Test your manual for ease of understanding before you print thousands of copies. Make sure it satisfies all levels of intelligence and technical proficiencies represented in your market.
The adults were able to figure out from the kids’ behavior if the toys were of interest and how well they stood up to child’s play. Inspired, huh?
Consider the same kind of idea for your instruction manuals. Before you print your manual, give a copy of it with the product to a bunch of 8th graders and see how well they can follow the instructions for putting the product together and using it. If they’re having difficulty following the instructions, consider them to be unclear or too difficult to understand. The instructions, not the kids!
You’re going to spend time making sure your customers know how to use your products and services. It will cost you less in time and money if you put the effort into the development of user-friendly instructions. Otherwise you’re guaranteed to spend more in time and money following up on the complaints later on.
Dumbing Down?
If you’re concerned that simplified instructions may be too simplistic for some of your sophisticated customers, remember that the goal of this game is to achieve 100 percent satisfaction, even from those who aren’t as quick in learning your products as others. Besides, your wise guy customers get a chance to feel intellectually superior when reading simple instructions. Hey, you’re building their self-esteem. Good job!
Get It in Writing
The key to writing clear and easy directions and supplying easy to follow diagrams lies in the hands of your technical writers and artists. Being able to simplify technical information into an easy-to-understand form—meaning both the writing and the artwork of the form—is an art in itself. Make sure you surround yourself with qualified technical writers and artists. Ideally, these writers and artists shouldn’t be involved with product creation. That would put them too close to the situation to view it.
Not everyone processes information in the same way. Each of our brains is wired differently. Some people have difficulty following word instructions even when they’re written very clearly. Others, including Don, have difficulty following the most elegant drawings. Good instruction manuals accommodate everyone’s comprehension style by using both clear words and pictures to communicate the information.
Like your customer, your writers and artists need to approach it from the outside in order to succeed in writing a manual that outsiders can relate to. There is a strong possibility of jeopardizing the huge amount of money you have invested in the overall development of your product or service by not employing the right artists and writers. Remember, a picture can be worth a thousand words.
A whole discipline has evolved for taking technical information and making it approachable for the non-technical folks in the world—most people! Find freelance writers and artists who understand your technical jargon and processes but who communicate for the rest of us. Find them in the phone directory under “writing services” and “graphic designers.” Or you can contact the International Association of Business Communicators (see Appendix A) for a list of people you might want to contact. Good technical communication specialists are worth every penny you pay them.
Otherwise, you might have a Nobel winning piece of scientific literature on your hands, but a warehouse full of product that no customer can understand how to use.
Once the instructions have been developed, test them out on people representative of your market. If these people have no problems following the instructions, you’re all set. If there are problems, identify them and redo the instructions. Then test again. Get it right before going to market to save you and your customers many hours of frustration later.
Benefits of Clear Instructions
Let’s take just a moment to recap why good, clear instructions are worth the investment of time and money.
Some manufacturers try to break instructions into many pieces. Open the box and about 20 pieces of paper come falling out. There’s the red one, the blue one, the yellow one . . . . The product maker is trying to save time and money by not printing an up-to-date manual. But all those different sheets flying all over the place only add to customer confusion and increase the possibility of overlooking or misplacing important information. If time pressures keep you from printing a consolidated set of instructions, invest in a STAPLER and assemble all the pieces into one unit so that your customer can at least keep all those pieces together.
Avoiding Buyer Remorse
Poor and unclear instructions lead to a severe case of buyer’s remorse. Feelings of inadequacy, re-thinking the need for the product, or refusing to go through a lot of pain struggling with unclear instructions might lead to the return of merchandise. That increases your costs and decreases your profits.
Developing Advocates
Poor and unclear instructions lead to the depreciation of good will in the minds of your customers. Their willingness to talk about your products and services in glowing terms decrease with every minute of frustration. Clear and easy instructions prevent any of this from happening. In fact, if the instructions are remarkably simple and easy, they might go out of their way to tell others.
Unclogging Support Lines
Poor and unclear instructions lead to a severe case of clogged support lines. If the situation is dire, you may be forced to add support personnel and phone lines, all of which will cost you more than if you spent a fraction of that money and time simplifying your instructions from the beginning.
Understandable and truly useful instructions are as important as any other component in your customer service program in helping to deliver truly great service.
Elements of Good Instruction Manuals
There are several types of instruction manuals you can insert into your packaging. Computer products, for instance, often come with a fast start-up guide as well as a complete manual of instructions, and instructions that are loaded on to the customer’s computer. If your product or service isn’t as complicated as a computer system, then you can probably get by with one instruction manual.
As with anything else, there is a format you can use to write clear and concise instruction materials.
Depending on your product or service, you may not need to include all of the elements we describe below in the instruction manual. That decision should be based on the answer to this question:
- From the instructions alone, do your customers easily know how to use your products?
If the answer is no, you either must simplify what you have or add more instructions.
Ron had a laptop computer made by a top computer manufacturer. When he developed a problem with his battery, he looked on the front and back for a support number. No number. Believing there had to be a number somewhere in the unit’s 400-page manual, he spent 20 minutes leafing through the entire publication. Incredulously, he still found no number. Ron even called 800 directory assistance only to find out that no toll-free number was listed. He couldn’t figure out why the company’s phone number was considered to be top secret. But what he did figure out was when it came time to buy a new system he was going to buy it from another company.
On the flip side, when Don bought a new computer system, he was delighted to see the customer support number printed clearly on the inside flap of the box. Before he even finished opening the box, he was impressed with IBM’s obvious commitment to supporting their product.
Accessible customer support is as important a component as anything you pack into a box and ship to a customer.
Support Services
In the first few pages, you should clearly point out where your customer can go or call if she needs additional help. People always look to the front or back of the book for this information. It is our recommendation that you put it in the front. Make sure you provide the phone numbers for all locations worldwide.
If you also provide support via the Web and Internet, supply your e-mail and site addresses. Be sure you provide all the steps one needs to reach your site. Don’t take it for granted that your customers know all the steps. When you assume things, it is a good bet that your manual is starting to get complicated.
By the way, having a Web site for customers to reach you is increasingly a good service strategy, especially if you serve technology-savvy customers who expect instant answers to their questions. We discuss Web sites and other service technology in much greater detail in Part 5 of this book.
Table of Contents
The Table of Contents should clearly list all the parts and sections of the manual and what topics are covered in each section. Besides describing how to use your product or service, the first sections should describe all of the parts one should have received in order to properly use the product. If it is a system, all of the knobs, switches, and parts should be identified. If it is a service, then have a section that describes all of the tools one needs to use the service. For instance, if you’re providing an online service, you probably want to list the system requirements for optimal performance, such as: Pentium processor, 12MB of RAM, 28.8 modem, and so on.
Troubleshooting
In the back of the manual, you should list the common types of problems one may encounter using your service along with the possible reasons and remedies. This list will save you incredible time and money by reducing the number of support calls to your help line. (Each line gives examples for different types of services and products.)
Sample Troubleshooting Listing
Problem | Possible Solutions |
Machine doesn’t turn on | Check to see if power cable is properly connected |
No dial tone | Check to see that phone jack is properly connected |
Manually bleed your computer battery (press function and F1 keys at same time) of current charge and re-charge the battery. When using the battery, always drain it completely before re-charging. If you still have problems, there might be a problem with your system board. Call dealer for further assistance. | |
Can’t get through to reservation lines for tickets | Peak time for reservations are Monday–Friday, 10:00am to 2:00pm. If you are calling during these times, try to call later in the day if possible. Order your tickets at our Web site. Simply get online and type www.ticketsforyounow.com. There is no wait ordering tickets this way. Call your travel agent and let them earn their money. |
To identify which problems might commonly occur, simply check your existing complaint call log. It will give you this information.
Index
The index should list every topic, word, title, and issue one can possibly have a question about. The index is the vehicle for someone to quickly locate the exact page where the subject they are searching for is located.
Make sure you test your index before you print your instruction manuals and ship them out. Sometimes professional indexers have never used your product—let alone had a problem with it that would require using the index. In addition, many people turning to the index to find something will look for different words to describe it. (One looks for “connection,” another looks for “dial up,” and another looks for “access.”) Testing the index before publishing it should help everyone find all the good information that you’ve taken the time and trouble to assemble.
Warranty Info
All warranty information, exchanges, and return policies should be documented and listed in the manual. Addresses and all items of proof required should also be listed. Any regulatory statements that apply, cautions, and warnings should also be spelled out.
Glossary
It’s always best to include a glossary at the end defining all terms and words relevant to your product or service. There’s one in this book!
While you’re not in the business of publishing dictionaries, you are in the business of making sure your customer completely understands everything there is to know about how to use your products and services. Do yourself a favor; define even the words that are simple to you. Remember, your reader may not find them to be that simple.
Electronic Manuals
In today’s high-tech world, instruction manuals come in all forms. They aren’t limited to printed media. Let’s take a look.
Video
Video is a great media source for providing complex instructions. Printed diagrams can only show you pictures of before and after. Video can visually show you how to carry out the instruction. Video is a great tool for showing how to build things, put parts together, and perform certain techniques. For example, pharmaceutical and medical firms use videos a lot to show how their products work. Sporting goods manufacturers use videos to show their products in action, and some software makers do the same thing. Don’s Jeep came with a video explaining how to use the anti-lock braking system; it really helped to make the point that ABS brakes work differently than conventional brakes.
Video is great for telling a story or describing a process. But one major drawback with video in meeting a customer’s expectation for answers fast is that it’s linear. By linear, we mean that you must start at the beginning and go through all of the information until you hit the point that’s of interest to you. Yes, you can fastforward the video. But you still need to know where to stop. It isn’t a clean method for people to quickly go to their points of interest.
Video is obviously more costly to produce than printed material. Depending on your internal resources and the type of video you shoot (ranging from studio shots to location filming), you can plan on budgeting anywhere from $1,000 to $10,000 per minute of finished footage. For budget purposes, you need to add your packaging and duplication costs, which vary depending on the length of your final program and the number of copies you make.
CD-ROM
CD-ROM is commonly being used to help customers find and access certain information quickly. It can provide complex explanations and demonstrations in text as well as audio, animations, and even real action video. It’s truly interactive. While videotape is linear, CD-ROM let’s you bypass the information you don’t want by allowing you to point and click to access the areas that interest you. CD-ROM has tremendous room to put lots and lots of data on, including pictures, videos, sound, and diagrams.
Here are some examples of how CD-ROM is used today in service:
- Auto Parts dealers looking up specs on parts
- Aviation repair personnel reviewing procedures
- Operation guidelines for complex mail machines, manufacturing equipment, electronic equipment, medical equipment, etc.
- Training companies supplying updates and continuing education courses
Clearly communicating instructions is not the only thing you have to worry about. You need to be sure the medium you use is one that your customer has access to and finds easy to use. Putting instructions on diskettes is useless if your customers do not have easy access to computers. Likewise, instructions on CD-ROM are worthless to a computer owner without a CD drive.
The list goes on and on. Look at your product or service. If it would take enormous amounts of disk space to adequately provide all of the information necessary (video, text, graphics, and sound), then it is a good candidate for CD-ROM.
CD-ROM’s are cheap to duplicate but not cheap to produce. What we mean by that is that the actual cost of the physical disc can be about the same as a gourmet cup of coffee. But producing the content on that disc can cost as much or more as a gourmet coffee store.
From the simplest form involving text only to the more complicated formats, you can easily spend between $5,000 and $100,000 and up on development of the CD-ROM. Again, you need to add the cost of packaging and duplication to arrive at your total costs. Your decision to produce a CD-ROM will be partly based on the value of your products and services, the size of your potential customer base, and the intricacies of the instructions.
Audio Cassettes
Audio cassettes are a great tool for telling a story or giving instructions. They can be transported easily and listened to in remote places through portable cassette players. They cost far less to produce than videos. But they are also more limiting by not incorporating visuals. Some people cannot process information without visually seeing it. Still, you can create a hybrid by including a good printed piece to accompany the audio tape.
Diskette
Diskettes are great tools to disperse large amounts of text information. They are limited in that even with today’s data compression techniques—there is not much capacity for color graphics and certainly not enough space to hold video. Disks are great for instructions and answers to frequently asked questions. They also serve as great tools for product and price updates.
They are cheap to produce. You can produce at will, even in small quantities, and save on printing and paper costs. Let’s say one 1.44 MB diskette costs you a dollar and holds all the information your customer really needs. To print the pages in full color would cost you hundreds if not thousands of more dollars (especially in small quantities).
Disks offer your customers the option of printing only the pages that contain the information they need in print, and taking considerably less storage space than big paper manuals.
We do not suggest that you completely replace your printed manuals with diskettes. But diskettes certainly are great additions and possible replacements for massive print documents.
A software developer was sending out a diskette to its customers, announcing new capabilities. On the face of the diskette was a set of instructions on how to use it. After giving it out to a few people, several complaints were received from people who couldn’t figure out the instructions. The developers had the opinion that if the customer didn’t know how to use it, then he didn’t deserve it!
Fortunately, the president of the company knew if the customer didn’t understand it, he would have no business in the future. He immediately inserted two additional steps into the instructions on the diskette label. These two new simple instructions also meant having to change the diskettes at some expense. Still, the greater acceptance in the marketplace far outweighed the inconvenience the company faced in implementing the changes.
Just because someone uses a computer doesn’t mean he or she is a technical genius. We know. Many computers today are easier to use than they’ve ever been. But they can still be awfully complex and frustrating.
If you’re using diskettes or other high-tech media, make sure you follow the same set of ground rules you use for writing printed manuals. Keep it sweet and simple!
Here’s Our KISS
We’ve been saying keep your instructions sweet and simple and you will have little if any problems with customers not knowing how to use your products and services. Now, let’s be honest. Just because you do this, it doesn’t mean you won’t get calls from customers who still don’t know what to do.
If you start using a new technology to provide a faster and more efficient way of presenting instructions, remember to spell out the benefits to the customer for trying the new method. And give them simple, easy-to-follow steps of how they should proceed.
The bottom line to giving clear and concise instructions is: give your customers what they need and in a medium they want to use.
The volume of support calls to your help line can be directly correlated to the simplicity of your operating instructions. You really do have control over how many calls of assistance you will get. Giving good instructions is a classic example of where customer service today is a company-wide issue, not just a departmental responsibility. So go ahead, KISS your customer! (You know what we mean if you really read this chapter!)
The Least You Need to Know
- Provide your customers with clear and easy instructions to follow. Keep them sweet and simple.
- If you apply the KISS Principle, you will see your support costs decrease, customer satisfaction increase, and greater referrals from happy customers.
- Proper instruction manuals should include everything there is to know about your product and service. They should make it easy for your customers to quickly locate certain pieces of information.
- Instruction manuals today come in all types of electronic medium, including video, diskette, CD-ROM, and audio cassette. Select the electronic type that adequately supports your product and service.
Part 3
So, How Am I Doing?
To create Personally Pleasing Memorable Interactions (PPMIs) on a consistent basis, you need to be in touch with your customers—and stay in touch with them. You need to know their needs and preferences as well as or better than they do!
And that means getting feedback from your customers by asking them directly, observing them closely, and understanding them intimately.
How do you read customer minds? The next few chapters will give you some real world methods for delivering The Service Difference by practically becoming telepathic. Whether it be through their complaints, the questions they ask you, or surveys you take of them—you’ll see how to get the inside scoop on providing continually better service.
