Poor Product Instructions Can Affect A Company’s Bottom Line

19 March 2013
tcanz.org.nz
Poor Product Instructions Can Affect A Company’s Bottom Line

One simple way to build brand loyalty and make your customers happy is to provide clear and complete product instructions.

That’s according to Sharon Burton, a Content Strategy consultant, who has set out to discover if people use the instructions that come with the product they purchase, and whether those instructions meet their needs.

Burton’s research shows that 95% of consumers who can’t understand how to use a product feel either upset or actually angry. “That’s a lot of negative sentiment that you don’t want to see being expressed on social media sites and in conversations with friends and family,” says Burton.

Emma Harding, spokesperson for the Technical Communicators Association of NZ (TCANZ), agrees, commenting that technical writers — the people who write the user manuals — have been saying this for years.

“People need top-quality, usable manuals to set up or assemble their new device — whatever it may be — as easily as possible so they can make the best use of it. Companies who invest in truly user-focused manuals are doing their bottom line a big favour.”

The research bears out what technical communicators know: that humans need task-based information, not just a list of features. “There’s a science to writing effective instructions and commissioning the right graphics, and it’s backed up by testing the manual, as well as the product, for usability. If a Marketing team is responsible for a product’s manual, there’s a tendency for it to become a sales vehicle instead of a really useful aid for the consumer,” says Harding.

Further research Burton conducted last year also reveals that frustrated consumers use social media circles for help when they are struggling with a product. If they can’t locate the content they need from the manual, the manufacturer's web site, user groups, or Google, they ask their online friends. They generally name the brand, and while they don't expect a response from the company, they’re pleased if they do get one and generally say so.

“It is very useful to know how much technical support is shared in the world of social media. Companies need to consider how much brand carnage occurs when people vent their frustration online. Well-written and accessible product documentation is an essential part of customer care,” says Harding.

Consumers from New Zealand can say how they feel about product instructions by visiting Burton’s poll at http://tinyurl.com/aopto6h.

The free report is available here: http://www.sharonburton.com/consumer-feelings-about-product-documentation-results-are-in/

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About TCANZ:

The Association was formally established in Auckland in 1997 as the New Zealand Technical Writers Association (NZTWA) by a group of technical writers who had been meeting informally for some time.

The NZTWA was renamed TCANZ in August 2002 to reflect the broader role performed by technical communicators.

The objectives of the Association are to:

• Establish a legitimate forum for technical communicators in New Zealand

• Promote technical communication as a profession

• Promote technical communication training within tertiary institutions in New Zealand.

Members

Our members are people who are involved in paper-based or online documentation as:

• Developers

• Students

• Teachers

• Managers.

Activities

Local branch meetings are held in Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington on a monthly or occasional basis. The meetings are advertised on the website tcanz.org.nz

Training workshops

Several times a year, half or full-day training workshops are held on topics of direct practical use to professional technical communicators. Topics have included procedure writing, visual communication techniques and developing information for online delivery. Where possible, each workshop is held in Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington.

Conference

Every alternate year, TCANZ holds a two-day conference. Presenters from Australia, Europe, the USA and New Zealand have delivered papers at previous conferences.

ENDS

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