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Instruction Manuals, Service Manuals, Help Files etc..Get the customer on your side from the start.The first thing to do in any manual is to re-assure the customer that he has done the right thing in buying your product. Don't congratulate him, or thank him, or scare him with warnings and limited warranty statements. Convince him he has done the right thing and he will be on your side in the unlikely event that he hits a problem. Include a Contents Section and an IndexHelp him find his way round. There is nothing more frustrating than knowing a product can do something and not being able to work out how. A good index is very important. Order it LogicallyIdeally the customer should start reading at page one and follow through page by page to the end. If he has to keep jumping backwards and forwards - he is likely to forget where he was and get annoyed. Put the bits you are less proud of and the limited liability statements, etc. - towards the end.You don't want him to recognise shortcomings any earlier than he needs. Give him ideasTry and include some application information to inspire the customer to use your product more - so he will need to buy some more. Hints and TipsThis is a great section to include answers to any last minute features that couldn't be included or didn't work quite as expected, or are causing too many customer service calls. Most customers will read the hints and tips section within the first few hours of opening the book. Be careful what you put in it. This is a section that can appear as an Appendix, one of the few, always read sections, that can rightly go towards the end. Ask for help from the customerHave a Chapter in the manual asking for product and instruction manual improvement suggestions. Your customers will see this each time they look at the contents pages and be impressed that you respect them and would welcome their help. Very few customers will respond. Those that do will make valuable suggestions. Include a Publication Date or Version Number.If he is talking to your help line - your support engineers can point him to the appropriate page in HIS manual. Next time he will spend longer searching his manual before calling you. Don't give away too much.Include as much information as your customer is likely to need, but not enough for your competition to be able to steal your design.
We can undertake technical writing and manage the production of all of the above. We have a range of software which can make these tasks very much easier and therefore economical. We can output in most formats, including Word, Adobe Acrobat PDF and Postscript and provide files by modem, ISDN, on floppy, 100Mb Zip discs or CD-ROM. Depending upon the quantities and binding required, we can undertake full production of manuals in house, or arrange for Docutech or offset litho' printing and finishing.
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