Re: Customers who read manuals from cover to cover

[Chris Gooch <Chris -at- lightwork -dot- co -dot- uk>]

Warren wrote:

++++

The tendency in our company was to undermine the value of documentation, 
by claiming that "nobody ever reads them anyway." All this changed when a 
high-level delegation, led by our CEO went to visit an important customer 
in Japan, and found out that they have a team of engineers, who sit with 
marking pens and go through every word in the manuals, underlining parts 
they don't understand or which aren't clear. If they find a single mistake 
or inaccuracy in the documentation, then this apparently undermines their 
entire faith in the manuals and the value of the product. 

++++

Warren -

I can confirm that we have had this experience with Japanese customers - it
is
a cultural thing I think. Definitely something to be aware of if you deal
with
Japan. 

Of course, it should not be assumed that all Japanese people / companies
are culturally identical... but it doesn't hurt to understand that there
often
are such differences between the "western" and "japanese" ways of doing
things.

cheers,

Christopher Gooch, Technical Author
LightWork Design Ltd, Sheffield, England.
chris -at- lightwork -dot- co -dot- uk   www.lightwork.com



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