The Art of Giving Instructions

So, it would seem that the conversation between cake maker and customer went something like this.

As funny as this may seem, and who knows if this picture is even authentic, I couldn’t help but think about how many times people misunderstand verbal instructions.

And the scary part is these people could just as easily be the pilot of an airplane or a brain surgeon about to cut your head open.

What steps do you think could have been taken to error proof this cake making process? And do these same steps apply to the doctor and pilot as well?

Ganeshan
March 4, 2009 - 8:19 am
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The customer could have been asked to write the text on a paper the way he/she wants it to be, at the time of order taking.
Alternatively, a computer image of the cake along with the text can be shown at the time of order taking to enable the customer to make any changes that he/she wants–which can act as the benchmark for the actual cake manufacturing process.
Adam Zak
March 4, 2009 - 9:31 am
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Two things. Be more specific with instructions to help the order taker visualize how you want the cake to look. Say: “There will be two lines of text on the cake. The first line will read…the second line will read…” Secondly, validate what was written down. Say: “OK, please read back to me exactly what you’ll be writing on the two lines appearing on the cake. The top line will read…the second line is.”

Adam Zak
Tom Palmitesta
March 4, 2009 - 10:46 am
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If the phone is the only way to communicate, then Adam Zak has the solution. What is needed in any occasion is to give an operational description of the requirement, as vividly as possible (that is ‘paint a picture’ so the recipient will visualize what is required). But, no matter how much you try, someone will still interpret it wrong, in my experience.
Adam Zak
March 4, 2009 - 10:56 am
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I’ve only done this by phone but my wife often buys cakes for our kids’ soccer and lacrosse post-game parties. She walks in to Costo with the inscription clearly PRINTED on a 3 x 5 index card.

Let’s hope we can get some standard work and poke yoke in place before I need to write out instructions for my tombstone.

Adam
Robert
March 4, 2009 - 1:37 pm
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For how much could be silly, but a form with the different section can be prepared and give to customer to fill it up, so it this way there are not misunderstanding.
Darrin Thompson
March 5, 2009 - 9:26 am
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Try to take more orders via text messages?
Alicia Simmer
March 5, 2009 - 9:55 am
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This reminds me of an old science olympiad event where one team-mate had to provide specific, written instructions to another teammate for building or creating something. The result sort of became a funny game of written ‘telephone’. Sort of like this cake result …
Mat
March 16, 2009 - 8:32 pm
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Is it possible to error proof stupidity?

Unfortunately these days common sense isn’t that “common”…..