Thursday, February 09, 2012

Labels

"Sure, you can bring it back" said the customer service rep, with a friendly voice.

Which door at your store should I come to, I asked.

"Oh, just the one in the back," she replied, casually.

I knew from a previous visit there were six "doors in the back."  It was a large store. Is there a number on the door you want me to take it to? I asked again.

"It's kind of near the north-east corner," she told me after some thought.

Why do we label things?  Why do we put numbers or names on exterior doors?  Why do we put name tags next to cubicles?  Why do we put shelf labels in the warehouse?  Why do we make legible labels for file folders?

Clarity.

A lack of clarity is a breeding ground for errors.  Clear labels are a good start towards deeper clarity.


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