Rant I can't believe what I was told by Tech Support about linking w/ my organization site

Lisa/ChefBear

Ok, I've got a fundraiser going on right now.......or I should clarify, I've got packets out to people who are starting to take outside orders for a fundraiser. Actual show will be on Thursday, Nov. 12th at library and we are closing on Sat. Nov. 14th, as they'll have had packets for way over 2 weeks by that point.

Anyway, ladies I spoke with were hestitant about linking to libraries main web site bcause they are a group who's raising money to help the library, they are not the library themselves.

I was in and talked with a friend who works at library on something else entirely and she said, wow I love your website, it's so great, wish we could let people know on libraries site to go to yours to help support the library. I said, "Well I did try and tell X and Y that we could do that, but they didn't want to as they are not the library themselves, they are just doing obo library. So when head librarian came in, we told her how we can link sites and she was so excited and thrilled (means possibility of more $ for library). I said, well I've just got to go in and put a few things and get prior approval from PC and then we can link it. Thinking that I can have it linked for up to 30 days ahead, as that's what it seemed like to me in terms, within a 30 day period.

Anyway, I went to try and get approval and ONLY dates it would allow was for me to list is as Nov. 12 to Nov. 14, So only for those 2 days, not anytime before hand, like you can with a normal show, give things out ahead and get orders ahead.

So I called PC, spoke with a very nice guy, but he said "No that's the way it is, if you want it listed for longer, you'll have to change your date listed on the site"

I know with the ladies I'm workig with, that will TOTALLY confuse them and also then it's listing wrong info when people look at my site.

I sent an email to PC web support as he told me and I put this in email.......

I'm very confused and frankly VERY disappointed in Pampered Chef's way of listing dates for fundraisers and the linking of my site with the organization.
I did go on and give more infor and then ended my email like this....

I would really like an explanation for this. This show has been up on my site for over 2 weeks now and I've been able to test it by clicking on it and "place an order" and then I've backed out the test order. If I, or any other customer can place an order for this show right now, why can't this show be linked to another web site??

Thanks in advance for your cooperation and clarification in this matter.
This is what I got.......gee I don't think anything will be done to help this group out....



Am I being unreasonable to think in this age of computer, there's GOT to be a better solution than my changing the date on the computer??
Again the ladies who are working with me will NOT understand why date is changed and then it's not right when people click on it, is why I don't want to change it.

NooraK

I can understand your frustration, but something to keep in mind: Tech support doesn't determine the rules about what days you can display your link. They want to respond to you immediately so you know they got your email, but they will have to have someone else look at the issue.

Becca_in_MD

I didn't call tech support but did discover this contradiction with linking fundraisers to the PWS. I gave out the catalogs already for a Nov. fundraiser but couldn't link to the org's website yet b/c it's not Nov. yet. I gave up on linking b/c, like you said with the folks at the library, it would only confuse the people I'm working with. Thanks for raising the issue with HO.

dannyzmom

Lisa,
with several FRs going on this season I have run into the same issue and am FRUSTRATED beyond words. Please send me a copy of your email - I will use it as a framework to write an email to Home Office as well...maybe the more people they hear from, they better chance we have of the issue being resolved.

ShellBeach

I quit paying for a PC website because my customers somehow always ended up placing orders on the main PC website, and somebody else in the area got my commission. I'd get emails saying they loved their PC stuff. What the heck? I didn't see those orders go through.


It shouldn't be so hard that I need to have them on the phone and talk them through what to click on, seriously!


Sorry to hear about your fundraiser issues, but I'd beware that even linking it for 2 days will put the orders under your name!

dianevill

Um, Honey, have you forgotten that this is Pampered Chef, who is about 100 years behind when it comes to the Internet?

Lisa/ChefBear

Here's what I send to HO, I was VERY PO'd and actually had to have hubby "edit' it as I wanted to really flame, but he put out the fire in this email.

I didn't even mention that I pay good money for this and now I can't have people use it in a way that's needed.......

Lisa

I also left my phone #s.

I then sent a seperate email regarding phone# listing on web site. I was on a roll, lol.

I said, I have to list day or evening phone as my cell phone so people can have both, there should be a spot for me to list my cell phone (if I choose to give out to customers, which I do)

I got an email saying there is a way, you can enter 2 different #s, your day and evening. So I sent another email and BOLDED a whole bunch of text and I got a second email saying, oh OK, I will send a suggestion to our developers on your behalf.

We'll see how long it takes for either of them to be updated.

Lisa

legacypc46

True words. (I still love the company, but really wish they would come out with more contemporary internet guidance.)

pampchefsarah

Can the library's webmaster add a blurb about orders being taken online from 11/1 (or, whichever date you choose) through 11/14, with a demonstration (or, however the 'event' part is being described) taking place at the library on 11/12?

esavvymom

I was confused by what you were talking about -so I set up a bogus Fundraiser to figure out the problem. Wow! All I can say is what a crazy oversight! They are basically telling us and the organization that they cannot advertise on their website until the DAY OF the event.....DUH! I can see a 30-day window, but that's just nuts!

dannyzmom

I have four fundraisers in the next 6 weeks and have the same issue with all of them. ARGH.
I wrote tech support and the solution ctr tonight.

Lisa/ChefBear

I think the more we slam them with this issue hopefully it will be fixed.

If I change the date on my site, it will look people are to come to the library on Nov. 1st (if I put that date as start) which I don't want people to show up that date. I also feel this will confuse the people I'm trying to work with for the organization of the fundraiser.

I still can't believe people haven't complained before this. I've done fundraisers for LOTS of groups, but none have had web sites, so this is my first try with linking, or I would have been on this before this.

Hubby asked if I could send a newsletter to library and they forward or try and link to my newsletter and not my web site.......I said I didn't think that would be allowed and not sure it would work.

UGH, I hate just not being able to do this without a huge hassle.

Thanks for helping and again, if we come together and complain, many voices get heard and one or two get shhh'ed.

Lisa

Lisa/ChefBear

I'm bumping so people will read and maybe we'll get more consultant's to complain to HO.

Lisa

dannyzmom

bumping again

AJPratt

I am surprised to learn that this is how it is. The big deal PC made about being able to link your site, its only good for a day. You could just enter it as a regular show and link it and be done with the fundraiser before PC ever even knows.

Lisa/ChefBear

How can I link it as a regular show??? I don't understand what you mean by that.

I didn't think you could link to another's site without HO permission first.

Lisa

jcsmilez

I too, am hoping that PC will change this policy. In the meantime there may be some things you can do to work around it. The date doesn't seem to be displayed for regular visitors to your website, so unless that specific information is inserted into the organization's website (I don't recall this being the case), you should be able to "change" the date without consequence. My other suggestion would be to have the organization's website administrators, as Sarah said, "add a blurb about orders being taken online from 11/1 (or, whichever date you choose) through 11/14, with a demonstration (or, however the 'event' part is being described) taking place at the library on 11/12?"

I hope that helps.

jcsmilez

No, you wouldn't be able to link it (legally) without setting it up as a fundraiser on your personal website.

Sheila

I just built a bogus one and got to it fine. I guess maybe I'm missing something?

Did you do the link following this sequence: pc.biz/*****?showId=*******

If you use that format you should have a clickable link to your show.

My username is SheilaDacey and the show ID # is 2319728 If you change the above asterisks and insert those two pieces of info, you'll see a fundraiser called "Bogus Fundraiser" when you click on order products. The fundraiser dates are 11/12 - 11/14.

There's probably a different route, but I got the show ID # by sending myself an online invitation to the show. I have two 2-year olds distracting me right now, so no time to go look for a different route to get the show ID # right now.

AJPratt

That's what I was trying to say. And that, the fundraiser would be done by the time PC gives you the approval to have it longer. Long long day. Sorry.