Trying to Enter Orders on Beta Site-Awful!

[mspibb]

I had a show tonight and was using my iPad to enter orders. It was an outdoor show and host warned me her wifi didn't work out on the patio. I was using my droid as a hotspot. I would search for something, click on it and it didn't seem to be doing anything, I would touch again and then would end up with 3 of the item. It would sit with a scrolling bar for an eternity saying "updating cart!" I went in the house to try to connect to their Internet, no better! I was SO frustrated! Fortunately a bunch of the guests are my very close friends and so I brought their orders home! I am very disappointed! I was so happy to not have to drag a laptop! Then I had somebody asking me about signing up and I couldn't even talk to them I was so frustrated! NOT a happy camper! OHand 2 people wanted the veggie brush and when I did a search for it it came up with some gibberish code and said " not found". When I tried to add to cart! The whole experience was dreadful!

 

[mspibb]

And no consultant gift payment type? I didn't have a current SB to give a lady that brought a guest so I said I would add it to her order! Did I mention frustrated????

 

[monicag]

I wonder what's going on....my director says its fantastic. I hate learning new things and hope it all gets worked out before we all have to do it. Regarding Consultant Gift....I thought they understood that that is something that is important to us to track our expenses.....but maybe there will be no expense tracking and we will have to do it manually.....anybody know that info?

 

[Sheila]

I'm still procrastinating, but I'm understanding that the consultant gift has been resolved. Something about an "other options" section? Sorry, I can't give you more. That's just what I saw the Directors talking about the other day & the one with the issues said that info helped & she got it to work.

 

[BethCooks4U]

I think the problem is we love P3 and this is so different. They are listening and changing things as enough of us request them. For instance, we asked that the host be able to pay for the show. At first they said no way, it won't happen. They just did a change that while we still have to enter the host's card into each order she is paying for, it will only run her card once for the total. Not exactly what we wanted but banks shouldn't be rejecting the payments now when she pays for multiple orders.Consultant gift was fixed a while ago. It is under other payment options. The more we use Beta the sooner it will be comfortable. They have been making great strides lately. My best piece of advice is when you get on have a catalog or kitchen show that you have ready to send in on P3 and move the orders onto the new site - just be sure to have the cc info written down first, then shred that info. Then you will be more familiar with it before doing it with customers watching (actually do a couple of them - I did 2 catalog and 1 cooking shows that way). Also, I have been putting in the guests names and emails while they shop and eat which speeds up check out. By the way, names are moved into first name alphabetical order as you enter them. Some consultants are greeting them as they get to the party and having guests enter their name and email into the program themselves, explaining that it will speed things up later.

 

[mspibb]

Thanks for the tip, I found where I enter consultant payment. I was able to enter the remainder of the orders at home on my wifi. I had entered several outside orders before I went last night so I thought I was okay, I guess maybe I was in a place where my cell phone connection wasn't real good!

 

[esavvymom]

So you HAVE to have internet access to enter the orders AT the host's home, even in the app on the ipad??

I know at one point in the beginning they said you can use your host's internet, etc.... But there is no way I will ask my host to give me access to her wifi (unless it is already unsecured, which hopefully it is not since that is just dumb to do on their part!), but I refuse to give someone else my wifi password, I certainly wont expect them to do it for me.

I thought the ipad app could be used offline?

 

[BethCooks4U]

It can but right now it doesn't add the shipping and tax for us when we do orders on it.

 

[mspibb]

My director told me she used the app and then all the orders were lost when she got home. I was using the mobile hotspot with my droid, which I use all the time on my lunch hour at work. I even used the beta site that way but it sure didn't work at my show!

 

[chefjeanine]

Seems to me that there are still MANY corrections to be made. I'll change when I MUST and no sooner.

 

[Maggievl]

You actually can add a "gift" which is a consultant gift. I'm on my iPhone right now, and under payments, to the bottom right there is an arrow. This means there are more options. Slide the bottom toolbar and click Gift and you can set the amount.

I understand the frustration of poor Wifi and hotspots. Last night my party had no phone range (so no hotspot) and no Wifi. I took all the orders and inputted them when I got home. Rarely do I even bring a computer or my iPad, I usually just have my phone and do it all later. I feel I can get more customer time to talk, less time to do data entry.

 

[mspibb]

Anybody know how to delete an Order off a show on the new program? I can't figure out how to delete not just an item but the whole order. 2 guests put their order together!

 

[Paula R. Lewis]

Seems to me that there are still MANY corrections to be made. I'll change when I MUST and no sooner.

I TOTALLY agree with you!!! I HATE the new website!!

:yuck:

I told them, we want EVERYTHING we have on Pampered Partner already, and nothing less!! There's no way I don't want to be able to look at shows without entering a time frame, or to not be able to look up an individual's order from a previous show. And, like others have mentioned, I have several wonderful hostesses who have NO internet, not even a computer in their home! They live out in the country, so there's no internet connection.

I've gone back to taking a calculator to the shows, and figuring the orders up the old fashioned way for now.....

Sure hope they get this stuff figured out soon! Pampered Partner was sooo easy to use, right from the beginning, but this new website is just a nightmare, in my opinion!

 

[mspibb]

Now I am trying to add the newsletter to every one of my contacts (really? I have to do that manually??) and after I finally played around and got the full list of contacts after I did 2 (and you have to return to the list each time ) I can't get the full list to show anymore!
I got a huge catalog show (is over$700) and not one phone or email address, I put it in my laptop!

 

[Orange Chef]

I agree with all the above. I like some aspects of the Beta site, but absolutely detest others! Like it being mandatory to include an email address. Some guests either don't have one or don't want to give it out. So we have to input their phone number as the email address. Totally ridiculous! And what if someone won't give you the email addy or their phone number? make up a number for the email addy. Really??? Because that's not dumb!
Sorry. I got on here not to rant, but to ask a simple question:
Is there a way to change an option so the guest does not get a receipt emailed to her? I just entered a large show where I only had 3 email addresses. It shows that they got their receipts emailed to them. Problem is one of the guests has now changed her order. Will she now get a new emailed receipt? I'd just as soon use the old P3 where I had more control.
Thanks for listening!

 

[monicag]

I agree with all the above. I like some aspects of the Beta site, but absolutely detest others! Like it being mandatory to include an email address. Some guests either don't have one or don't want to give it out. So we have to input their phone number as the email address. Totally ridiculous! And what if someone won't give you the email addy or their phone number? make up a number for the email addy. Really??? Because that's not dumb!
Sorry. I got on here not to rant, but to ask a simple question:
Is there a way to change an option so the guest does not get a receipt emailed to her? I just entered a large show where I only had 3 email addresses. It shows that they got their receipts emailed to them. Problem is one of the guests has now changed her order. Will she now get a new emailed receipt? I'd just as soon use the old P3 where I had more control.
Thanks for listening!

I totally agree with you.....just started using it in September and have had to call HO for almost every little thing I do.....constantly getting error messages. I agree with the e-mail address/phone #.....track by name/address. People change their phone #'s and e-mail addresses.I really want to be able to print off a receipt like on P3 and not 5 pages.....I've told them that every time I call them. Then if I have an outside order I have to write up a receipt if they don't have an e-mail address.....how stupid is that?I also found something out entering my last show......I booked a host off of herself earlier. You now can NOT put a host in as a guest and a host.....so what's the point of booking off of yourself if you can't get 2 of the host specials?How do you put in their phone # as an e-mail address? I need to do that and haven't been able to find that anywhere.On a positive note, every time I call Tech Support they are really great in helping you out. They start you with customer service reps and then transfer if they can't help you.

 

[cochef]

I totally agree with you.....just started using it in September and have had to call HO for almost every little thing I do.....constantly getting error messages. I agree with the e-mail address/phone #.....track by name/address. People change their phone #'s and e-mail addresses.I really want to be able to print off a receipt like on P3 and not 5 pages.....I've told them that every time I call them. Then if I have an outside order I have to write up a receipt if they don't have an e-mail address.....how stupid is that?I also found something out entering my last show......I booked a host off of herself earlier. You now can NOT put a host in as a guest and a host.....so what's the point of booking off of yourself if you can't get 2 of the host specials?How do you put in their phone # as an e-mail address? I need to do that and haven't been able to find that anywhere.On a positive note, every time I call Tech Support they are really great in helping you out. They start you with customer service reps and then transfer if they can't help you.

I do know the phone number answer - use the 10 digit phone [email protected]. I agree that the new site is overwhelming. I am trying to just enter a show with only a few orders and am discouraged already - and the end of the month is looming and it's my first attempt! I may just jump back over to P3 and do it since I know it will work!!

 

[Orange Chef]

My host needed a small order to make $150, so I told her I'd add an order for my daughter. I figured I'd add it under my name so my host wouldn't be confused, as my daughter is married and has a different last name from me. Nope! Consultants can't enter an order for themselves on a show. Thanks, PC! So I had to put it in with my daughter's name and I'll let the host know who that order is for. Thankfully, this host lives a mile from me and I know her quite well.
Also, does anyone know how to print off Thank you letters in Beta like we used to do in P3?

 

[esavvymom]

My host needed a small order to make $150, so I told her I'd add an order for my daughter. I figured I'd add it under my name so my host wouldn't be confused, as my daughter is married and has a different last name from me. Nope! Consultants can't enter an order for themselves on a show. Thanks, PC! So I had to put it in with my daughter's name and I'll let the host know who that order is for. Thankfully, this host lives a mile from me and I know her quite well.
Also, does anyone know how to print off Thank you letters in Beta like we used to do in P3?

We aren't allowed to enter an order on a host's show anyway. It's in our Consultant policy. Now, since this was really an order for your daughter, that's fine I think, but yes- we've never been allowed to do that under OUR OWN name. Now, P3 may have let us, but we aren't supposed to. Beta just is "smarter" I guess.

 

[esavvymom]

I do know the phone number answer - use the 10 digit phone [email protected]. I agree that the new site is overwhelming. I am trying to just enter a show with only a few orders and am discouraged already - and the end of the month is looming and it's my first attempt! I may just jump back over to P3 and do it since I know it will work!!

I still haven't switched, but with reading all of the problems folks have, I just haven't been inclined to make the switch. I think until they tell me I absolutely have to, I don't think I will. Right now, I am inactive. This certainly doesn't motivate me much to get active either. I don't have time to screw around trying to make things work.After a year and a half, they should NOT still be having this many problems with the program. This is what happens when they make so many assumptions....you know what they say about "ASSUME". PC assumed everyone has wifi, email, etc.

 

[DebPC]

I haven't switched either. And I probably won't until they make me also. I felt kind of funny about not switching- but now I'm happy I haven't.
Don't need issues at my busy time of year.

 

[ShellBeach]

Not switching until forced to do so is my plan, also. I really don't understand how they made the assumption about everyone having email, given there are Amish consultants and elderly customers without PCs.

 

[smooz]

For people without an email address you just put in their telephone number @mytpc.com Beta is not so bad once you get the hang of it.

 

[esavvymom]

Beta is not so bad once you get the hang of it.

People keep telling me that, but then I read other things and it's just enough for me to not want to risk being one of the unlucky ones. "Ain't nobody got time for that!" haha

 

[monicag]

I am beyond frustrated with this new system. I switched in September and it seems like every show I have some kind of issue or PC is having an issue. I tried last night to submit a show and it's a $300 cooking show....should be $40 free and 1 half-price item. It shows $25 free and no half-price. I spend 30 minutes on hold with Tech Support. Turns out with an update they just did it messed something else up. They said they would have it fixed by this morning. I come home this afternoon to submit the show, it still is not fixed. Call Tech Support again.....they hope to have it resolved by tomorrow morning. I really hope they get all the kinks and bugs worked out before the holidays. I will not be happy if they mess that big selling season up. I'm trying to be positive, but when it's causing me extra work, it's hard. I agree with esavvymom.....Ain't nobody got time for this!

 

[mspibb]

I am still not happy with the beta site- I do like carrying a mini iPad instead of a laptop! I did a show today and one of my guest's orders won't save the payment and give me the check mark on her name. It is not giving any kind of error, I verified her expiration, still no go. Grrr!

 

[Orange Chef]

I have also decided to not enter my orders on the Beta site. P3 works fine for me. I collect the orders at the party and can enter them at my leisure. Also, I like that I can keep P3 open on my computer and it gives me the Reminder Task list, something Beta can't do. Some people love Beta, some don't (like me). I just hope PC lets us keep the choice.

 

[Sheila]

Since my original post, I caved & decided to try Beta. I still take paper orders! It's just not worth trying to figure it out in front of guests. LOL But I am kind of getting the hang of it and *not* hating it like I thought I would. It does seem like there are a few extra steps here & there like clicking the "add to newsletter" on every single customer. But there are some features (like photos of the products they are ordering) that are nice. And having the links to click to pick the host benefits ~ which I'm sure will help newbies not forget to give them something they earned.I agree with having to come up with a different e-mail address to enter the host as a guest. It's a pain. And I had a host the other night who had an out of town cousin take 3 orders & she could only give me first names of these people. No last name, no address, no e-mail address, no phone number ... (they said they didn't a care about warranty issues ~ they are rich & would just buy new if it breaks) AND the out of town people all wanted their orders shipped to the cousin (who was NOT a co-host since you can't have a co-host on a catalog show). Talk about pain going back & entering that cousin's address that many times. LOL P3 would have been a little more simple on those orders, but I sill would have had the "ship to cousin" issue on either entry method, just not the e-mail address required issues. Oh, and [email protected] was already taken. LOLI don't think I'll be entering orders at shows any time soon, but I haven't thrown in the towel & gone back to P3 yet either.

 

[TrudysOwn]

The beta setup is very frustrating. Do you all have to sign in twice? When I go in first and then want to work on customer list or newsletter, etc., it always reverts and I have to sign in again. grrrrr. The notes section is also frustrating. the oldest note is always at the top. Trying to set up a new show, if one thing is incorrect, it just like goes in a loop. No error message. Nothing to help figure out what is missing, wrong, etc.The item search for order entering is so unhelpful. I loved on the P3 how we could rearrange by name, item #, and price. Don't see how we can do this now.P3 was so much more user friendly.

 

[Lilamyw3]

I still use P3. I've signed in to the beta site, but I haven't used the app really. I needed to place a non comission order and never figured out how to do it on the website or the app so I just went back to P3. I guess I should have studied the user guides and things given to us better.. but with everyone else's frustrations, I opted not to join in the chaos. Life is hectic enough at the holidays!