Lost Show Recovery: Can Home Office Help? | Frustrated Consultant's Dilemma

[GeorgiaPeach]

A while back I questioned whether or not anyone knew if tech support could help us rebuild lost info on P3. My computer crashed...my flash drive back up was corrupted...and I lost 6 (submitted) shows.

I personally know someone that said they (tech support) helped her get her lost shows back when her computer crashed. I've spoke with two different tech support guys at different times and they say there's no way they ever did that. It can't be done.

I called customer service and asked if they could just send me copies of what is showing in their system and I'll re-key it myself. They say they can't. She really hemmed and hawed so I said, "You can't or you won't? Do you have the ability to print that off?" She slowly replied, "We can't".

I am SO frustrated!! I, of course, have the receipts from the shows but I close all my shows over the phone so the host's order and any of her outside orders are given to me over the phone and I don't have that info.

I said to the lady...you print off the packing slips, why can't you print a set for me? She said that comes from the warehouse and they can't do it.

SO.....my question to you all is....has anyone ever called home office and requested a copy of a show and received it? Am I wrong in thinking that in this day and age of computers that the show info I submitted to HO should be easily printed off? I would gladly pay a fee to do it!!

I will call again but I would really like to be able to say that I heard from X# of consultants that this has been done in the past.

 

[stacywhitlow]

I don't know about that. I have lost quite a few shows due to computer crash. Never even thought to ask if they could pull them up. Did you speak to management & offer to pay? It might work then.

 

[quiverfull7]

I KNOW someone on CS said their computer crashed and tech support helped them. I have a recruit that is having computer troubles so I told her to call them and ask and about it as well and she was told there was nothing they could do. I myself was having a weird issue with PP3 and the guy at tech support was able to look at my whole files or something and helped me get things straight so I can't understand why they are saying that now they can do nothing.

 

[chefkristin]

Ok so those of you that have people at HO help them need to start taking names. Then we can start a list of the "good" people to contact at HO.

 

[lacychef]

My computer crashed awhile back & they were very helpful I thought. My stuff is all saved on an external hard drive & was okay though. I have no idea if they can do what you're needing.....I wish you luck & I hope it all works out!

 

[heatherkiss]

I have an external drive that is plugged in the back of my compu. I boaght it at Staples.It's pretty cheap. I did it because my compu is going to crash soon.

 

[janetupnorth]

Lisa - don't feel too bad! My hard drive bit the dust Wednesday WHILE I WAS TRYING TO GET MY DATA OFF!!!! I too, have lost everything! I hope I still have some of the paper to back it up.DH is running SpinRight on the drive to hopefully salvage as much as possible, but depending on where the bad sectors are, it might all be lost.I am praying that it works, but it may run for a week or more...it has run 3 days already!

 

[pamperedharriet]

Well, I guess after reading this thread besides backing up P3 on my computer I need to make sure I have an external copy done each time and not once a month like I have been doing. One never knows when something is going to happen. Looks like I know what I am going to do right now!

Sorry to hear that this has happened to you.

 

[Kitchen Diva]

Ok so those of you that have people at HO help them need to start taking names. Then we can start a list of the "good" people to contact at HO.

I TOTALLY agree! That is a super, marvelous, awesome idea!

 

[priscilla]

Well, I guess after reading this thread besides backing up P3 on my computer I need to make sure I have an external copy done each time and not once a month like I have been doing. One never knows when something is going to happen. Looks like I know what I am going to do right now!

Sorry to hear that this has happened to you.

You should never backup to your computer, always to an external device. We use CDs for ours.

A computer backup on the computer is just an additional copy on your hard drive.

Robin

 

[pamperedharriet]

You should never backup to your computer, always to an external device. We use CDs for ours.

A computer backup on the computer is just an additional copy on your hard drive.

Robin

Robin, I back it up to my computer then write it to a CD. The way I am set up that is the way I can do it right now. Sometimes I forget to transfer it to a CD but I did it today and hopefully will continue to do it everytime I enter on P3.

Thanks for your input.:chef:

 

[jrstephens]

I back mine up to a disk. So far it has not gotten too big for a disk and I am not having to go through the "write to cd" too.

My P3 messed up one time and I called HO. They had to "recreate" my P3 info for me in another file folder on my computer. They deleted all my show info and then downloaded it back to my computer b/c they had it all on file. I guess I got a "good" one!

I guess mine was different b/c it was a P3 problem not a computer problem. I don't know. I jsut know they had all of my show information, including some I had not submitted on their system.

 

[chefann]

I'm playing Devil's Advocate here for a minute. Maybe HO does still have the capability to recreate a consultant's data, but has been told not to. Can you imagine how many requests they'd have if it became common knowledge that they could do that? People would rely on HO instead of taking personal responsibility for their own data.

 

[pampered1224]

I have to agree with Ann on this...I work in our company's IS department. We have about 1000 or so Independent Loan Officers who each have company owned Laptop.
We can retrive their data if needed.
HOWEVER, we don't. We tell them at the very beginning that we can NOT put the data back if their laptop crashes. We tell them right off, back up everything on a daily basis to an external drive of some sort. Reason: it takes hours of time to do this. It just takes to long to get it done. We do not have enough people on staff to baby sit a rebuild.
So it is very possible that they can but can't. It is also a basic fact that computers crash. They all know this. They own the data and must take resposiblility for that data. If they know their job and lively hood depends on it, they do it. If they don't care, well why should we.
It sounds callous but you own it, take care of it. I have two external back up units I use for my P3. I back them up each time I go into and update P3. If I loose MY info on MY computer and can not put it back, that is my problem. Not Home offices.

 

[Chefgirl2]

Lisa,

HO was able to send me hardcopies of the show order. I don't think it was anything like receipts or having everyone's contact information. They did assure me that if there ever was a problem with the products that they would take care of it.

I put the copies in such a safe place that I can't find them! ...I did find our cluster picture that was in the leadership handbook for 2003! We have had some funnnnnn times!

I'll never forget the costume party where Melissa wore the 80's get-up! Maybe I'll find that picture to post...Hmmm...What were you wearing?

I'll keep looking,
Your Big haired Madonna Wanna-be Friend,
Elaine

 

[GeorgiaPeach]

John and Ann,

I understand what you are saying and think that is the stand HO is taking.

In my defense .....I DID back it up to a flashdrive. When I tried to restore it it gave me an error message and wouldn't do it. (Can't remember the exact wording right now). It's not like I want 3 years worth of info....it's 6 shows and I'm willing to pay a fee to get it.

PLUS.....I've heard stories of them helping others with similar issues so if you are going to set that as a policy....do it across the board.

If it would take hours to help me, I understand a hard-nosed position but it would probably take them 15 minutes...tops...to print it!

BTW Elaine...I wore black pleather and zebra print pants!

 

[chefann]

Aww... that stinks that you had it backed up to another device and it couldn't restore. Yuck.

 

[janetupnorth]

Here are questions I posed to Tech Support on 12/10:

A few questions:1. If I reinstall P3 on another PC and start fresh (with current show # of
course) and do happen to recover the data in the next week or so, is there a
way to merge the 2 files so I have a complete history?2. If my data isn't salvageable - is there any way to get the data from HO?
Do you guys save any transmissions to you or are they all wiped? I did send
in my data a few months back for a report issue. I am looking just mainly
to get show/customer data back, I can then fill in expenses hopefully from
receipts.

Answer just receivedear Janet,Thank you for contacting The Pampered Chef.1. Data saved in two different files cannot be merged.2. The home office is unable to provide Consultants with past show information.XXXXXX XXXXXXXX
Technical Support Representative
The Pampered Chef, Ltd.
The Pampered Chef, Ltd.Personally, I think I need to do a little more digging because I truly think #1 is crap. If nothing else, since my old data is still recovering, I am going to start a fresh install/file, enter my 2 December shows and when I recover my old, I will go back to that file and then "recreate December". They won't show submitted on my software then but at least I will have one complete record.

 

[jrstephens]

Janet,

I am confused as to their answer to Number 1. I do not understand why if you do happen to recover it you cannot put the files in the current P3 just like you would with "restore and backup". I do not see where that is any different from havine P3 running on a home computer and a work computer and using the backup file to restore to the other computer, so, you have full info.

Did I make any sense?

 

[pampchefstacey]

Did you try copying the file from your external drive to your computer's c: drive and then try reloading it into P3? Just a suggestion to try.

 

[quiverfull7]

I have one flash drive that I always back up to and when I used to do our farm books I always did TWO external back ups just in case one of them somehow got corrupted and I think that I'm going to begin that double back up practice again!

 

[janetupnorth]

Janet,

I am confused as to their answer to Number 1. I do not understand why if you do happen to recover it you cannot put the files in the current P3 just like you would with "restore and backup". I do not see where that is any different from havine P3 running on a home computer and a work computer and using the backup file to restore to the other computer, so, you have full info.

Did I make any sense?

Yes, basically I am still TRYING to recover data from a crashed drive and like Lisa, my flash drive is trashed losing that last backup.

My recovery program is chugging away but has been running for almost a week and has been known to run up to 3 months.

I have to do a fresh install of P3 and start fresh. Once I do that if I restore the file recovered, it will overwrite this new data. Different that one distinct file moving place to place.

 

[janetupnorth]

I have one flash drive that I always back up to and when I used to do our farm books I always did TWO external back ups just in case one of them somehow got corrupted and I think that I'm going to begin that double back up practice again!

Yup! I am taking my own advice and having MULTIPLE media backups from now on! Each backup is only as good as its potential failure point. It is hard to have a "foolproof" system, Murphy works overtime at my house!In fact I think I'm going to e-mail myself my file on occasion too!!!!

 

[janetupnorth]

Did you try copying the file from your external drive to your computer's c: drive and then try reloading it into P3? Just a suggestion to try.

Lisa can maybe try that - my jumpdrive is toast... :cry: I should have known it isn't a reliable media - I've had a few fail in the last few years...

 

[GeorgiaPeach]

Lisa can maybe try that - my jumpdrive is toast... :cry: I should have known it isn't a reliable media - I've had a few fail in the last few years...

I didn't save to an external drive...just my flashdrive.

I'm still bugged by the fact that they have access to our show information but won't give it to us. I understand they don't want to open that can of worms but charge a fee! It would cut down on people being irresponsible and expecting HO to help them out all the time. For those of us that were trying to do things the right way....we'd be willing to pay the price to retrieve the information that helps us serve our customers.

 

[janetupnorth]

I didn't save to an external drive...just my flashdrive.

I'm still bugged by the fact that they have access to our show information but won't give it to us. I understand they don't want to open that can of worms but charge a fee! It would cut down on people being irresponsible and expecting HO to help them out all the time. For those of us that were trying to do things the right way....we'd be willing to pay the price to retrieve the information that helps us serve our customers.

I am a little bugged by this too...yes, charge a fee if you want, but you (HO) are dealing with information I SENT to you. It's all in that cost of maintaining data. By losing my show information, I have to search online now if I ever want to do an adjustment and it will take longer to look up an MAY require me calling solution center rather than looking up myself and entering an adjustment...

I am still hoping and praying I can recover my data.

Hey Lisa, whatever happened with your drive...do you still have it?
If you want, I can have DH run Spinrite on it too and see if anything can be recovered.

 

[GeorgiaPeach]

Hey Lisa, whatever happened with your drive...do you still have it?
If you want, I can have DH run Spinrite on it too and see if anything can be recovered.

I gave the computer back to Jim (my boss that gave me the computer). I told him about the freezing thing you mentioned. Don't know if he ever did it or not. I'll ask him. He probably just put the computer in his "computer graveyard". I've contributed 3 computers to his graveyard since changing internet providers 4 months ago!! Finally figured out that the disk they gave me to install my modem had a bug.

If he still has the computer, I'll contact you about seeing if your DH can help me. I'm still not giving up on the HO sending me the info I'm considering a letter writing campaign. I think if they provided us with that info with a charge per show...it would not be something that is abused. Who wants to pay for 3 years worth of info? I am also going to purchase a second flashdrive and make a backup of my backup!!!

 

[janetupnorth]

Lisa - I was able to recover ALL my P3 data from my drive - recovery just finished last night! Merry Christmas to me!I had to reinstall and submit 2 shows since then and there is no way to "merge" data according to the techs. But I can go back to my old file, type these shows in and just leave them as unsubmitted and continue on and at least have the data. I'll have to remember my December sales will be off in reports but a small price to pay to have the rest back.Yell, if you want us to attempt on your old drive.

 

[Intrepid_Chef]

For those having trouble with home office ...

Did you go through Tech Support or Customer Service?

I called CS to ask where my supply order was ... and I told her about my difficulties with P3 and just wanted to know which hostess was 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.

She read me ALL the names of each customer and what she ordered!

How awesome is HQ!

(Her name is Rosemary! I called her when it was almost closing time!)

 

[lockhartkitchen]

Answer to #1. The day I didn't have my external drive plugged in, my hard drive crashed. I had to send my hard drive out to recover the data. (I negotiated $995 down to $300). I'm restoring the 6 shows that are on my old hard drive. I've been working on my desk top since Sep until I collected extra money. I don't want to hand reenter all the data, yikes!

It is true, you can't merge the two, unless you know a programmer (my dad), will have to use code to put the two back together. IVe felt such a loss not being able to contact my shows from Sep. to see if everything is doing okay. I'm waiting to get my laptop data back this week. Expensive lesson.

Note to self: Always check that the thumb drive is in before working