ptupdate

I have been a Paper Tiger Authorized Consultant (PTAC) since the software was introduced to the public. The Paper Tiger has been a core part of my productivity consulting work for 12 of the 14 years I have been in business. I have used it for my own personal filing system the entire time and I love what it does for me!

During the last few years I have become increasingly dissatisfied with the way the manufacturer, The Monticello Corporation, runs its company, manages its employees, and treats its customers. Recently I received numerous complaints from clients about Monticello's response time, or inability to get through to even leave a message for them. In early February I learned that Barbara Hemphill -- the productivity consultant whose methodology was used to create the software -- decided to stop promoting The Paper Tiger. She has also been unhappy with the way the manufacturer runs the company.

Although I love the software, I am no longer willing to accept the way in which the company is run and managed. Therefore, I have removed everything “Paper Tiger” from my website, except for this page. If you are a Paper Tiger user (as I am), you may have some questions about what this means for you. Please keep reading, and your questions may be answered below. If you still have questions after reading the Q&A, feel free to contact me.

I have received messages from some of my clients that their Paper Tiger software is no longer working properly and they’ve had trouble getting assistance from Technical Support at Monticello. I spoke with Monticello’s office manager and was assured that tech support is still available, but because of staff turnover, they were 3-4 days behind. (This conversation was as of mid-February, 2009.) Also, within the last couple years or so, Monticello decided to start charging for tech support if you bought your software more than 30 days ago. Although I know a lot of companies are doing this, I was not happy with this decision. I was willing to accept that, until recently when clients of mine could not even get paid support in a timely fashion.

If you have a technical support issue and you love the software like I do, I urge you to keep trying to get assistance from Monticello. I am not a techie and I am not able to help you with these things. I recently received a report from a client who had some technical issues and finally got some assistance. She was very happy with the quality of the support once she got it.

There are a number of possible reasons. For example, when a Microsoft Update takes place, sometimes that causes software to no longer work. This has happened to me with other software besides the Paper Tiger, too. When this happens, the technical experts can walk us through how to fix it. It’s usually complex enough that you’d never find the solution without expert help to walk you through what to do.

I have been looking for other solutions that could replace The Paper Tiger software. Unfortunately, nothing like it is currently on the market. I still LOVE the software and use it for my own filing system, as well as for keeping track of many other things in my household besides just paper. I will continue to use it as long as it works.

I have spoken with two people who are in the development stages of creating web-based programs that will offer similar benefits to what the Paper Tiger does. If you want something different, you can wait until these new products launch. (I have not previewed them yet because they are still in development.) When I have more information and am able to offer my own personal recommendations, I will post them here. Please bookmark this page and check back in April '09. I am hoping I will have some recommendations by then.

If you have version 4.0, you can get a free downloadable update of version 4.1 (the latest version). Monticello only offers support for version 4.0 or 4.1. If you own version 3.0 or earlier, you must purchase an upgrade of the software in order to get technical support. Monticello provides free support for the first 30 days after you buy the upgrade.

Go to www.thepapertiger.com and you can purchase it there. I think they have worked through the order fulfillment challenges that I was getting feedback about in February. If you pay by credit card and it does not arrive, you can always go through your credit card company to reverse the charges.

If you love the Paper Tiger, as I do, and you want to keep using it, upgrade to the current version and hope that it will work well for you for years. If you have any tech issues, I hope that Tech Support will be available. You will get a new disc and after you install the software you can import your data from the previous version into the new version.

My Paper Tiger is working fine right now, but if it stops working, what can I do? I have my entire filing system in Paper Tiger and would be completely lost without it.

1. If you have version 4.0 or 4.1 and it stops working, see if you can get assistance from Tech Support at Monticello. If you can get through, they have been very good at walking customers through to a solution. You can email support@thepapertiger.com or you can try calling them at 800-430-0794.

By doing this, you can at least print out an Excel spreadsheet or could do a word search in Excel (only one word in one location at a time) if your Paper Tiger database ever failed and you could not get tech support to revive it. If you ever need to import the data into another program, it will all be available to you if you do this kind of backup.

Now that you are no longer providing Paper Tiger consultative services, what do we do for Paper Tiger assistance?

I had just redone my recorded instructional teleclass, which I was giving away when people purchased the software from me. Now I am giving it away to anyone who wants it -- even those who purchased the software from someone else. (I used to charge $29.95 for this.) You will find the link to my free recorded instructional teleclass and my 25-page instructional guide at http://www.orgcoach.net/_pt/_PaperTigerBonusTrainingTools.html . If you are still using the software, you may find this to be a very helpful tutorial and guide.

There may also still be some Paper Tiger Authorized Consultants (PTACs) who have chosen to continue offering consultative services for software implementation. I do not know who has remained a PTAC, but Monticello should have a list on their website. (This list may be outdated, as I have been having trouble getting my name off of their list.)

E-mail (sales & customer service only): sales@thepapertiger.com
Phone (toll-free): 866-701-1561 (select sales or customer service)
Phone (Atlanta area ): 404-478-6413 (select sales or customer service)

If you are looking for a great paper and information management solution,

HERE IS WHAT I RECOMMEND!

I have been looking for an alternative to The Paper Tiger since I decided to stop recommending it in February 2009. In April, I was introduced to iPEP, a brand new product that I think is an excellent alternative to The Paper Tiger. I encourage those looking for a great paper and information management solution to take a look at this. Because this is a Web-based solution, it works on ALL computers -- PCs AND Macs! For your information, iPEP is short for "Interactive Productive Environment Platform."

They offer a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee! Try iPEP for 30-Days. If you’re not completely satisfied, they will refund your money and close your iPEP account. Their goal is to help you learn to love it and wonder how you ever worked without it!

Some of my colleagues have decided to become iPEP Specialists. I have shifted my business focus in another direction, so I have chosen not to add this service to my offerings. I am happy to recommend a trusted colleague who is an iPEP Specialist to assist you in getting your system set up. Please contact me at kathy@orgcoach.net if you'd like me to make a referral.

Several people have asked me about the security and reliability of the platform being used for iPEP. The company behind this technology is PBWorks. Their customers include Fed Ex, Harvard Medical School, and 24 of the 25 top law firms in the country. PBWorks does their own back-ups, and clients can also do local backups any time for free under the Settings tab.

Click here to read more about iPEP and get your account set up.

Click here to watch a demo about how iPEP works.

Click here for more information about iPEP's security.