I am so frustrated!!

Windows XP, Office Pro 2003, Exchange

We have well over 5000 contacts stored since May 2004 when we converted to
this system.  I have a part time person who updates/changes/adds contacts.  
Neither hers nor my changes/updates/additions seem to take all of the time.

For instance:  I stood there and watched her do updates on existing
contacts.  She was changing the name format in the contact screen from first
name, last name to last name, first name.  She saved/closed and it still
shows the first name last name scenario.  Also when she has done updates such
as adding a new category to a contact the contact completely disappears from
our global contacts.....POOF! gone!  I have watched her make these changes
and BAM! the contact is gone (deleted somehow!)

I am trying to get ready for a huge convention and I just updated categories
on some of my existing contacts by right clicking the contacts I needed to
update from the phone list format, checking (or adding) the categories I
needed and then did a field sort by those categories and it is not showing
'all' of the changes I made.  I go back and check the ones I made the changes
to and many of them are not changed! I have done this 3 or 4 times now and
many/all of the updates/changes I make do not get updated.

I desperately need some assistance here.  I can not depend on Outlook at all
right now for anything I need to do for this convention in a week and a half!!

Please let me know if you need any additional info.  I need help asap!

Judy