Pulling the customer name when I enter the customer number

**c.seely** · 12-04-2012, 11:51 AM

Hello,

I am trying to have a sheet where I can enter a customer number in cell A2 and have the customer name automatically populate in cell B2 from the data on sheet 2. I tried different Vlookups, but could not get it to pull the customer name. The data is sorted alphabetically by the customer name. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Chris

**Moo the Dog** · 12-04-2012, 12:03 PM

If your customer name is in column A of sheet 2 and the customer # is in column B...

Then if you put the customer name in column A of sheet 1, and enter this in column B it should pull the correct name, let's use A2 as an example:

=VLOOKUP(A2,Sheet2!A:B,2,0)

- Moo

* Note, if your sheet names have spaces, ie: Sheet 2, then you need to use 'Sheet 2'!A:B in the formula

**c.seely** · 12-04-2012, 12:22 PM

Thank you for the response Moo. That's what I was trying, but kept getting an N/A as the response. I attached the sheet as I had it, maybe that will help. I would like to be able to copy the customer number from sheet 2 and paste it in sheet 1 under the customer ID column and when I do that, have the client name get pulled into cell B2 on sheet 1.

**Moo the Dog** · 12-04-2012, 12:29 PM

Two things:

1. It's because you have the client #'s in column B of Sheet2... VLOOKUP doesn't look left, it looks right... need to use INDEX/MATCH, and
2. The numbers in column B of Sheet2 are stored as text. Convert them to numbers, then the formula below will work in B2 and filled down as far as you need:

=INDEX(Sheet2!$A$2:$A$14,MATCH(A2,Sheet2!$B$2:$B$14,0))

- Moo

**FDibbins** · 12-04-2012, 12:35 PM

c.seely.

2 reasons you are not finding what you want.

1, sheet1 A2 contains a value, but sheet2, B2:B14 contains text
2. vlookup() cannot look "behind" itself. it looks down a column, B in your case, and then looks for vales in X columns to the RIGHT

try this instead, it will fix both problems...

=INDEX(Sheet2!$A$1:$B$14,MATCH(TEXT(Sheet1!A2,0),Sheet2!$B$1:$B$14,0),1)

alternatively, you could create a dropdown in A

**FDibbins** · 12-04-2012, 12:36 PM

@ Moo. is there an echo in here?

**Moo the Dog** · 12-04-2012, 12:46 PM

@FD - Reminded me of a childhood trip to Howe Caverns

**c.seely** · 12-04-2012, 12:54 PM

That is the exact formula I was looking for! Thank you so much! I never used the index formula before.

Chris

**Moo the Dog** · 12-04-2012, 01:12 PM

Glad it helped!

- Moo
- - - - - - - - - -
If the solutions provided have solved your issue, please mark the thread as [SOLVED] by clicking on 'Thread Tools' above your first post and select 'Mark Thread as Solved'.

Also, a good way to say thanks to those who have helped is to click on the small star at the lower-left corner of one of their posts. It's always appreciated!