Hotel Shoppers- Favorite MSC's? Most difficult?
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Why take on another nightmare? Despite about 5 years of experience and hundreds of hotel shops ranging from easy to difficult I can't say I would be longing to do another Coyle. 5000 words, about 40 photos, and hours of additions to make the specific even more specific just wasn't enough for a 20. Right now there are more valuable things to do with my time in this world.
I really like the hotel shops I've done for the Shopmetrics Coyle site. They were two-night stays at mid-range hotels, and the evaluations were, as they put it, "like a detailed comment card." I like them and hope to do more in the future! I have not done any on the "regular" Coyle site yet, but I have heard they are more detailed.
Happily shopping the Pacific Northwest. Shopping since 2013 
There are varying degrees of difficulty with Coyle hotels. If you are comfortable with restaurants, then look into a one-night stay or a limited food two-night location for starters.
I think the nightmare of 5D is not necessarily the workload, but the manner in which the shops are reported and and timeline for the both the shop and reporting.
Guest Check is probably the one company the requires more detail overall than Coyle, but they also pay better and have some really nice properties, and the scheduler and editor are both great to work with. They might be a good stepping stone when you are ready to move on from Coyle.
I think the nightmare of 5D is not necessarily the workload, but the manner in which the shops are reported and and timeline for the both the shop and reporting.
Guest Check is probably the one company the requires more detail overall than Coyle, but they also pay better and have some really nice properties, and the scheduler and editor are both great to work with. They might be a good stepping stone when you are ready to move on from Coyle.
I've noticed that Intellishop has some lower end (2 star) hotels for one night....anyone try these shops?
Silver certified (since 2009) and willing to do shops all around the greater Chicago, NW Indiana, and Southern Wisconsin areas (including airports!.
It wasn't a stay shop but I remember doing a revealed audit at a lower end hotel. The manager got to pick the rooms they showed and yet one of the two I was shown had a bullet hole in the glass. Yikes!
@petrohd wrote:
I've noticed that Intellishop has some lower end (2 star) hotels for one night....anyone try these shops?
Check the Yelp reviews before you take one. I was considering two of them until I read the reviews. Comments such as, "This place should be razed," will steer me away and have me paying full rack rate elsewhere.
I did one for Intellishop but it wasn't "low-end," it was $300 a night. They are rare though, I don't see them posted too often. The report was not difficult. A few photos, not too bad.
What is 5D? Is it an acronym for something?
I saw one for Intellishop in my state and the reviews were horrible. Payment for reporting, plus reimbursment, wasn't enough to make me want to go there.
@EileenS its Five Diamond
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Seriously, nobody cares that you're offended.
Seriously, nobody cares that you're offended.
I did a 2 night stay for Regal where I was busier than doing a 1 night. They assign a lot more things, so I wouldn't necessarily believe that a 2 night stay would be easier than a 1 night. That is the only 2 nighter I have done, and maybe it is different with other companies.
It depends on the hotel with Regal. I have also done a two night stay with added spa, beach chair rental and additional bars and meals, which made both days busy. However, it was so worth it!
Not my circus - Not my monkeys @(*.*)@
~Polish Proverb~
~Polish Proverb~
@wanderwoman wrote:
Why take on another nightmare? Despite about 5 years of experience and hundreds of hotel shops ranging from easy to difficult...
Wow, you've done at least 200 hotel shops over 5 years? That's AVERAGING at least 3-4 hotel shops a month!
You must have that packing thing down pat!
That explains the user name! Maybe "transientwoman" was taken.
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Seriously, nobody cares that you're offended.
Seriously, nobody cares that you're offended.
3-4 hotels a month on average is not that uncommon. I know one legend in the business who does hotel shops full time and has to be on a hotel shop 20 nights a month or he won't make his bills.
There was a time when I was on a hotel shop more often than I was at home - 15 nights a month is 6-7 hotel shops a month. I only shop part time now and I easily average 3-4 hotel shops a month.
There was a time when I was on a hotel shop more often than I was at home - 15 nights a month is 6-7 hotel shops a month. I only shop part time now and I easily average 3-4 hotel shops a month.
To answer the question - Coyle is going to be in my list for best experiences - you just cannot beat them for consistently providing some killer - money is no object - experiences. Others that are going to be in my favorite list - Guest Check, Travessa, Bare, and I don't mind 5D, though I understand why others put it on the pole list.
ETA - I don't like Regal. I had to fight for my money for a simple bar shop once. I understand that mistakes happen, and that alone is not reason for me to put something on a DNS (do not shop) list, but the fact that they don't have a human touch combined with fighting for payment - no thanks for me. CHC is another don't like.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/28/2015 02:58AM by MickeyB.
ETA - I don't like Regal. I had to fight for my money for a simple bar shop once. I understand that mistakes happen, and that alone is not reason for me to put something on a DNS (do not shop) list, but the fact that they don't have a human touch combined with fighting for payment - no thanks for me. CHC is another don't like.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/28/2015 02:58AM by MickeyB.
I understand that there are two Guest Checks... but when people refer to the awesome hotels... are they referring to Derek's Guest Check? I see nothing from him but dining. I completed one hotel shop for them but it was middle of the road kind of hotel, not something I would rave much about.
Yes, Derek's Guest Check. I know there is another Guest Check - but I have no experience with that company.
I agree! My wife and I have been shopping since 2006 and 2007 respectively and we've done eight. LOL Maybe we're behind the eight ball!
@saacman5033 wrote:
@wanderwoman wrote:
Why take on another nightmare? Despite about 5 years of experience and hundreds of hotel shops ranging from easy to difficult...
Wow, you've done at least 200 hotel shops over 5 years? That's AVERAGING at least 3-4 hotel shops a month!
I often do 3-5 hotel shops a month. Many of those are reimbursement only, but with high reward program status from so many hotel shops, I am racking up tons of rewards points on each shop. Since I do not do Coyle hotels, almost all of my reports are quite manageable during the shop (except for the check-out, of course) unless it is a resort shop with a raft of extra interactions. But, hey those carry extra bonus rewards points due to the level of the folio charges and have a fee, so I am not complaining. (BTW, I have no animus towards Coyle; it's just that I cannot do their hotel shops becasue I do not do their restaurant shops. They are adamant; no restaurants, no hotels, unless they are really hurting and up against a deadline.)
Based in MD, near DC
Shopping from the Carolinas to New York
Have video cam; will travel
Poor customer service? Don't get mad; get video.
Shopping from the Carolinas to New York
Have video cam; will travel
Poor customer service? Don't get mad; get video.
I'll do 3 hotels in a month when I have the time. I'm at around 250 hotels with Coyle over my 12-year history with them right now, but there was a time when I was doing 4-5 per month.
These days I'm down to perhaps 2 standard Coyle hotels per year. I've been concentrating more recently on the cruises, free overnights for dinner evaluations and cash audits, or other vacation experiences (which are not really hotels) that they offer. It was possible to take 3 standard hotels back-to-back for Coyle a decade ago, but the requirements have increased and I think I've probably slowed down over the years. I'm not up for that anymore.
These days I'm down to perhaps 2 standard Coyle hotels per year. I've been concentrating more recently on the cruises, free overnights for dinner evaluations and cash audits, or other vacation experiences (which are not really hotels) that they offer. It was possible to take 3 standard hotels back-to-back for Coyle a decade ago, but the requirements have increased and I think I've probably slowed down over the years. I'm not up for that anymore.
@MickeyB wrote:
3-4 hotels a month on average is not that uncommon. I know one legend in the business who does hotel shops full time and has to be on a hotel shop 20 nights a month or he won't make his bills.
There was a time when I was on a hotel shop more often than I was at home - 15 nights a month is 6-7 hotel shops a month. I only shop part time now and I easily average 3-4 hotel shops a month.
I figured you and a few others do it, but I would have thought it would be pretty uncommon. Plus I just hadn't seen the hotel posts previously from wandrwoman to suggest she shopped that volume of hotels (hundreds in just 5 years).
But I'm admittedly ignorant to the extent of hotel shopping available outside my neck of the woods. Heck, I'd have to be given pretty much every hotel assignment in the state just to average more than 1 per month! And it's not like I can easily apply for shops out of state! With a good number of resorts here, I've always been surprised at the relatively low number of hotel shops I see locally and have wondered how many might have MS programs with a more full-time shopper program like LRA.
I did 3-4 hotels a month in my state for two years, but lately have slowed down to average one a month. I had a huge personal need for hotel loyalty points at the time. Right now, I am only shopping beach front hotels for the experience. I'm lucky my state has beaches on both coasts.
Not my circus - Not my monkeys @(*.*)@
~Polish Proverb~
~Polish Proverb~
@SteveSoCal wrote:
free overnights for dinner evaluations and cash audits,
Is this something you note in your job request or is it noted in the posted job details?
It's not always posted, but if you have a history with the company and its a hard-to-fill spot in a distant location (very seldom offered in urban locations), it's negotiable.
I have done hotel overnight shops where there was no report on the guestroom and no complaint resolution/missing item interaction, but lots of cash integrity and customer service F&B interactions, (and I mean LOTS), plus gift shop, concierge, laundry (cash integrity), housekeeper (service and cash integrity) and absolutely nothing about the physical plant, recreational amenities, parking, security, or smiling faces (other than in F&B venues) etc. The client just had to reimburse the overnight stays to keep the shopper on site long enough to do all of the "other" stuff.
Based in MD, near DC
Shopping from the Carolinas to New York
Have video cam; will travel
Poor customer service? Don't get mad; get video.
Shopping from the Carolinas to New York
Have video cam; will travel
Poor customer service? Don't get mad; get video.
I can second the post above. I have stayed at resorts/hotels and there was no hotel/guest room report requirement. The reports were solely about hotel/resort outlets (stores, restaurants).
I did a 2-night/3 day South Beach boutique hotel where the entire report was check marks and no narratives.
Not my circus - Not my monkeys @(*.*)@
~Polish Proverb~
~Polish Proverb~
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