I haven't done anything i the current round of checklist-only shops, but there was a different client with checklist-only hotels and a similar warning earlier in the year. I didn't have any issues with it.

I think the warning is there because while it would be really hard to fake an interaction for a standard Coyle assignment with heavy narrative required, it would be much easier to simply check a few items as present or not present, instead of not looking for them, when narrative is not required....and that's where we get into why I don't find the current shops very appealing. They are not service-oriented shops.

The shops currently posted are more like audits, and I'm not a fan of audits unless they pay really well, and include all expenses. A service assignment has you posing like a guest and enjoying all the hotel benefits, and can written up after you leave the hotel. An audit has you working most of the time you are at the hotel, and working on things that are not that interesting. It's not a vacation, and doesn't fit well in the 'lifestyle' type shops that I enjoy.

As far as having a shop rejected for details, also consider that for a service audit, a standard might be that you are greeted with 2 minutes of being seated for dinner, or that you are offered coffee with dessert. Very simple items to gauge, and difficult to refute. An audit might say something like 'a fire extinguisher must be visible in the dining area'. Now....that's a harder thing to gauge. It's not only potentially more time consuming, but it's not an enjoyable task. Instead of enjoying a meal and taking a few notes, now you have to run around the dining area looking for a visible extinguisher....and when you don't find one, but then the client sends a picture of in an alcove near the women's restroom that you didn't go to, that's when the lack of reimbursement issue comes into play.

Just something to consider when salivating over no-narrative shops....I mean, audits

I've done fewer than 20 assignments for Coyle and all have been marked ok to pay. I have no outstanding assignments. I keep detailed records of my shop results, so I can tell my overall grade is calculated on one fewer than I've done for more than a month now. I have narrowed it down to two shops completed more than a month ago, neither of which I received my shop results for but both of which were marked okay to pay without any questions from editors - so I assume both were 100%. Support has not responded to my request for shop results (two weeks ago).

I've only done one hotel and it is one of the possible missing shops. Are hotels graded separately and have their own overall score? I never received shop results for the hotel (even when requested) so I don't know what a hotel grade looks like or if it is different.

Given the small number of shops I've done just one additional 100% score could boost my overall grade so it is important to me. Has anyone else had a missing shop not count towards their overall score? I'm wondering if this is worth trying to resolve if my emails for shop results aren't even answered.

Side note: SteveSoCal, thank you very much for all your insight. I can only tell one shop is missing from the calculation because my score is so high and I've only received less than 100% twice! There is no way I could have achieved that score without this thread and all your great knowledge. In an industry where no one seems to want to share with the newbies, you are a blessing.

@Yoga.Wine.Sunshine wrote:

SteveSoCal, thank you very much for all your insight.

Thank you for the kind words, Y.W.S.,

As far as I know, the system calculates hotels and restaurants the same. It's not set up to differentiate the difficulty of the shops.

I would also say not to worry about your percentage so much. Anything in the high 90th percentile is good. Assignments are given out not only based on the overall score, but your experience with the company as well. I don't get 100% on every assignment (sometimes it's my fault and other times it's not), so there has to be an allowance for small human error on both sides. I do have over a thousand assignments spanning over a decade, however, with none ever being rejected, and very few ever needing any follow-up or additional communication.

Trying repeatedly to get a score modified or sent out would probably leave more of an impression than simply doing good work on a consistent basis as well. Understand that the folks doing the grading and scheduling are under a lot of pressure and heavy workload, so making things easy on them IMHO goes a lot further than a 100% score....

Have you noticed shops drying up recently, Steve? In the past few months I've gotten almost none of the restaurants I applied for and only got a few hotels I was emailed about directly. There don't seem to be many new shops on the boards, either. I went from doing 4-6 restaurants per month for them to like 1 starting in August.

@Misanthrope wrote:

Have you noticed shops drying up recently?

I think a lot stuff is being posted and assigned quarterly, which leaves a limited number of shops in mid-months when they are assigned early. Many of my Sep/Aug shops were assigned in July. Once we get into Oct next week hopefully we'll see more Q4 shops.

@SteveSoCal wrote:

@Misanthrope wrote:

Have you noticed shops drying up recently?

I think a lot stuff is being posted and assigned quarterly, which leaves a limited number of shops in mid-months when they are assigned early. Many of my Sep/Aug shops were assigned in July. Once we get into Oct next week hopefully we'll see more Q4 shops.

I can't say I'm a fan of this system; I applied for a bunch in July and got almost none of them. Do I have to email the scheduler letting them know which restaurants I applied for?

If you have a relationship with the scheduler and good track record, I think an email with your requests is a good idea. They are overwhelmed and my requests sit as well these days.

For my recent assignments, rather than overburden the scheduler, I waited until she contacted me about an emergency shop earlier this week and and in my reply, I mentioned the assignments I had applications for when agreeing to help out. That got the response I wanted....

I am noticing that I'm getting paid at a higher rate than the posted fee for a certain hotel chain. Not complaining just observing

Is editing behind? In the past, shops were edited like clock work, but now...... It's been pending for 5 days.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/01/2016 02:50PM by audrialyn30.

Hello Steve et. al., I have performed lower end restaurant shops (I think 5), 2 Sales Inquiry shops, and a Coffee sales shop. I never received a score with exception of the first job I did i.e. the Coffee Sales shop; got a 19 of 20. Think I got dinged for using too many words in one of my checklist comments. I did have questions from the editor for all the restaurant shops that were answered satisfactorily. I had applied for the higher end fine dining shops monthly for .5 years but was never given one. Now I see there is a "take out" shop for a lower end restaurant. The sample narrative provided is for dine in. What is your opinion on "take out" shops? Is the survey reasonable? I hesitate to ask for a sample due to non-response and then frustration on my part.

I don't think you are going to get a sample for the take-out shop report anyway. They would have provided one in the shop offer if they had one.

Take-out shops are obviously a bit easier in that the majority of the narrative is going to be ordering and food descriptions, with a small in-person interaction for pick up. I think it's probably a good way to get some additional reporting experience.

I would say that once you can submit a report and get no follow-up, you are probably in a good position to apply for the higher end dining stuff and be assigned, but as you know, it's really dependent on your area, the number of shoppers they have and the humber of clients in the area.

@ Steve , is editing behind?

I couldn't say for sure @audrialyn30, but typically editorial is slammed near the end of the month....and this was end of the quarter, probably making it worse. I would not worry about it until at least 8 days had gone by.

I had not thought of that. Thanks

So I find one thing kind of annoying with the coyle.shompetrics site... when I look under the payment history, there is a bunch of "Hold Pay" for previous hotel shops, even though I was paid for them!

All of my prior hotel assignments are listed as "Hold Pay" as well. I, too, have been paid for them.

@LindaM wrote:

So I find one thing kind of annoying with the coyle.shompetrics site... when I look under the payment history, there is a bunch of "Hold Pay" for previous hotel shops, even though I was paid for them!

When the shop has multiple forms (like most hotels do), they pay you from the main form and 'hold' the rest of them, since there's no additional payment required.

If the hotel had 3 parts, you will notice one becomes paid and 2 are placed on hold....

Yes, but it would be nice if they just removed them all... I did a few shops for 5 Diamonds through the new site and they just removed the extra forms. I'm just being whiny

I have read this whole thread and still have a couple questions, please forgive me if they were answered somewhere and I missed it. I'm not being lazy, I promise!

I saw in earlier posts where people were saying that they mention very specific things in the application when they are applying for hotel shops. But what about fairly basic shops? Since I signed up with Coyle there have consistently been a few mid-level restaurant shops that I would love to take and I know I'm capable of, but I'm not sure what to put in that narrative box. I don't want to be super generic like, "I'm reliable and a good writer and have done similar restaurant evaluations." I'm just not sure what they are looking for.

And related: right now there are three restaurant shops I'd love to do and I have visited those restaurants on my own in the past. Is that a selling point, a good thing to mention? Or weird, or a conflict?

TIA!

Hi Corylus, I thought I'd respond, although I am sure Steve will have more to add.

What application narrative box are you talking about? Do you mean when you are applying for a shop? Steve has said above, and I agree, to keep it short. Just put the dates you are available (and don't say "any day" or "any Wednesday." Literately type out every day, such as "10/7, 10/8, 10/9...". They don't want a big paragraph. Really, they are looking at your past scores, so those will speak for itself. Sometimes, I mention, in a short sentence or two, something compelling, such as "I live near this restaurant and will have no trouble completing this shop in any of those days assigned." or "I've completed another shop for this hotel/restaurant chain for Coyle, at a different location, with a perfect score, last month." Mentioning that you've been to those restaurants on your own before is not a selling point. I don't know if its a conflict though either. I wouldn't mention it.

@laur371 wrote:

I am sure Steve will have more to add..

What she said ^^^^

Yes, the box when you apply that says "Please, provide a brief note in support of your application and the date(s) you can complete this assignment." I haven't actually done any work for them yet so I don't have past scores. I have my first one coming up, which I got by snagging one that they really needed to get done. Hopefully that will get me in the door on others. But with no past scores, I honestly don't have any compelling reason to give them! I appreciate the advice though, it's very helpful knowing what they are looking for.

Yes, I know the instructions make it seem like they want a note, but they actually don't (so I've learned). Your best bet is to write the dates you are available, and just know in the future you will be in a better position. Congrats on getting one assigned to you already. That is the first step and a good score on that will set you up for many others. PLEASE read their example reports and follow them nearly word to word. Don't try to be creative by going off script.

I rarely put more than the date(s) I can do the shop and a "Thank you for your consideration!" or something of that sort.

About the only time I add more is if I'm trying to combine shops. For example I had applied for a hotel that had no food allowances, so I also applied for a couple nearby restaurants, but noted that I only wanted to be considered for the restaurants if the hotel was assigned. The restaurants were simply too far to go to on their own without the hotel shop. Once the hotel shop got assigned to someone else, I simply deleted the restaurant applications.

@asilverstein wrote:

About the only time I add more is if I'm trying to combine shops. For example I had applied for a hotel that had no food allowances, so I also applied for a couple nearby restaurants, but noted that I only wanted to be considered for the restaurants if the hotel was assigned.

That's the way to do it. I often put, "Only if combined with XXX shop" in my applications.

@SteveSoCal do you know if Coyle frowns on a shopper using video during a shop?

@MtnMimi wrote:

@SteveSoCal do you know if Coyle frowns on a shopper using video during a shop?

That's a question which is fully addressed in the Resource Center. You should really be reading that and understanding Coyle Policies before posting here for answers, or attempting to record video and/or audio on shops.

I'm trying to look at some international locations Coyle has but their shopmetrics site is giving me a major headache, and their scheduler isn't being very forthcoming with information (I'm always being told to check shopmetrics without being given any help, despite the fact that shopmetrics' presentation of information is atrocious). Is there any way I can look at all available evaluations outside of the US, or at least in a radius outside of a US address?

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/14/2016 06:30PM by Misanthrope.

Unfortunately, Shopmetrics doesn't track addresses well outside the USA.

Just do an overall search for the Survey (i.e. client) in question. If you choose 500 records and sort by location, you can see all options and note that the client has numbered the properties to have many areas grouped together, so it easy to see a particular area when you scroll through....

Why your restaurant shops have a cut off for age, like 45 or 55? I don't walk like a elderly lady. Nor do I used a cane or walker. And I wear a cap to covered my gray. I am 63.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/15/2016 12:39AM by Taradawner.