I did a "trendy" dinner/bar visit last Saturday, the 18th. It was submitted on Sunday the 19th by midnight. I received an email asking for a few timings (I know I included a few of them in the report) by an editor this afternoon. I responded and then a few hours later a different editor sent an email with almost THIRTY questions, most of which were answered in the report, the first email or were kind of crazy. Like an exact timing of when I finished eating my appetizer to when the plate was cleared. I received this email at 5:15pm and was asked to respond by 7pm. I emailed back requesting 24hrs to respond. I was told that the report was due to the client and she needed the information by 8pm.
Well, I had promised my kids movie night in the park after dinner but since this dinner/drinks was a little more money than I wanted to just toss away I worked on an email to the editor instead of movie in the park.
I have 5 kids, I work on reports after they go to bed, during nap time & when my husband is home. If this is typical for them I just can't be available for a "drop everything" response. I am tempted by some of their clients but may have to stay away until my kids are older and don't need my attention.

That is a little smaller window than I've experienced but those are the types of things they do want.

@Jennniferml wrote:

That is a little smaller window than I've experienced but those are the types of things they do want.

I guess I need some tips on how to follow their 'don't use a phone too much' rule & still get 20+ timings. (She wanted a time for every time any employee approached my table). I can handle some timings discreetly but this might be over my head.

Wear a watch with a second hand.

Here's a link to a recent Coyle discussion in the mystery shopping company area:

[www.mysteryshopforum.com]

@Cettie wrote:

Wear a watch with a second hand.

Even with a watch, you still need to note the times without being obvious. I would think writing them in a notepad would be suspicious. And noting then in your phone would go back to using your phone too much.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/27/2016 04:18PM by Reeses200.

I use a small note pad. I list all of the timings needed in order of the meal before I leave the house. I use my digital watch not my phone.
Greeted: 1:02. Seated 1:10 waiter/waitress 1: 14 drinks: 1:15 drinks arrive 1:20 order 1:26 appetizer served 1:28 Dinner served 1:35 Plates cleared 1:50 Check 1:51 done 2:01.
I do this very discretely, I have it in the top of my hand bag with a pen attached. Haven't been caught yet, 8 years. Easy peasy for me!

If you are in a one party state, record the entire meal. I verify all my timings from the recording. I just turn on the recorder app and leave the phone face down on the table. I can hear the plates being put on the table, I know from when I say "thank you" that the drinks are being refilled or dishes cleared, etc.

Unless the pay on top of the reimbursement was very good, I don't see how this type of shop would be worth it for me. 30 additional questions after you submitted the report? Sounds like a 10' pole shop to me.

Hi Lucky,
Sorry you are upset, but wanted to comment that everything you posted seems reasonable from Coyle's perspective. If you read their examples, they do want an exact time everything happens.

Your report is DUE in full completion at a certain time. If you sent it in, but missed all those timings, then in their mind, you didn't submit it. You need to get back to their editors ASAP (and you will be dinged a point or two that their editors had to come back with questions). Try to plan to be present and able to respond to emails for about 24 hours after you submit a report. Doesn't mean you have to not make plans, but be able to send a quick email. As you improve, you will get to a point where you don't have any follow up questions from the editors, so won't have to worry it.

As far as the editors sending you an email with things that were mentioned already in your report, that is strange. Either that editor was new and made a mistake OR your writing did not follow the structure in the example and the editor found it hard to follow, so decided it was easier to re-email.

As far as remembering the times, it is hard. I keep a digital list on my smartphone of all the time stamps I need (about 10+ in a given restaurant). I note the time I am entering before I enter, in my phone. Then I rely on my memory to remember the next bunch of times. Then, I go to the bathroom about halfway through the shop (to evaluate the bathroom), but also take a moment in the privacy of the stall to empty my mind of all the times I was remembering by writing them in my phone. Then, I complete the second half of my shop, remembering all the times, and the second I get in the car I furiously take notes. If I am having trouble remembering a time or two, I assign my husband one or two to remember. I am happy to help with any other tips and tricks!

Darewright, Remember, we don't know the whole story. Perhaps the editors had to send 30 follow up questions because Lucky forgot to capture them in her report. I've always found their editors to be fair.

I did one shop for coyle and that was my last. The editor asked questions that were already on the report and I did comment on them on my original report. They asked tons of questions even questions that weren't on the report, but I don't recall how much time they gave me to reply. I didn't like the extra work so I didn't do anymore for them.

I keep a 3 x 5" index card for my restaurant timings in my purse. It's the standard time in, time greeted, time seated, server's arrival, time ordered beverages, appetizers, main entrees, desserts, and time received, time check backs, time refills, time check presented, time taken away and time check return. I can remember details but not the exact timings of the meal proceedings. I check my watch for the time and discretely write the timings down when no associate is nearby. I usually keep the index card on my seat by my purse and write the timings there. I also learned how to write with my left hand to write the timings depending on how the seating arrangement was executed.

To me, Coyle is one of the hardest to shop for in the industry - but the flip side is that they do shop some really cool and upscale places. You're really going to have to 'pay' to go to those places with hard work and following their standards exactly. I have been doing shops for a long time, but even I am a little afraid of them!

For cell phone usage, you just don't want to use it enough to stand out as being unusual. And as prevalent as cell use is at restaurant tables these days, it's honestly hard to stand out. While this doesn't minimize phone usage, I minimize the number of times I take notes in my phone by taking a picture of each food item as it arrives (very common wher I live) and take a selfie with my guest when the drinks arrive. That might knock out 5 of the timings without note taking. And I may make note of a few timings before entering the times into my cell.

I do try and leave myself available after I submit a report. Especially a narrative heavy report. But with that said, the email was sent at 5:15pm just as I was prepping dinner. My family needs to eat! Coyle did not contact me until 5 days after the report was submitted.
I did include most of the information that was requested in the report. The timings that I did not include in the report were for each table touch and the time of the last bite taken of each course.
And btw 26 timings were requested.

My frustration was mainly with waiting 5 days to contact me and then insisting the information be provided within an hour and forty five minutes.

@laur371 wrote:

Hi Lucky,
Sorry you are upset, but wanted to comment that everything you posted seems reasonable from Coyle's perspective. If you read their examples, they do want an exact time everything happens.

Your report is DUE in full completion at a certain time. If you sent it in, but missed all those timings, then in their mind, you didn't submit it. You need to get back to their editors ASAP (and you will be dinged a point or two that their editors had to come back with questions). Try to plan to be present and able to respond to emails for about 24 hours after you submit a report. Doesn't mean you have to not make plans, but be able to send a quick email. As you improve, you will get to a point where you don't have any follow up questions from the editors, so won't have to worry it.

As far as the editors sending you an email with things that were mentioned already in your report, that is strange. Either that editor was new and made a mistake OR your writing did not follow the structure in the example and the editor found it hard to follow, so decided it was easier to re-email.

As far as remembering the times, it is hard. I keep a digital list on my smartphone of all the time stamps I need (about 10+ in a given restaurant). I note the time I am entering before I enter, in my phone. Then I rely on my memory to remember the next bunch of times. Then, I go to the bathroom about halfway through the shop (to evaluate the bathroom), but also take a moment in the privacy of the stall to empty my mind of all the times I was remembering by writing them in my phone. Then, I complete the second half of my shop, remembering all the times, and the second I get in the car I furiously take notes. If I am having trouble remembering a time or two, I assign my husband one or two to remember. I am happy to help with any other tips and tricks!

Yes, what you describe sounds a bit unfair and quite frustrating. 26 timings doesn't sound odd, but the time pressure put on you, after they waited 5 days, is frustrating.

I love this selfie idea / taking photos of the food. I always take photos of my food, for fun, put doing it right when it arrives for the time stamp is smart. thanks!

@saacman5033 wrote:

For cell phone usage, you just don't want to use it enough to stand out as being unusual. And as prevalent as cell use is at restaurant tables these days, it's honestly hard to stand out.

I think saacman5033 kind of nails the main point here. Overuse of the phone is subjective, and in recent years, has become nearly impossible to do, relative to other guests.

I also have started taking p[ics of the food, mainly for reference. It's a very natural thing to do in these days. More diners that not are doing in upscale restaurants. I've found that I can remember two timing without writing them down. Once the third timing occurs, I'll pick up the phone and note them...and also drop any notes when I take pics. That might have me accessing my phone 10 times in a 2-hour meal. Not unusual at all. Being on your phone at the bar is the more normal thing to be doing, so that's never an issue.

As far as the OP's complaint goes; 26 timings is not unusual, nor crazy. I think the majority of this frustration stems from the fact that the OP did not understand the reporting process fully, so a lot more work was required on the back end. Couple that with the timing of the month when editorial was busy and did not get to the report for 5 days, and it causes some frustration.

If I get questions on a dinner, it's usually 1 or 2 questions, so I can knock that out from my phone (where the notes are stored anyway) in a few minutes wherever I am. Not a hassle. Since there's no particular requirement in the guidelines to answer questions by 7 PM, 8 PM, or within a few hours, however, I think the other mistake here may have been trying to negotiate for 24 hours on the reply. You have already established contact in that case. I would have finished dinner, put the kids to bed and then send in the revisions. No other emails required. There would be very little excuse for pushback from the MSC with that speed of turnaround. The editor's operating hours are not your concern. Don't let them bully you in the future.

I also take pictures of everything that is delivered to get the timings on dishes and drinks. I use the Shopit App, you can just tap the screen and it will mark a time and you can later go back and jot notes to what those marks are, maybe after a few marks you can jot some notes. I find the app fairly useful, I pretty much use it for all my shops. I think on android phones you can use the volume button to mark a time but on iphone you have to tap the screen. It was created by a shopper on this forum.

Thank you everyone for all the tips. I think I'm going to try a combination of some of them... I also think I'm going to "assign" my husband/guest tasks like taking timings for all the table touches.

@aayaey wrote:

I also take pictures of everything that is delivered to get the timings on dishes and drinks. I use the Shopit App, you can just tap the screen and it will mark a time and you can later go back and jot notes to what those marks are, maybe after a few marks you can jot some notes. I find the app fairly useful, I pretty much use it for all my shops. I think on android phones you can use the volume button to mark a time but on iphone you have to tap the screen. It was created by a shopper on this forum.

I used to use that but stopped because if you received a call or text while using the app it would stop. My 15yr old texts me all the time so it would mess everything up.

I actually use an old phone for that reason. I don't have to go on airplane mode, and I don't have to worry about the battery drain.

I just set the flash off and take photos with my phone for everything. That way I have the exact time stamp without typing anything. I just have to note in my mind why some photos were taken.

One method I have used to time events is to use my iPhone to take screenshots of whatever is on the phone at the moment.

The time is displayed on top. If it is 5-6 items, I can keep track of the time discreetly that way without any notes.

If you are going to keep doing reports for Coyle you need to put up with BS like this. I decided not to.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/01/2016 11:17PM by runner250.

Get a voice recorder app for your cell phone, turn it on, and leave it running the entire time.
It will be tedious and annoying to have to go through the whole thing, but your verbal cues can easily give you the proper timing.

Finish eating your app? Say "Oh those nachos were good." Then when your plate is cleared, "Thank you." to the server.

Your phone will need good battery life for it, though.

I expect to get 2 or 3 questions from Coyle editors- not 30. I agree that the short turnaround time is frustrating. I had an editor from a different company email me today and give me a 30 minute window to add info to my report. I'm lucky I saw the email in time as when I replied back to say that I wouldn't be home to make the changes until that evening, she said that my report (with 3 days of work and $1200 in expenses) would not be useable. I made it happen but will not likely accept shops from this MSC in the future. That's our prerogative as ICs.

I had done shops for a year before I quit. I have had several times that they came back to me with questions that I knew I had covered in the report. They will never admit they are wrong, it all falls on you. And there were a few times when I wrote something they would not like. Sure enough, they came back to me. I gave them the exact answer. I was not going to budge. Yiu pay me to report on what I observed. I can't help it if the staff did not live up to yours or the client's expectations.
I don't have a problem when I missed timings but resented when had to repeat things I know I had put in my narratives.
I did not find working with Coyle to be a pleasant experience. But I did get to go to restaurants that would not be able to afford on my own. But it got to the point that it was not worth it. And I had gone to all the ones they had for my area.
.

In some states, this is illegal. Although it's fairly unlikely that you would ever get caught or get in trouble for private recordings that are deleted afterward, some state laws forbid these types of recordings, as you are doing them without permission from all parties being recorded.