I recently completed what I'd consider to be my first one of these. I think I'd been a little gun-shy about doing them, not knowing what to expect from the report. However, it wasn't bad at all, and now that I've gotten my feet wet, I'd like to do more.

The first question I have is, how much these reports vary from company to company? Not only the length of the narrative and report, but also timings. I was surprised (and happy!) that this report didn't want minutes/seconds for everything; it only required you to select a choice of time frames.

The other question is, when multiple minute/second timings ARE required, how do you all do it surreptitiously? Any hints or suggestions? I stress out over this enough with fast food shops! On one hand, I think it's easier to do when you're sitting down with someone at a table. We did it, but we still found it somewhat difficult. Dim lighting, fumbling, etc. Is there any "graceful" way to do this?

I was told to stay away from Coyle who will not pay you for these shops if there is a minor issue. Somebody else said to stay away from Regal Hospitality for the same reasons. Goodwin and Freeman do these shops too and are both lousy payers.

I would think a cell phone is the best way to time service without being noticed.
BUT--that could be a problem if they think you are taking phone calls to the annoyance of other patrons and I can certainly agree with that concern.

I've only done one shop so far for Coyle, and it was not bad. Well, the TIMINGS weren't bad. I hated the shop. It wasn't fine dining, though.

While there is a lot of variance on how fine dining MSCs want you to report the assignments, I think all of them require pretty detailed narratives. Some are more interested in timings and others the food descriptions.

None of these require the split-second timings that you get on a FF shop, however.

Coyle has very specific needs for their reports and a usually require around 2000 words of narrative for a dining assignment, but they are very upfront with the what is expected of shoppers and I have never heard of them unfairly denying payment. They also pay in a timely manner.

My experience is that Goodwin, Freeman and Restaurant Evaluators will take some fighting to get paid, so the level of work required becomes a lesser issue.

I seem to recall there was a recent topic on getting timings. My tricks are:

1. text your guest
2. make your guest take 1/2 the timings
3. Take notes when you visit the restroom
4. Make your reservation on the hour and show up on time!
5. Keep two timing at most in your head at any time and record them when you get a third.

Interesting. This is helpful, Steve. I just counted the narrative I wrote for this shop, which came out to 1,320 words. It actually wouldn't have been hard to get it up to 2,000. It's really a relief to know that none of them require those types of timings! That's the thing that was making me most nervous.

I utilized 3 and 4, and actually made my guest take ALL the timings, LOL. Suggestions 1 and 5 are good ideas. Thanks!

I go in wired with my DVR. I announce the time in just as we reach for the door (6:02:18) and leave the DVR on so that I can count seconds between that time point and the greeting without announcing a time point. As soon as we are seated, I announce the next time point as (03:58), which I know will be 6:03:58. If we had a wait, I paused my DVR until called and announce the call point as just minutes and seconds, then announce the seated time to start timing for the greet time. While waiting for the greet, I record the demographics of the hostess and the name if she had a tag. I have my microphone in my bra and put the DVR in my lap under my napkin so I can easily turn it on or pause it and I just look down, even in a crowded and noisy restaurant, to tell myself the timings. I record the greeting of the server, what was said as the dishes were presented, what was said when the bill was presented, what was said when the credit card slips were brought back and a time point for every service. I may make notes to the DVR during the meal about presentation, especially for what may be in the salad or slaw or other mixed item. I then have the recorder on as we depart to capture any farewells we are given, the time we walk out the door and anything unusual I might forget to mention.

For a 1 hr meal there usually is about 5 minutes of DVR to listen to, and I do so with a timings spreadsheet I have set up that goes through all parts of the meal. The spreadsheet then subtracts delivery time from order time for me, greeted time from seated time, credit card taken from credit card out time, etc. etc. On the spreadsheet I also have a column for descriptions of everyone I interacted with and names and a space to put exact quotes of upsells or suggestions, greetings and farewells. I have a space to do the pre-visit call, including #of rings, exact quote of greeting, name of employee, time and date of call and what they told me. There is also time in/time out, times of table visits for satisfaction/refills etc. and who made them.

It takes generally 10-15 min to manually transfer the information from the DVR to the spreadsheeet, but there is the shop in a nutshell. When I am asked if the appetizer was delivered in 10 minutes or less I can confidently state 'NO' and mention it was delivered in eleven minutes and eighteen seconds. Whenever I can use the direct quotes or exact description, I can just copy and paste into the form.

The timing sheet and timing habits are now automatic to me and I find they work for any casual or fine dining situation. The timing sheet becomes part of my permanent record for the shop along with the scans of receipts and a pdf copy of the report. If something specific is requested for a particular shop, it can easily be added to my blank for that shop.

I record the entire experience. It may or may not be legal where you live.

A we've discussed before, it's not legal where I live so I've had to resort to other tactics. I would also look pretty silly with a DVR stuffed in a bra.

SteveSoCal Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> A we've discussed before, it's not legal where I
> live so I've had to resort to other tactics. I
> would also look pretty silly with a DVR stuffed in
> a bra.


But when you come here it isn't, and so I will await seeing this on your next trip. That would be worth buying you an overpriced hotel Mai Tai. Tee hee.

When my son was talking about doing shops I offered to make a small hole in his shirt pocket so the mic cord could be fed down through. But he is a shirt tucked in person so we weren't sure where the cord could come out invisibly :^)

When I first started doing restaurant shops I used a small spiral notebook and we always sat in booths with the wall to my right side. With a stubby little pencil, on the little pad on the seat, I would note times as we went through the meal. I did the 'memo' feature on my phone for a while because I could record times while just 'fiddling with it', but the 'memo' feature was not long enough and had a nasty habit of overwriting itself at inopportune times.

Well, so far, the DVR and I don't get along. If possible, I'd prefer to do it manually.

Flash, do the ones you've done require precise timings like that?

Nicely, almost every restaurant I have done ever has required precise timings on server visits and food delivery, It isn't down to the second, like FF shops are, but there is much more to watch for.

The one I just completed was probably easier than most (only putting in the exact number of minutes if it deviated from the stipulated time frames), but that's okay too. It's really just the seconds that always make me sweat!

You'll be fine. I have never heard of FD requiring timings to the second. :-)

nicelytwicely Wrote:
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> Flash, do the ones you've done require precise
> timings like that?

They all GET precise timings like that. Reason being, lets say that my watch reads 6:57:01 and so I use a 'start time' of 6:57. My initial beverage is served at 6:59:59, so my 'end time' is 6:59. The question asks if my drink was served "within 2 minutes of order". It looks like the answer would be 'yes', though in reality it was 2 minutes and 58 seconds, which is not within 2 minutes of order. Now I have heard it argued that anything less than 3 minutes is "within 2 minutes", but to me "within 2 minutes" is 2 minutes or less. If I can state 2 minutes 58 seconds then the report can be corrected for the specific client. Similarly, in a busy restaurant our waitress is struggling and the beverage was actually 2 minutes and 2 seconds. The client can see that there was an issue, but that it was minor and perhaps appropriate to the situation. If I order beverage, appetizer, entree, dessert, pay by credit card that sits on the table waiting to be picked up and each one of those items the delivery or pickup exceeds requirements by 58 seconds, that is potentially nearly 5 extra minutes to turn the table. If you are standing waiting for a table, that 5 minutes may effect your perception of the restaurant.

And therein is the beauty of the DVR. :-) Everything is caught down to the second.

Yup. But since I don't want to listen to an hour of DVR recording with stopwatch in hand to glean timings for a one hour shop, I simply pause and restart and announce my timings to myself as read off the watch on the left hand that is resting 'comfortably' on the table. :^)

I like not having to pay as close attention to my DVR, and having quotes when needed. I have a general idea as to what happened roughly at what time, like within a couple of minutes, so I just jump through. I also like that I just transfer from phone to computer, and have it open in QT and have exact timings, since like you, I also speak the exact time at start into the recording.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/18/2010 06:01PM by dee shops.

I have never done a fine dining shop that required timings to the second. Fine dining shops often have more time points to take (as the meals are long, with courses, check-backs, etc.) but I have never done one that took it down to the seconds (like Fast Food does).

I have lived in a state that allowed DVRs and have tried using it for some shops. It works well for fast food/fast casual but I would think it is more trouble than it is worth on a fine dining. Steve has some great ideas on timing (I myself do the texting thing, or just pretend to text and use the notepad function of my phone).

Regarding Coyle - gonna agree with Steve on this one too (although he would know better than I). In my experience they are very clear on what they expect and are not in the practice to deny payment for "minor issues" in the least. I have a good friend who shops for them and he is constantly pushing the envelope (like turning in reports 2 days late) and other than "reminding him" in a polite manner and understandably docking his grade, he has also always gotten paid with no push-back.

I just keep my cell phone on the table and send frequent "texts." I don't always text immediately after the server comes so I don't arouse suspicion. Often I will say to my boyfriend, "Remember the number 1543." That means, to me, that whatever course was delivered came at 7:15.43 or whatever the hour was. After a few minutes, I'll send a "text" on my phone and get that time recorded. Sometimes I'll call up a website on the phone and show my boyfriend, or leave the phone on and place it on the table with the innocuous website showing, to deflect any suspicion.


karen

Flash, I have cut small holes in two shirt pockets for the microphone.. For really fine dining I have a modified dress shirt and for casual dining a nice modified tee shirt. The "mike" cord is black so I wear the shirt tucked in and black shorts or pants. Also, a black belt is necessary and the mike cord is passed under the belt. It works, you cannot see the mike or the mike cord. I have shopped many many restaurants and so far this system works great. Good luck to your son.

Steveo

I couldn't figure out how to get the cord up out of the tucked shirt without creating a funky and noticeable bulge. I was thinking I would need to cut a hole in the pants pocket as well and that might make serious restroom checks a challenge :^)

I've done a number of fine dining and only had trouble with one (never paid) because of a really bad experience report. This was the one where the mouse joined us for dinner!
My wife loves them because we get to eat out (which we do a lot anyway). We have gone to several places we wouldn't have gone to on our own, but might return because they were so good.
Payment on these tend to be r..e..a..l..l..y slooooooooooooow. Be prepard to front them with a fair amount of cash. Even if you charge them you end of paying your card invoice before getting reimbursed. And sometimes there is no communication as to whether or not the shop has been accepted.

All the ones we have done required about the same information and at the same level of detail. The DVR is your friend. I always record the entire shop and it makes it fairly easy to check a specific time or quotation. Usually it matches my recollection and notes, but sometimes I goof and the DVR is always right!
Gary

The fine dining reports like detail and narrative, create a story of your experience. I never wear any device, as timings are general more than telling about seconds. Pretending to be a customer seems uncomfortable with a device on you, I go to the restroom, keep my phone on the seat next to me with something over it, easy to check it. I've never had a problem, and my phone has a stop watch if needed. I think a big stopwatch on your wrist is more telling. I also keep a piece of paper and pen in my purse and look through my handbag (as woman do) can jot down a name or whatever, or call home and leave myself a message.....many ways to be comfortable while doing this. When the Servers are good, their names are imbedded in my mind, I just don't forget them or the appearance of the plating and taste of the dinner. Enjoy the experience, they have kept me in MSing.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/18/2010 03:22PM by Irene_L.A..

I had an interesting fine dining the other day. I made a reservation and when asked if there was a special occasion, I told it was - well it really was my birthday. they set the table with confetti and flowers and the waiter must have used my name a million times during the meal. Anyway, a server from a time we were there before came over and talked to us. He remembered that I had a son who lives in another state and what he did. He also told us about going to the Post officee and getting a 10% coupon from Lowe's ( am redoing my kitchen and saved $150 on the appliances that I bought the other day). I had a sample of the granite and the cabinet on the table.