So what does it take to actually get a Coyle assignment?

I've been shopping for years with over 100 msc. I've requested several Coyle (shopmetric) jobs and never get any. I'm wondering what I need to do to ever get one. The funny thing is that these are not fancy, exclusive restaurants. We're talking restaurants comparable to an Applebee's or TGIF. Any clue?

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Hmmm that's odd. Are there a lot of shoppers in your area that are doing them already, I wonder? Are you signed up on the Coyle Shop Metrics site? My first (and only) so far shop I have done for them was a fine dining restaurant. I have applied for some of the hotel shops and wasn't assigned because I was told I had to do quite a few other shops (restaurant and phone) before I could qualify for the hotels. My problem is I live in a smaller city and the large metro city where many of the restaurant shops are located is about 40 miles away so I don't want drive that far (very often).

I live near a large city, which is where these jobs are located. Yes, it's the Shopmetrics Coyle I've been applying for. I guess all I can do is keep trying. It's a catch-22. They won't give you the jobs until you prove your worth, but how can you when they won't give you the opportunity?

Do you see a scheduler's name for the shops you are applying for? If so, shoot them an email. Are there any phone shops you could apply for? Maybe if you do a phone shop they will give you a restaurant shop.

When you say, "several", what's "several"?

I applied for a select few fine dining shops a number of times, for a few months, before I was assigned a report/survey. Years, because I simply didn't interact much with Coyle, until I was assigned a hotel, and that was after completing over ten fine dining Bar/Dinner assignments and consistently earning 19s and 20s, or was it 9s and 10s, AND then taking an online test. Does anyone still have to take a test? It took months afterwards, and me sending a few emails to follow up on my test results before I was assigned a hotel.

It can take a while.

@DareWright wrote:

I've been shopping for years with over 100 msc. I've requested several Coyle (shopmetric) jobs and never get any. I'm wondering what I need to do to ever get one. The funny thing is that these are not fancy, exclusive restaurants. We're talking restaurants comparable to an Applebee's or TGIF. Any clue?

Several = close to 20 shops.

It's impossible to answer your question without knowing more detail about the particular assignments you applied for, when the applications were put in and the what you wrote on you applications, but here's what I can infer from what's been posted here:

- You live near a large city where there are potentially many other shoppers.
- They have many proven evaluators in your area who applied for the same assignments.
- You perhaps did not leave the most appealing note in your application for said assignments.

Honestly, 20 is not that many. There are hundreds of assignments available right now that I could take. I could probably apply for 100 and get 2. If you are approaching the application with a note like above where you state that you work for 100's of other MSC's and feel you are the best choice for that reason, please see my answer to BG's question from this morning:

[www.mysteryshopforum.com]

I am guessing that they probably already have a lot of shoppers in your area, like Steve suggested. Maybe if you tried expanding your search range a little farther out and agreed to travel for the first hard-to-fill assignment or two, they would add you to their list of "active" shoppers in your area. You could also look for a phone shop with them. They have them available sometimes and that was how I got my first shop with Coyle. It seems like, when your brand new to an MSC, regardless of your prior experience, you have to take their lowest-of-the-low jobs to get your "in" and they probably have many known shoppers already doing the TGIF's, Applebee's, etc.

I'll keep trying. They must be very selective. Of all the companies I've worked for, I've never applied for 20+ jobs and never gotten one assignment. I applied for another one today, and mentioned that I am MSPA silver-certified and have over five years of experience with fine hotels. Fingers crossed.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/01/2016 03:27PM by DareWright.

It comes in waves. For example, I had zero assignments in April, then one in May, and now three in June. It goes up and down like this for as long as I can remember.

The only recommendation I can give is to provide as much availability as possible.

@Professional Guest wrote:

Does anyone still have to take a test?

No test taken here.

@Professional Guest wrote:

It took months afterwards, and me sending a few emails to follow up on my test results before I was assigned a hotel.

It can take a while.

I did very few assignments and had been signed up with them only a couple of months before being assigned a hotel shop. I assume that this is the exception. I also assume that it was based on an urgent need on Coyle's part and my being able to fill that need.

@TeriW wrote:

@Professional Guest wrote:

Does anyone still have to take a test?
No test taken here.

@Professional Guest wrote:

It took months afterwards, and me sending a few emails to follow up on my test results before I was assigned a hotel.

It can take a while.
I did very few assignments and had been signed up with them only a couple of months before being assigned a hotel shop. I assume that this is the exception. I also assume that it was based on an urgent need on Coyle's part and my being able to fill that need.

Teri how did your editor rate your report since it was your first hotel assignment? Was it perfect or did they provide some feedback on how they wanted their hotel written about?

I have never seen any Applebees or TGIF "like" restaurants in my area, mostly high end and restaurants in mid to high end hotels. I live in a fairly large metro city, not top tier like LA, Chicago or NY but more 2nd tier but largest city in my state.
It must be timing, I got 3 shops with them right after I signed up like a few days later. All three were assigned by an outside scheduler. After that it was hit or miss, I would apply for some and not get and some I would get assigned. Since last June I've done a total of 8 shops for Coyle. I have not applied for any hotels yet, not that interested from what's been described on this forum. If I can keep the hotel loyalty points and get points on my credit card I might consider but it sounds like the charges are reversed vs reimbursed.

edited to add "like" restaurants

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/04/2016 03:22AM by aayaey.

I find that it depends in my area. I have 2 coyle shops coming up next week and I've done a few here and there.

They have a client that has some deadlines coming up. If you have those in your area, apply for them. I had never even applied for them before last week and just got my second hotel assignment.

I suggest in your note, you put down as many dates as possible that you are available. And you could try adding a note to the effect "I've been trying for ____ months and would really like to get my first shop from Coyle." Good luck!

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So what does it take to actually get a Coyle assignment?

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