The (unofficial) Coyle Q&A thread
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I got an email about a last minute cancellation and was asked if I was available tonight to do a restaurant. I applied and, then, in my excitement, made a reservation online because I noticed a band was playing tonight and didn't want to be left waiting forever for a table. The scheduler said they'd be assigning within the hour but it's been an hour and a half. They totally could be just busy but...
Did I mess up by making a reservation?
Did I mess up by making a reservation?
@kstaplet wrote:
I got an email about a last minute cancellation and was asked if I was available tonight to do a restaurant. I applied and, then, in my excitement, made a reservation online because I noticed a band was playing tonight and didn't want to be left waiting forever for a table. The scheduler said they'd be assigning within the hour but it's been an hour and a half. They totally could be just busy but...
Did I mess up by making a reservation?
There is usually a "Telephone" component/narrative that requires that you call the restaurant/venue to make the reservation. Your survey may be rejected if the client determines that you made a reservation online.
I shouldn't have gotten so excited! There's still no response from scheduling but it is still on my applications. I'll cancel my online reservation and just hope they're still able to get me in if/when I call.
Guh. I can't believe I missed the late summer discussion in this thread. I'd say that my biggest problem with Coyle is that I will pick up the crappy shops when they say they'll assign me something primo in exchange, and then when I apply and email them, crickets. I mean, that's just not cool. If, for whatever reason, I'm not eligible for that assignment, tell me! Or even when I applied for a bunch of assignments along the spectrum, thinking I'd get one of them because I was promised, it wouldn't happen.
That is a poor business practice.
That is a poor business practice.
Shopsuey---very typical for Coyle....
@shopsuey wrote:
I'd say that my biggest problem with Coyle is that I will pick up the crappy shops when they say they'll assign me something primo in exchange, and then when I apply and email them, crickets.
@shopsuey - So what you're saying is that you've received emails from specific schedulers requesting that you assist with some dog of a shop, or shops, and when you email them at a later date requesting a primo assignment that that specific scheduler, or those specific schedulers does/do not respond to you?
If so, wow. I have never had that experience. They've always been good to me and have acknowledged assignments I completed for them out of goodwill, and have provided me with opportunities in kind. If they're not able to, they've always explained - "Sorry, that's already been assigned and the evaluator is just making travel arrangements" or something to that extent.
I have sent out emails requesting a specific shop, or shops, without assisting them previously and have not received a response. I chalk it up to either they're too busy, or it's just not going to happen. I'm okay with it.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/19/2017 12:47AM by Professional Guest.
@Professional Guest Yes. That's exactly what has happened. I'll get the email that says "if you take one of these, we'll give you whatever you want next month", I'll actually take multiples of what they need, and then the next month, when I email them after I put in my application, I won't hear anything. Or I'll say, "Sure, I'll take these four! I've also got a pending application for next month!" and they'll acknowledge the four I took, but nothing about the pending app.
This has happened a couple times. I honestly enjoy the assignment, because it's a nice outing for my guest and I, so I don't get too angry, but that they can't be bothered to acknowledge that I helped them and give me my choice the following month is really annoying. If they emailed and said, "Sorry, that's assigned already" or "You're not yet qualified for that by our internal metrics", it'd be fine. But I haven't even gotten that courtesy.
Sure, I could stop working for them, but I do occasionally like their stuff. Even when I'm "helping" them, I definitely am not going out of my way or rescheduling anything to do it.
This has happened a couple times. I honestly enjoy the assignment, because it's a nice outing for my guest and I, so I don't get too angry, but that they can't be bothered to acknowledge that I helped them and give me my choice the following month is really annoying. If they emailed and said, "Sorry, that's assigned already" or "You're not yet qualified for that by our internal metrics", it'd be fine. But I haven't even gotten that courtesy.
Sure, I could stop working for them, but I do occasionally like their stuff. Even when I'm "helping" them, I definitely am not going out of my way or rescheduling anything to do it.
@shopsuey -I’m sorry for your experience. I’m glad that you enjoy the shops you do for them and hope that in the future they assign you the primo shops you request.
Apparently I'm a glutton for punishment but why not, it's 2018.
So nearly every Coyle restaurant states "for two guests."
Does this mean UP TO two guests, or exactly two guests?
I can do plenty of these while I'm on the road, but I'm alone when I'm on the road.
So nearly every Coyle restaurant states "for two guests."
Does this mean UP TO two guests, or exactly two guests?
I can do plenty of these while I'm on the road, but I'm alone when I'm on the road.
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Seriously, nobody cares that you're offended.
Seriously, nobody cares that you're offended.
Sorry, Hoju, you will have to take me along to do Coyle restaurant shops in MD/DC/VA area.
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.
Take a hotel in NYC and I'll be happy to co-shop a restaurant with you! We can even go parking together! 
______________________________________________________________________
Seriously, nobody cares that you're offended.
Seriously, nobody cares that you're offended.
touche !
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'm not coming to DC! Wales will take you, though. She's good like that.
______________________________________________________________________
Seriously, nobody cares that you're offended.
Seriously, nobody cares that you're offended.
I new to Coyle, I did 2 restaurants visit last month.
1st visit after asked me resubmit, then no feedback on scorecard, but the payroll history (PAY STATEMENTS FOR ) have the PDF statement for my fee + reimburse bill.
2nd visit after I submitted, the editor emailed me to ask me a lot of info and I replied and get 71% only. Then show as below, is it means I only can get $15 for my visit due to low rating?
COMPLETED SURVEYS NOT ON STATEMENTS FOR xx
Pay Rate :15.00
Total Pay Rate : 15.00
Currency : USD
Status : OK for Pay
1st visit after asked me resubmit, then no feedback on scorecard, but the payroll history (PAY STATEMENTS FOR ) have the PDF statement for my fee + reimburse bill.
2nd visit after I submitted, the editor emailed me to ask me a lot of info and I replied and get 71% only. Then show as below, is it means I only can get $15 for my visit due to low rating?
COMPLETED SURVEYS NOT ON STATEMENTS FOR xx
Pay Rate :15.00
Total Pay Rate : 15.00
Currency : USD
Status : OK for Pay
$15 is the pay for a restaurant. you will get the reimbursement for your shop (whatever your receipts said + $15. You should email to find out what went wrong on your 71% score though, because there is certainly some points you may want to improve upon next time.
I also takes a few days (up to a week) after the shop is complete for accounting to go through and add the reimbursements into shopmetrics. It's a separate team of people who look over the receipts and take deductions there for over-ordering, or not staying within defined reimbursement limits.
I recommend always checking your pay statement before the end of the month for accuracy because accounting doesn't read the submissions or necessarily understand a lot of the clients. I have been burned repeatedly when evaluating sushi restaurants because they somehow think a single piece of sushi should be one course.
It's best to work that stuff out with accounting BEFORE they pay you or will take months to get the additional pay, if at all.
I recommend always checking your pay statement before the end of the month for accuracy because accounting doesn't read the submissions or necessarily understand a lot of the clients. I have been burned repeatedly when evaluating sushi restaurants because they somehow think a single piece of sushi should be one course.
It's best to work that stuff out with accounting BEFORE they pay you or will take months to get the additional pay, if at all.
Steve (or others),
What is the "hero citation" they speak of? What does that mean, practically?
What is the "hero citation" they speak of? What does that mean, practically?
@laur371 wrote:
What is the "hero citation" they speak of? What does that mean, practically?
Coyle issues hero citations?
Yes, if you take a shop last minute, in the Coyle email it says you will get an "important positive" which is equivalent to a "hero citation." I just earned one for helping them out in a bind. Does it have any meaning?
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/18/2018 04:54AM by laur371.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/18/2018 04:54AM by laur371.
@laur371 wrote:
What is the "hero citation" they speak of? What does that mean, practically?
I actually didn't know about that with Coyle, but have practiced the concept of helping out for years. It basically boils down to if all things are equal between 2 shoppers and one has that distinction, their application will probably be considered ahead of others.
While I do often get some of the best assignments from Coyle, I also agree to some of the worst at times...
I can understand and sympathize with the issues you describe, Steve, but what I don't understand is how any of those issues can justify the lack of transparency and outright dishonesty that I (and others here) have encountered.
@SteveSoCal wrote:
...Every email, every follow up from support, and every declined shop take time from the staff, and that equates to money spent. Somewhere along the way the company (It was not my decision) concluded that a smaller base of more prepared shoppers was a better use of resources than letting the flood gates open for all. You ended up on the wrong side of that filter. I'm not sure why. It makes scheduling harder, but editing easier. There are more editors than schedulers so that saves the MSC money.
@umbjm wrote:
I can understand and sympathize with the issues you describe, Steve, but what I don't understand is how any of those issues can justify the lack of transparency and outright dishonesty that I (and others here) have encountered.
I get the lack of transparency complaint. Their scheduling process is definitely not as friendly as it used to be...and it was never that good to begin with, but what do mean by outright dishonesty?
Is that based on scheduling promises made and not kept, or you being told something that you know for a fact was not true?
Coyle can be frustrating, but they have always paid consistently, made an attempt to fix problems (even if it took months) and generally operated professionally with their existing evaluators.
@SteveSoCal wrote:
I get the lack of transparency complaint. Their scheduling process is definitely not as friendly as it used to be...and it was never that good to begin with, but what do mean by outright dishonesty?
Is that based on scheduling promises made and not kept, or you being told something that you know for a fact was not true?
The latter.
When I first signed up with Coyle 3 years ago, I got a lot of assignments, 3-4 each month. When I signed up for hotels I also got them. Then I took a few weeks off due to recovery from a fall. When I got back, until now, I hardly get any assignments. I explained what my absence was due to, but no, they did not assign me any in March even though I got 2 in Feb. After several email inquiries on my applications, there was no response. That's not a nice way to treat your loyal evaluator. As far as scores, I get scores in the 90 -100%, mostly in the upper 90's.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/22/2018 10:06PM by ShopperFun99.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/22/2018 10:06PM by ShopperFun99.
What company would you recommend for a hospitality assignment such as fine dining and hotels?
All,
See the latest PM that I sent. You need to walk before you try to run.
See the latest PM that I sent. You need to walk before you try to run.
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 just took one of these last-minute shops. I'll try to remember to post here in a month or so to provide another data point as to whether the promised gratitude is real...
I just took one of these last-minute shops. I'll try to remember to post here in a month or so to provide another data point as to whether the promised gratitude is real...
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