@sandyf wrote:
Q: How would a msc know whether you have visited their type of property?
They would not know for sure. Many other MSCs ask demographic questions about how often you dine out, travel, etc....but there's no way to verify that.
To be honest, I don't know what the application process with Coyle is these days, but in the past there was a questionnaire and writing samples required when you signed up. I had access to a database with the application from every single Coyle shopper. I would reference that when I needed a someone for a shop and didn't know any of the applicants.
Just like when you read shopper posts here, you quickly get an idea of the shopper's attitude and experience from the applications...and if you could fool me into thinking you were the right demographic, you probably were a good choice for the shop and could fool the hotel/restaurant staff as well. They are not necessarily looking for shoppers who would stay at those places. They are looking for people who can pull of appearing to be people who stay at those places. Part of that includes credit, access to cash, wardrobe, and ability to handle yourself in a multitude of situations.
Another admission; When I started working for Coyle, I was not in the financial position to stay in any of the hotels. I had lost my job, was on unemployment and looking at MSing as a way to help get by between jobs. However, my previous employment had me traveling around the world on an expense account, staying in many of the hotels that are Coyle clients to this day, and dining in the very same restaurants. I was comfortable in that atmosphere, so while I was looking for a job that would allow me to return to that lifestyle, I found a MSC that allowed me to live the lifestyle without the income required to do so. That's why it was a good match for me.
I took the job as an editor because I found that full time MSing could not generate the income I needed to get by, and I had not located gainful employment in my chosen career. I left my position there because I ended up managing a team of people and my travel came to a stop. While the income was better, it was not the lifestyle I wanted for myself.
The reality of the perfect Coyle shopper is someone in a similar position. If you could honestly afford the travel on your own without issue, why on earth would you put yourself through the hassle of the reporting...but if you've never travelled in that manner, you will have little to judge it against.
Don't get me wrong. Many shoppers were sent out on assignments that turned out to be a bad fit. It was just easy to tell after 1 shop what their experience was when they wrote that everything was, "Amazing!" Conversely, you don't want shoppers why criticize everything either. That also smacks of someone trying to seem like they know how things should work. The best shoppers are the ones who can point out a few positives and a few negatives from each experience they have. The balanced reporting tells of your experience, and I could quickly spot that in the sample narratives provided as well.