Coyle dining shops
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I had signed up for a restaurant shop with them and it took a few weeks before I was assigned it.
Cool, thanks for the feedback 
When I first signed up I applied for shops but didn't get them. If they have more experienced (with them) shoppers in your area they get first dibs. It was last minute shops for me they gave me at first. Right now I'm doing a 2-day hotel shop for them at a swanky upscale boutique hotel. Give it time. Try a couple of phone shops to prove yourself. It could help.
Hello, when I first applied for Coyle shops, I never got assigned. I got my foot in the door when I responded to email for shops needing to get done asap. I did two shops last year. I just got another one assigned today. My question is what exactly does Coyle mean by one-on-one cash transaction at the bar? If I have a guest with me, can we order together?
I applied for many restaurant shops and never got any. I was upset, so I gave up. Then I read on here to apply for phone shops. I really don't want to do phone shops, but I figured I would do it to prove myself. I started applying for phone shops and didn't get any of those. I was pretty frustrated, but I didn't give up. I kept applying for phone shops, and then I finally got one. I hope it goes well.
@sitotw wrote:
Hello, when I first applied for Coyle shops, I never got assigned. I got my foot in the door when I responded to email for shops needing to get done asap. I did two shops last year. I just got another one assigned today. My question is what exactly does Coyle mean by one-on-one cash transaction at the bar? If I have a guest with me, can we order together?
You can't pay a waitress at the bar. You must sit/ stand at the bar to order from the actual bar tender & pay them cash.
Thanks guys. I actually took your advice and applied for a phone shop last week. I'm guessing I didn't get that because it's gone from my applications. But all the dining shops I applied for are just sitting there still. Super frustrating, I wish they would just deny it than do nothing at all. Oh well. They had a lot of good shops in my area but probably not worth the hassle
I think you should keep applying for phone shops. You will get one if you keep trying. Then once you prove yourself, you can move on to restaurant shops.
Thanks for all the advice! I literally just applied for like every shop I was able to do in their database hoping I would get one, and I got super lucky and just got assigned a restaurant shop! Do you have any tips? I have done dining shops before with intellishop and ACL but I've heard Coyle is a lot harder. Do you think it was worth buying a digital recorder? Thanks!
@Sammiexoo13 wrote:
Thanks for all the advice! I literally just applied for like every shop I was able to do in their database hoping I would get one, and I got super lucky and just got assigned a restaurant shop! Do you have any tips? I have done dining shops before with intellishop and ACL but I've heard Coyle is a lot harder. Do you think it was worth buying a digital recorder? Thanks!
I highly recommend you look at Coyle's Evaluator Resource Center. It will likely address a lot of questions you have, and some you may not even realize you have. It also addresses things like the usage of a digital recorder.
That being said, my biggest advice would be to be sure to get timings for everything, even for things like when you visit the restroom. They'll be looking for a very detailed narrative that includes the time that each interaction happened, from greeting, to food delivery, to check backs, to receipt delivery and processing, etc.
Good luck and enjoy your meal!
Shopping central Arizona.
One thing that Coyle looks for are exact quotes (greetings, salutation, Thank You) from host, bartender, servers, manager
Coyle is very picky. And, don't expect them to answer any communication from you, whether email, phone, or carrier pigeon.......they probably won't answer. they put jobs on their board months in advance, and you just will never know if you will get one until - voila! - you do, usually with a day notice. Occasionally, rarely, really, I get a call asking me if I could complete a shop at a specific restaurant on a specific day. They have designed themselves to be this way, and a good solid, upscale MS should NOT count on them for work.
I totally agree with this advice. I completed a Coyle restaurant shop last week and the report took about three hours. If I ever get another Coyle shop, I will be sure to note the exact timing of everything! They also ask who served each course (waiter, bus boy...), what the individual said, what each staff member looked like, who poured the water, how long before the water was refilled, etc. It is a detailed and precise report. My first report was sent back with a list of questions that required further information. It was a true learning experience and I would be glad to do another one but only now that I know what to expect.
@winemaker wrote:
They have designed themselves to be this way, and a good solid, upscale MS should NOT count on them for work.
C'mon, I think we all know that's just your particular experience. At a certain point you have to realize that your obvious bias against Coyle may be related to why you are not getting the shops you want.
If you are a full-time shopper, it might not be a good fit for you, but I'm definitely a solid, upscale professional shopper and I count on them for work monthly, which I receive.
@winemaker wrote:
Coyle is very picky. And, don't expect them to answer any communication from you, whether email, phone, or carrier pigeon.......they probably won't answer. they put jobs on their board months in advance, and you just will never know if you will get one until - voila! - you do, usually with a day notice. Occasionally, rarely, really, I get a call asking me if I could complete a shop at a specific restaurant on a specific day. They have designed themselves to be this way, and a good solid, upscale MS should NOT count on them for work.
Any other upscale company like Coyle that you could recommend?
Steve-depends on how many shops you want to do a month, I suppose. You don't state that, and a good upscale shopper can usually get one to three shops a month from Coylellllbut really, that isn't very much. you are a special case, having worked for Coyle as an employee previously, but you know how Coyle randomly spreads out their shops....It can take some people 5-10 YEARS to become a 'regular' with Coyle. I know I do 1-3 shops a month for them (including hotels, at times) and it has taken me 5 years to get this many assignments.
Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 04/28/2017 04:56PM by winemaker.
Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 04/28/2017 04:56PM by winemaker.
Still waiting, but they have until June to assign this one...if i'm still alive, maybe I'll have the honor of doing the 200+ questioned report for the 15.00 fee. Sorry Steve....may be getting a tad bitter.
Live consciously....
@winemaker wrote:
Steve-depends on how many shops you want to do a month, I suppose. You don't state that, and a good upscale shopper can usually get one to three shops a month from Coylellllbut really, that isn't very much. you are a special case, having worked for Coyle as an employee previously, but you know how Coyle randomly spreads out their shops....It can take some people 5-10 YEARS to become a 'regular' with Coyle. I know I do 1-3 shops a month for them (including hotels, at times) and it has taken me 5 years to get this many assignments.
How many shops are you looking for?
It seems like you have gotten to a good place with them and you are still unhappy. I average 2 upscale dining assignments a month. I have done more in the past but frankly my diet just can't sustain that much food intake more than a few times a month.
I might take 5 or 6 hotels in a month when I have nothing else going on, but then not take any for 6-8 months after that.
Also, it should take years to build up that kind a trust with a company that will send you around the world. Do you expect to do 3 dinner assignments and get a luxury cruise immediately after that?
Steve...comments....
1) Don't assume I am unhappy.....we all know what ASSUME-ing does. I am just telling it like it is with Coyle.
2) A lot of the people on this board are NOT satisfied with 1-3 dinner shops a month....that is filler for them.
3) Yes. after five years and quite a few successful hotel assignments, I would hope to be able to "get' more assignments from Coyle, or at least some communication from them, or maybe, at the very least, some ability to schedule my Coyle assignments NOT at the last minute. there does not seem to be any method to their scheduling, except for the worst-case-scenario, that of a "churn and burn" MSC that values their shoppers not-at-all. The cumulative effect of: Last minute assignments, Going months after applications, and then the job just goes "poof" from their boards, No responses to phone calls or emails....all that makes me wonder.
My opinions only....still working for Coyle, but not very often.
1) Don't assume I am unhappy.....we all know what ASSUME-ing does. I am just telling it like it is with Coyle.
2) A lot of the people on this board are NOT satisfied with 1-3 dinner shops a month....that is filler for them.
3) Yes. after five years and quite a few successful hotel assignments, I would hope to be able to "get' more assignments from Coyle, or at least some communication from them, or maybe, at the very least, some ability to schedule my Coyle assignments NOT at the last minute. there does not seem to be any method to their scheduling, except for the worst-case-scenario, that of a "churn and burn" MSC that values their shoppers not-at-all. The cumulative effect of: Last minute assignments, Going months after applications, and then the job just goes "poof" from their boards, No responses to phone calls or emails....all that makes me wonder.
My opinions only....still working for Coyle, but not very often.
I have worked for Coyle for several years, after waiting maybe six months for my first assignment. In the last couple years, I have developed a good rapport with the scheduling department. They respond to my questions promptly, have assigned me shops when I will be traveling and have also contacted me asking if I might be able to help them out. It's a two-way street and we have a good relationship that took a long time to build. I average two shops a month with them, which is fine, as it allows for necessary rotation and not getting burned out by the same venues. Since most of their shops are fine dining and I do shop for a bunch of other companies, that is good for me --- can't eat steak and desserts every night! It does take a while to begin getting assignments from Coyle, but in my opinion once on board it's a good experience.
I also just signed up with Coyle and i chose a assignment and got no reply so i found the schedulers name and number at the bottom of the assignment and called. She was very nice and because of the additional shop requirements i did not do the shop but now i think they know im for real and may respond quicker.
Hey there, its not personal its business and the better written and detailed the report the better the position to get called first. I am new with one company and they seem to like my detail so they pay me nearly double per assignment.
Its never personal with companies if you deliver a quality shop on time then they work you more.
Its never personal with companies if you deliver a quality shop on time then they work you more.
@winemaker wrote:
2) A lot of the people on this board are NOT satisfied with 1-3 dinner shops a month....that is filler for them.
And those kind of people should be signed up for many different MSCs. It shouldn't be expected that Coyle alone will assign enough dining shops to satisfy. With the high quality of their usual clients, I'd be happy with 1-3 dinners a month contracted through just them. I look through other channels to fill in the rest.
Coyle has a ton of qualified, loyal shoppers. If you're not getting as many assignments as you would like, there could be a ton of reasons: 1) dates you choose not available (I think they promise clients to not repeat the same days of the week for each shop) 2) not the right demographic (age, income) 3) other more qualified shoppers (better scores, past reliable shoppers 4) scheduler promised a certain shop to a shopper for helping out another visit... There are probably many other reasons as well. If you get assigned, consider yourself lucky.
Linda - exactly....."Lucky".
I work for Coyle, and I like working for them. I can handle their narratives fairly well,
and I get 1-3 dinner jobs a month from them. Fine. What I am trying to point out here, is that many shoppers using this board are not willing to wait the time necessary to become one of Coyle's "chosen few" and are looking for way more than 1-3 shops per month, on average.The Coyle shops are nice, but only about 5% of Coyle's shoppers ever receive a hotel shop, and even a high-end restaurant shop requires anywhere up to 3 months wait to be assigned after the shop is posted. not a criticism of Coyle, really, but that is the reality of being a Coyle shopper.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/28/2017 04:36PM by winemaker.
I work for Coyle, and I like working for them. I can handle their narratives fairly well,
and I get 1-3 dinner jobs a month from them. Fine. What I am trying to point out here, is that many shoppers using this board are not willing to wait the time necessary to become one of Coyle's "chosen few" and are looking for way more than 1-3 shops per month, on average.The Coyle shops are nice, but only about 5% of Coyle's shoppers ever receive a hotel shop, and even a high-end restaurant shop requires anywhere up to 3 months wait to be assigned after the shop is posted. not a criticism of Coyle, really, but that is the reality of being a Coyle shopper.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/28/2017 04:36PM by winemaker.
For some reason it was not hard for me to step in to the door with Coyle. I applied to a lot of shops in March after I joined to them in the beginning of March and I had been assigned to one shop. It went pretty well although I was getting nervous but after that I was contacted by scheduler and he offered me a lot of similar assignments which he addressed me to apply. We discussed time and date for all of them and I got them. I earned really most my income with three companies in April and one of them was Coyle. I do not know how that system works and why you might be or might not be assigned, but I was very satisfied with more than 15 assignments in April. I would like to do the same in May as they pay decent and it is interesting.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/28/2017 07:43PM by LenaKaran.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/28/2017 07:43PM by LenaKaran.
@winemaker, the one thing that has never changed with Coyle from the beginning is that they are not a good fit for 100% of shoppers, and like to do things a bit differently from other MSCs. That's what attracted them to me from the start...and their model is based on people who are professionals and work outside of hospitality taking a few shops a month to augment their lifestyle. There has never been a goal to employ full-time shoppers.
For the record; My past employment with Coyle was based on me becoming one of their top shoppers within a few years of signing up with the company many years ago. I came in as a newbie shopper, made many mistakes along the way, staying in some really undesirable properties and fighting my way to the top of the ranks. I've told this story elsewhere but Coyle only had 2 restaurants in CA back when I joined, so I had to wait until I was in NYC on business to take on additional restaurants to prove myself to get assigned a hotel. When I was finally approached by Jim Coyle and he offered me a job, I had no clue I was one of their top shoppers. I thought I was still fighting my way to the top...
For the record; My past employment with Coyle was based on me becoming one of their top shoppers within a few years of signing up with the company many years ago. I came in as a newbie shopper, made many mistakes along the way, staying in some really undesirable properties and fighting my way to the top of the ranks. I've told this story elsewhere but Coyle only had 2 restaurants in CA back when I joined, so I had to wait until I was in NYC on business to take on additional restaurants to prove myself to get assigned a hotel. When I was finally approached by Jim Coyle and he offered me a job, I had no clue I was one of their top shoppers. I thought I was still fighting my way to the top...
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