Does anyone know how long it takes to approve a shop for payment? We went last Saturday and it's listed as pending review. Thanks!

Within a week, if anyone else has this same questiin. I just received an email with a rating.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/29/2018 07:36AM by Niner.

Yes, I had this same question. Thank you for the update.

Today has been a week for me, so I sent them an email this morning. Wish I had seen your post before I did; I would have waited one more day... I will post an update for others after I receive a reply, and/or the status of my evaluation is changed.

Why fret? It doesn't matter how long in takes to get a shop processed. The question is does Coyle pay on time? Yes, 100%.

@Rousseau wrote:

Why fret? It doesn't matter how long in takes to get a shop processed. The question is does Coyle pay on time? Yes, 100%.

Fret? Just because people want to know what to expect does not mean we are fretting. And yes, it does matter when the shop is processed. Many of us do this for a living and often have other travel and assignments scheduled. It is best when things do not overlap.

And, BTW, I have been shopping for Coyle many years now, and this assignment is taking longer than usual. I found this thread because I was searching to see if anyone else had experienced a longer than usual turn around.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/29/2018 12:30PM by IrisTina.

@IrisTina wrote:

[...]yes, it does matter when the shop is processed. Many of us do this for a living and often have other travel and assignments scheduled. It is best when things do not overlap.

I am a professional shopper. It is very hard to imagine making any money if one waited for each shop to be reviewed and approved before moving on to the next shop. Indeed, at any given time one has scores of submitted shops - some small and simple, others substantial - waiting for MSC action. What ought we do, twiddle our thumbs waiting for the MSC to act or get more work done?

Wow, you sure make a lot of assumptions, Rousseau. And, none of your comments have had anything to do with the original post in this thread, or with the information Niner or I were sharing. Difficult to imagine your personality does not reflect on your MS work, as well. I do not wait for each assignment to be 100% completed before I start another (not that it is any of your business; however, you think you know my actions so well). I do, however, make sure the workload I have when traveling or submitting extreme detail assignments flows smoothly enough to make all happy.

Warning: The tone of this thread is deteriorating. Should the lack of positive contribution and/or personal insults continue, posts will be removed and/or the thread will be closed.

Hi All,

I have some shops scheduled for Coyle hospitality and after reading tons of horrible reviews on yelp I am very nervous to work for them. Granted I should have looked up the company's reputation BEFORE I agreed to move forward with the shops- this is not a mistake I will repeat twice- but now I am terrified that I will get screwed over by them.

I am scheduled for a total of five restaurants shops at an airport in one day. I am in a really tight spot financially where I can in no way shape or form afford to pay upwards of $200 in restaurants and not get refunded. I am a decent writer and have no problem paying attention to all the little details requested but I've read from people who are experienced shoppers that they have been denied both payment AND reimbursement for shops. I'm also nervous because I am almost starting to feel like this is one of the ways this company makes money. Unfortunately, I can't afford to lose this money and I am left wondering if I should take the risk.

Does anyone have feedback on this matter. Have you personally worked for them? Were your outcomes good or bad?

I have worked for them for over three years. Some assignments are a lot of work and detail; however I have never not been paid, nor have I ever been treated disrespectfully. Just be sure to take note of their writing style in the samples they provide.

@Skenol wrote:

I am scheduled for a total of five restaurants shops at an airport in one day.

FIVE RESTAURANT SHOPS IN ONE DAY? FOR COYLE?

What type of restaurant shops? Full-on, narrative based, multiple timings, with opening and closing quotes with all individuals you interact with?

Have you read the Client Objectives? Do you think you are capable of completing all five surveys on time?

I've worked for them for years. They run their business with the utmost professionalism. Their list of clients reflects this. I have never had a shop rejected, but then again, I've never evaluated five restaurants in one day. My first restaurant assignment with them took over eight hours, as I learned to write in the style they had/have prescribed - eyes, teeth and tone, opening and closing quotes, multiple timings, food presentation, temperature, meeting of expectations, etc.

In all sincerity, Good Luck!

8 hours wow...that sounds intense. I had originally intended on completing 3 but they asked me to pick up and extra two shops since they were all in the same terminal. I'm going to try my best and hope I can build a report to their liking...

So these are full-on restaurant shops, as I described above?

Again, have you read the client objectives? Do you think you are capable of submitting all of them in time?

Personally, if these aren't "starter" restaurant assignments, I would give pause.

If your intention is to establish a good relationship with them, then it's best to start off with your best foot forward. What you've signed up for, if they are "regular" dining surveys, seems like it would be challenging to do so. But then again, you may be a whiz at writing. However, if you are not able to sustain a financial "bump" from $200.00 (Is that per outlet?) not being reimbursed to you, I would suggest you reassess the commitment you made.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/31/2018 04:39AM by Professional Guest.

@Skenol......

Keep in mind this is from someone who has not shopped Coyle...I don't think 5 Coyle reports all shopped in one day is a good idea

If I were in your shoes I would keep one but cancel the rest...not the day of..of course

From what I've read Coyle is a great company to work for....however even the most experienced shoppers spend anywhere between 4 to 8 hours on one Coyle shop report

Make sure to let the scheduler know you would like to try one shop only first so you can get used to their writing style...

I'm very surprised they are allowing 5 shops for someone who is new to there company

Also ignore Yelp..from what I've read on the board Coyle is one of the best msc's to work for; if you can master the writing style they require..



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/31/2018 02:01AM by dawnhu.

Yes, they are full-service shops each consisting of 89 questions... All reports are due within 24 hours of completing the visit.

This is my first shop with the company and so I am a little surprised they would assign so many shops at once to be done in a 24 hour period because if what you're describing is correct I will no doubt run out of time to complete all five evaluations. The shop descriptions made it seem as though I could literally complete the shop evaluations in-between going from one restaurant to the next. That is why I originally agreed since it would be easy to remember the details of a shop right after it happened but if they take over 8 hours to write my memory of each site will no doubt become foggy.

Yes, I definitely want to put my best foot forward but if I cancel these shops I am ruining my chances right out of the gate. I am an ok writer but I am able to remember details with ease. I've looked over the survey worksheet and have read over the example narrative and don't feel daunted by the number of details I have to remember. Especially if I am able to write a report directly after an interaction. However, if you're saying each report takes hours I will not have time to write each one right after they occur...The total amount of money I would be losing would be $200 overall, not per restaurant.

@Skenol wrote:

Yes, they are full-service shops each consisting of 89 questions... All reports are due within 24 hours of completing the visit.

The shop descriptions made it seem as though I could literally complete the shop evaluations in-between going from one restaurant to the next.

HIGHLY unlikely.

If the airport is LAX, they’re simple shops compared to normal coyle reports. No, you can’t possibly do them at the airport unless you are going to sit down with your laptop for 30 minutes each time between locations.

Actually, that was the original plan I had in my mind. I would carve out about one hour to complete the surveys in-between locations. At least for the first three shops. Also, the example narrative they sent me was pretty short and basic. I would say about two paragraphs worth of text. Is that a standard example narrative they send? Or are they usually much longer? (I looked up their resource page and found other examples of narratives that were much longer and more detailed than the one they sent me in the example survey).

@Skenol wrote:

Also, the example narrative they sent me was pretty short and basic. I would say about two paragraphs worth of text. Is that a standard example narrative they send? Or are they usually much longer? (I looked up their resource page and found other examples of narratives that were much longer and more detailed than the one they sent me in the example survey).

Okay, so these are NOT "regular" dining shops. I am not familiar with the shops you are referring to, but if they're only two paragraphs of text per survey, then it seems quite do-able.

@Skenol wrote:

Actually, that was the original plan I had in my mind. I would carve out about one hour to complete the surveys in-between locations. At least for the first three shops. Also, the example narrative they sent me was pretty short and basic. I would say about two paragraphs worth of text. Is that a standard example narrative they send? Or are they usually much longer? (I looked up their resource page and found other examples of narratives that were much longer and more detailed than the one they sent me in the example survey).

Depending on what you got, some of them require a bar and restaurant. That will burn a lot of time. I've also waited upwards of 30 minutes to order or get food depending on the time of day.
I literally almost barfed in the great hall there once. Can you imagine barfing right in front of Gucci and Hermes? Not good. Even eating just a bite or two at each location was too much food.
If you are badged and not flying, it very doable. I am no longer badged there (or anywhere for that matter).

@Professional Guest wrote:

So these are full-on restaurant shops, as I described above?

Again, have you read the client objectives? Do you think you are capable of submitting all of them in time?

Personally, if these aren't "starter" restaurant assignments, I would give pause.

If your intention is to establish a good relationship with them, then it's best to start off with your best foot forward. What you've signed up for, if they are "regular" dining surveys, seems like it would be challenging to do so. But then again, you may be a whiz at writing. However, if you are not able to sustain a financial "bump" from $200.00 (Is that per outlet?) not being reimbursed to you, I would suggest you reassess the commitment you made.

They have a series of shops that are in an airport - they are done as a package. Never personally done what we speak of - but seen it assigned as a package. I've done five Coyle restaurant shops in a day. It actually isn't any more than a heavy F&B Coyle hotel shop (think about if you have a breakfast, lunch, dinner, bar, and spa day - plus all the other random hotel related interactions that one has). To the OP - it's doable. Not the easiest "first" assignment in the world - but just take a deep breath - devote a day to it (and a day to report) and I think you can do it. Good luck my friend!

I did a series of Coyle airports shops a few years ago. I found the reports much easier than Customer Service Experts' airport reports. Mine were mostly quick serve restaurants though. And yes, it was too much food...and crappy food at that. I'm not sure they are the same thing, but it sounds similar. Unless you have to order a full meal, stick with getting soup or salad at one place, maybe dessert at another. Good luck.

@Skenol wrote:

Hi All,

I have some shops scheduled for Coyle hospitality and after reading tons of horrible reviews on yelp I am very nervous to work for them.

I am scheduled for a total of five restaurants shops at an airport in one day.

Does anyone have feedback on this matter. Have you personally worked for them? Were your outcomes good or bad?

I'd check the feedback on this forum and put more faith in it rather than yelp. People here try to be constructive because for a lot, it is a business. And then for others, it is a means to an end.

As for concerns about how many, email Coyle. I have always found them to be helpful and able to contact. As for me, I have done numerous shops for Coyle. Never more than one in a day, but that holds true for most all MY meal shops. But I have been paid according to schedule and never had a problem with payment. Hope that helps!

I have been doing shops for them and have been pleased with response. I have done airport restaurant shops as well as resort shops. I was paid for the full promised amount. Payment seems to be made the end of the following month.

They are paid the end of the following month, so October shops are paid by November 30th.

I think Coyle has good shops, they do want detail. The most frustrating thing for me is this. The example HAD 8 TiMINGS IN IT. I know they want more so my report had +/-12 timings. The editor emailed me and wanted more which would have brought up to 19 timings like, when did the manager walk past the table? I pointed out the discrepancy from example to what they now wanted. I put things like. "While eating my salad the manager walked by." It was accepted, I was paid, in full, but it is frustrating. Also when I asked a question like, is valet paid for , the response is, read the instructions, well I already did that and the answer is not in there! so it takes another email, or two, to get the answer, ALWAYS. So add that into time taken

Coyle is one of the MSP's that I refuse to contract with. I dropped them over two years ago. Beware of Coyle.

It's like a challenge at this point. ACL was the harder MSC, now it's Coyle. The more you do, the more you learn with them.

I got an email asking for times that I purposely included, based on feedback from my last report. They said those times were not there- 100% they were. Lesson learned is that I will be saving the text of all of my Coyle reports.

Game on, Coyle!

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/05/2018 03:16AM by Niner.

@Skenol wrote:

Actually, that was the original plan I had in my mind. I would carve out about one hour to complete the surveys in-between locations. At least for the first three shops. Also, the example narrative they sent me was pretty short and basic. I would say about two paragraphs worth of text. Is that a standard example narrative they send? Or are they usually much longer? (I looked up their resource page and found other examples of narratives that were much longer and more detailed than the one they sent me in the example survey).

@Skenol - How did it go?