Has anyone done a TrueGuest shop lately?

I've done a fair amount of shops for them, both hotel and dining, over the years, but lately I hear from them a lot less than I used to. Also, there are often no shop listings on their job board, although there used to be more often than not.

Has anyone done any shops for them lately? I know some people find their reports tedious, but I enjoyed going to hotels or restaurants that I wouldn't necessarily have gone to on my own.

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If Roldan is still there, and I’m fairly certain he is, then I’ll stick with my 10-foot pole.

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Seriously, nobody cares that you're offended.

I have a friend who still does the shops regularly and when he logs in, there are shops. But when I log in - there is nothing and I don't hear from him anymore. So I figured I did something that made him not want to use me anymore. I emailed him about 6 months ago to inquire and he said it was something on my end/with my computer and then asked if I wanted to do a local shop (just a restaurant/bar). I said sure - he put that one shop in my account, I did the shop and got paid, never heard from him again - and still no shops show up for me if I search but my friend still sees all of them. I'm not sure what's going on, but I can definitively say that they are still doing shops and some people can still see the shops on the job board.

Thanks, Mickey. I've been working with them for several years, so it's a bummer to suddenly seem like I'm not, but at least it sounds like I'm not the only one.

I used to get emails, but haven't heard from him in ages...I thought it was because I just wasn't accepting jobs, maybe something else.

Live consciously....

I see a lot of their shops. I get emails and can see shops on the board.

They just posted Feb shops and all the good ones in my area are taken, so someone must be shopping for them.

"Let me offer you my definition of social justice: I keep what I earn and you keep what you earn. Do you disagree? Well then tell me how much of what I earn belongs to you - and why?” ~Walter Williams

I have done several shops for them over the past two weeks but don't have anything lined up for Feb. Maybe there isn't anything in your area right now?

10 foot pole company....they still haven't paid me from last year (and everything was done correctly...the check never arrived although they say that it got mailed. I asked for a replacement check three times....crickets...)....this may be the one to sue in small claims court....

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/23/2019 06:11PM by winemaker.

@winemaker wrote:

10 foot pole company....they still haven't paid me from last year (and everything was done correctly...the check never arrived although they say that it got mailed. I asked for a replacement check three times....crickets...)....this may be the one to sue in small claims court....

This has not been consistent with my experience at all. In my experience both times I have had a payment issue (one time no payment at all the other time an incorrect and much lower payment was sent), Adam immediately got involved and correct/sent payment immediately (e.g. within a week I had the check in hand).

lol.... just curious why you wouldn't shop them

Yeah, they are massively disorganized and their forms appear years out of date. Of course they can't acknowledge this. Asking a question just means you need to read better.

Not worth it for the money being laid out to be treated that way.

Roldan is no doubt a pain-in-the-ass, but I have never had any issues getting paid promptly by TrueGuest. They (Roldan) are a stickler for details. It gets easier after you've done a few hotels for them. I'm doing one this weekend.

I would assume we are all sticklers for details? That's more or less the job.

He doesn't get credit for yelling about what he needs if he's not attentive to the information that needs to be provided.

I'm glad your experience has been better. I definitely have schedulers whose flaws I overlook because I can trust them in the end.

I just accepted my first hotel shop ever and it is with this company. So far Roldan seems great - maybe he has mellowed. Any tips for completing the shop and keeping them happy? $1000 outlay is scaring me a bit...

@jewelbeth wrote:

I just accepted my first hotel shop ever and it is with this company. So far Roldan seems great - maybe he has mellowed. Any tips for completing the shop and keeping them happy? $1000 outlay is scaring me a bit...

Have it ready to submit an hour after check out

Why? I have 2 days to complete.

I'm looking for suggestions about details to pay attention to or photos to take that I may not consider.

@jewelbeth wrote:

Why? I have 2 days to complete.

I'm looking for suggestions about details to pay attention to or photos to take that I may not consider.

I think that there is an entire thread on this company. Unless things have changed dramatically, he will call and email numerous times during the evaluation for progress reports and numerous times after the evaluation if it’s not in immediately.

If you want to minimze your contact with Roldan follow the shop instructions to the letter. This is easier said than done; I did a recent shop where there were two sets of (conflicting) instructions. Make sure all pictures are taken horizontally (he gets in a tiff if you submit vertical pictures). You'll need all shop reports submitted within 24 hours of checking out. I'll admit he's a difficult individual to work with. I handle all his requests via email (not on the phone) so I don't have to listen to his holier-than-thou attitude. He's not THAT bad, but he definitely could use an attitude re-adjustment.

Roldan may not always be the best communicator, and sometimes he can be persnickety about an issue seemingly out of the blue, but I don't think he's as bad as some people have indicated. There are things he's asked me about that I have found irritating or frustrating, but he's never been nasty to me, either on the phone or via email. He's just not the warm and fuzzy type--but he's not incapable of a laugh or two once in a while (believe it or not--I've heard them!).

And as Gooseman said above, reports are due within 24 hours of checking out. Just take detailed notes to be able to finish up any reports at home that you couldn't get done while you were at the hotel.

Thank you all. Honestly, some of you are my MS heroes. ???? I had read your concerns and am a little hesitant, but it is important to me to get my foot in the door for my first hotel shop.

So far he has been accommodating and already edited my reservation report with helpful suggestions so I'm hoping to just keep my head down and do a good job. He even waived the bar/lounge requirement for me as I don't drink (I started another thread about that).

I appreciate the tips of horizontal photos and plan on submitting my report asap while the info is fresh (I'll probably write as much as I can while still at the hotel). I'm using this experience to learn and already told my husband that we may not do a much extra on this adventure. It's all about the shop this time.

Any other advice is helpful. By the way, I understand about requests from guest services, but what we would be a normal request to make of bell services?

Ideally you have 90% of the shop report done when you leave the hotel. Then when you get home, you just need to do the reports from the morning (ie checkout, bellman, valet) as you left the hotel.

@jewelbeth wrote:

Why? I have 2 days to complete.

I'm looking for suggestions about details to pay attention to or photos to take that I may not consider.

You really don't have 2 days, lol. The expectation is for nearly all of the report to be completed onsite. Make a check list of what needs to be done. I like using my samsung note app. Make sure all your photos are sideways or horizontal. Don't forget the dust test. Do not visit any areas not required in the evaluation- even if you're in a snowstorm and need something from the gift shop because the other places outside of the hotel are closed, don't visit. Remember the names and check number from the receipts. Those seem to be the most important details that some overlook.

For bellman services, that luggage assistance. If you're talking about guest services where they have to deliver something to your room, you could request a coffee maker, humidifier, rollaway bed, crib, etc. look for the directory and see what items are available by request (and ones that don't require a charge, cribs are usually free)

For a room engineering request you can always loosen a lightbulb and say the lamp isn't working. Or disconnect a phone.

Thanks!

The people saying that he's not "that bad" and then listing examples of how he's that bad make me wonder what level of crap you're willing to endure. You're definitely more tolerant than I am, that's for sure. (likely a character flaw in ME)

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Seriously, nobody cares that you're offended.

@Hoju wrote:

The people saying that he's not "that bad" and then listing examples of how he's that bad make me wonder what level of crap you're willing to endure.

I know, right? Seems like lack of self-worth to me. There are plenty of other hotel shops out there and MSC's that will treat you with basic respect.

I don't feel that I have a lack of self worth for trying this on my own rather than just accepting everyone else's opinions as fact. Different personalities affect each other in different ways. Thanks for the suggestions, but please lay off the judgement of someone just trying to find her own way.

It's not really an issue of self-worth. It's more about being tolerant of the attitude of others. Me-- I can't be bothered with people that irritate me. Like SoCal said-- there are plenty of other luxury hotel MSC's out there that don't nit pick over every stupid thing and force me to waste time resizing photos to fit into boxes and ordering them in exactly the exact order. That's what you hire an editor for. You want me to be your editor, pay for it.

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Seriously, nobody cares that you're offended.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/04/2019 12:16AM by Hoju.

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