Have Coyle High-end Restaurant Shops Gotten any Better?
Pre Covid I almost never shopped for Coyle as they had few clients in my area that were worth the perceived hassle. Now between their easy high-paying valet shops and some great new restaurant clients I shop for them constantly.
I’ve found the schedulers to be very responsive and the editor questions infrequent and reasonable. They do always double check one issue for the parking shops but that’s just a quick email back saying “yes” and the usual editor is very friendly.
Last night we had a $200 budget for a great restaurant. It was a generally good meal but there were still some major service flaws. The very lengthy report took me 80 minutes, during which time I also checked and wrote a few emails.
My only complaint is that they insist we tip pre-tax, which is otherwise not a thing in my social circles.
I’ve found the schedulers to be very responsive and the editor questions infrequent and reasonable. They do always double check one issue for the parking shops but that’s just a quick email back saying “yes” and the usual editor is very friendly.
Last night we had a $200 budget for a great restaurant. It was a generally good meal but there were still some major service flaws. The very lengthy report took me 80 minutes, during which time I also checked and wrote a few emails.
My only complaint is that they insist we tip pre-tax, which is otherwise not a thing in my social circles.
I have found you can tip what you will and they will only reimburse pretax (if you haven't already gone over reimbursement). I am in a fainancial position that I will always fairly tip my servers post tax (especially when the meal will be free to me) and don't worry about the bit of out of pocket for the tip -- as annoying as those long narratives can be, I still have the easier job between me and the server.
Funny enough a week after my post saying the editors are much better I got an email from an editor with over 20 questions — and a demand I answer back in less than four hours! Some of the things they claimed I did wrong while writing the report I also did in a report filed a day earlier that got a 100 rating and no follow-up questions. None of this would deter me from shopping with them again, but clearly like a lot of MSCs a lot depends on what editor your report is assigned to.
Coyle shops are fun and easy. Yeah, right. TOP of my 10-foot list...
They have some clients in my area that are fun and easy. Then they have fine dining and hotels that are super detailed and narrative heavy. They have some middle of the road shops as well like high end accessories. People here make it sound as if all of their shops are the same but they aren't. There fine dining are detailed and usually a little low on the reimbursement for a company that says they don't take clients that make you pay out of pocket for dinner. Sometimes even the lowest cost items will go over their reimbursement with tax and tip.
They have a spa near me. The pay is $30 and they reimburse up to $250 for a facial. But you have to wait 45 days for your reimbursement. The spa also has a free evaluation they pay $30 but from what I can tell you can only do it once. And yes, men can get facials.
They had an urgent care chain near me up until a couple of month ago. I was getting between $60-120 for these locations.
Neither of the reports were difficult. Just hated having to type in "this does not apply" multiple times (25-30) when I select N/A answers. Thank God for copy and paste.
I could complete some of the urgent care report while waiting to be seen.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/16/2023 06:58PM by wrosie.
They had an urgent care chain near me up until a couple of month ago. I was getting between $60-120 for these locations.
Neither of the reports were difficult. Just hated having to type in "this does not apply" multiple times (25-30) when I select N/A answers. Thank God for copy and paste.
I could complete some of the urgent care report while waiting to be seen.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/16/2023 06:58PM by wrosie.
I just did a resort shop for Coyle. Their schedulers are very quick to respond usually; however, NEVER AGAIN. Hours and hours of typing and time that far outweighs the return.
Anyone noticed that the number of coyle shops has dropped significantly? I would see 4000+ at a time. Now only 1000.
They no longer show shops that are already assigned, just open shops, hence the drop in what is on the job board.
I used to write lots of hotel reviews online and had a pretty decent amount of readers complimenting them. I've toyed with the idea of doing Coyle Hotel shops though I'm not sure if I'd qualify as a newbie. Anyone done hotels and are those reports as frustrating as people are expressing about restaurants? Thanks
When you say “frustrating” do you mean very long and tedious?
I just did a fast casual shop for them, my first in years (the better places near me are no longer shopped). It required over 30 photos, many of specific items on the food line. After the first few of those (which were impossible to take discreetly since there were many employees and the manager was behind the counter), I just didn't care and if they figured out who I was, so be it. I had only taken the shop because they got desperate and offered $50 for a shop that started out at $8. I had taken one for $30 a couple of months ago but dropped it after being assigned and seeing all the photo requirements. I now understand why these shops go begging every month.
Now, if only there were a way to have it stop showing shops thousands of miles away in foreign countries at the top of the list instead of shops a few miles from me.@NinS wrote:
They no longer show shops that are already assigned, just open shops, hence the drop in what is on the job board.
I completed a fine dining shop this past weekend. It took me 1 hour and 50 minutes with approximately 10-15 minutes of self imposed interruptions. I feel like I can do them in my sleep..This job went smoothly, thanking my lucky stars. .
I score 100 consistently but the reports probably take me 4 hours in total... I do them in stages. I did a 2 night hotel stay once and it literally took about 30 hours and I only scored 78% with editor requests for extra info... never again!
@MisterBill wrote:
Now, if only there were a way to have it stop showing shops thousands of miles away in foreign countries at the top of the list instead of shops a few miles from me.@NinS wrote:
They no longer show shops that are already assigned, just open shops, hence the drop in what is on the job board.
You simply put your State in the box and all of the foreign country shops disappear.
So, for example, you live in Beverly Hills, CA.
Default is 90 miles from 90210, and you see shops in Dubai. Now, add "CA" and leave 90 miles from 90210 and you get what you need to see.
You're welcome.
Coyle is still at the very TOP of my 10 foot $hit list.
Although I enjoy Coyle high end restaurant shops, I hate their reports and spend at least 2-3 hours to file them. They expect responses to all the questions and a long narrative for 3 of their questions at the end of the report. I am often times not selected to perform their high end restaurant shops so there must be plenty of other shoppers in the wings.
I got 2 emails just today regarding shops. I wanted to reply: "The client needs to cover the required purchases-(many of these are a joke.) and allow for a report that gives them useful information without being repetitive and silly " Yes, silly. Sometimes they want a complete sentence for an answer; other times they will ding you for giving more than a 1-2 word answer. Why would I spend 1-2 hours completing a report for a meal for which I only got 50% reimbursement? I see at least a dozen of these that have been sitting for over a month.
@chintwin wrote:
Although I enjoy Coyle high end restaurant shops, I hate their reports and spend at least 2-3 hours to file them. They expect responses to all the questions and a long narrative for 3 of their questions at the end of the report. I am often times not selected to perform their high end restaurant shops so there must be plenty of other shoppers in the wings.
The part I hate the most is the 3 things that were exemplary and 3 things to improve. They even have these on their fast casual.
You’d think by now they would improve on their survey templates but I guess all of the complaints they’re getting have fallen on deaf ears???
I noticed a few months ago, they added timing/timestamp requirements to their guidelines. However, if one follows those, you will still get an email with timing/timestamp questions that are not depicted on those guidelines. Good thing, I do it out of habit.
I've really only done a handful of shops with them. I agree with @ShopperGirly that I would not do it if they were not reimbursing the full amount.
I like that you can "bid" and if they find your offer acceptable, they will give you the shop.
I was unaware they used the same template for many shops. I thought the questions about "coat check" were silly and out of place. The location I did does not offer that. Rather than customize the form for each client, they actually use the same form for all their dining shops? That seems lazy.
I do NOT do many shops and the narrative is very intense, but if i'm dying for something other than the same old fast casual stuff offered (burgers and chicken), I might pick one up here and there.
I like that you can "bid" and if they find your offer acceptable, they will give you the shop.
I was unaware they used the same template for many shops. I thought the questions about "coat check" were silly and out of place. The location I did does not offer that. Rather than customize the form for each client, they actually use the same form for all their dining shops? That seems lazy.
I do NOT do many shops and the narrative is very intense, but if i'm dying for something other than the same old fast casual stuff offered (burgers and chicken), I might pick one up here and there.
After many, many shops, I do not recall any "coat check" questions. All the jobs I have done have been reimbursed with a full amount if one ordered normally i.e. not the cheapest thing BUT DH does what he wants to and brings us over. Not happening anymore, LOL. He is banned. Lately, the reimbursement has been so generous, we have leftover unspent money :-).
I stopped with Coyle. The reports took me hours. We did go to many places I would not pay to go. In one year, we spent something like 10k dining out at fancy restaurants. My job wasn't as crazy as it has been, so I waa able to eat out during the week and complete the reports. I don't regret it, but it's out of my system. I would rather make something at home and not write about it for five hours.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/09/2023 09:23PM by Niner.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/09/2023 09:23PM by Niner.
I like the Coyle shops, especially towards the end of the month. I just have to remember that even though I click "No" on the question "Was wine was offered?" , I also have to type "No, wine was not offered" in the narrative!
@meanviking wrote:
I like the Coyle shops, especially towards the end of the month. I just have to remember that even though I click "No" on the question "Was wine was offered?" , I also have to type "No, wine was not offered" in the narrative!
Yeah that was the same way with their urgent care shops in my area that have seemed to have stopped. I had to copy and paste "Does not apply" or "I was not brought into a second waiting room" about 15-25 times in each report. Seems kind of stupid.
There is! Put your state in as well and re-filter. It will only show yours locally.!
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