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I am excited today that I got my first assignment with Coyle

August 29, 2016 07:39PM
Hi, anybody remember their first dinner shop for Coyle? Are they looking for anything different than other companies? What exactly is a "one on one cash transaction" at the bar? I expect to be with my wife
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August 30, 2016 05:41PM
Congrats! Their dining shops are far more extensive than any other MSC's (that I have done).

Be sure to keep track of the clock time (not just elapsed time) for everything (entering the restaurant, being seated, initial greeting by server, drink order, delivery, etc.). That was the big item that got me the first time.

As far as the bar, you can bring your wife without a problem. They just want to make sure you have a cash transaction with the bartender. You can order alcohol (check restrictions on the guidelines) but don't have to. Just be sure to pay in cash and watch the bartender to see how they handle it.

@sitotw wrote:

Hi, anybody remember their first dinner shop for Coyle? Are they looking for anything different than other companies? What exactly is a "one on one cash transaction" at the bar? I expect to be with my wife

Shopping central Arizona.
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August 30, 2016 06:54PM
My first was a fast casual( hippy dippy) restaurant in Santa Monica. I ran my tape recorder so I could get basically word for word because they want SO MUCH DETAIL. They want a comment on every single answer, be it a yes or now. My second shop was a bakery shop in Santa Monica too. The level of detail was incredible. I wish I would have saved a narrative because I need to send one in to another company for an application.
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August 30, 2016 08:36PM
Audio recording a conversation without the prior consent of all parties is very illegal in California. You may want to look at the topic in the New Mystery Shoppers area of the forums concerning video and audio recording state law. I think it may be a felony in California.

Based in MD, near DC
Shopping from the Carolinas to New York
Have video cam; will travel

Poor customer service? Don't get mad; get video.
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August 30, 2016 09:04PM
I'm not using it against anyone and I'm also not writing what they say verbatim.
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August 30, 2016 09:08PM
Close, but no banana. The law does not care what you do with the recording. Making it is illegal.

Based in MD, near DC
Shopping from the Carolinas to New York
Have video cam; will travel

Poor customer service? Don't get mad; get video.
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August 30, 2016 09:10PM
Neither of those things matter when it comes to the law. If the other party discovered you were recording them, THAT is the illegal act and you could be charged with violating the law. The intent or use of the recording is a moot point in California (and other states, as well).

@calicakes wrote:

I'm not using it against anyone and I'm also not writing what they say verbatim.

Shopping central Arizona.
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August 30, 2016 09:18PM
ok, thanks for the advice.
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August 30, 2016 10:11PM
I'm not from California. nor do I plan to go back anytime soon, but as I understand the Calif. law, the recording aspect mainly holds only when there is a reasonable expectation of privacy, which would exclude most dining facilities and bars.
Has this ever been clarified from a true legal standpoint?
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August 30, 2016 10:14PM
Congrats Sitotw. Coyle is a great company. You should really review the sample report and narratives. They really don't seem to like much variation from the sample they provide you and be prepared to give an answer for every 'no" answer you give. Expect narratives to be long and detailed. All that said, you will have a wonderful dinner and night out with the wife. Enjoy!
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October 10, 2016 01:52PM
Be aware that for restaurant shops they ask for A LOT of detail. Writing the "narrative" is like writing a book. They want what people say, what they were wearing, exact times that food is delivered, the waiter returns, the time you went to the bathroom, what you food looks like, how long you waited, who brought your drinks, who delivered your food, who poured the water, how did the bartender handle your cash, etc. You'll have to take a lot of notes during your meal. Get an itemized receipt, not just the cc receipt you sign.
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October 21, 2016 04:09AM
I have read several threads mentioning the more detailed requirements for Coyle's reports. Is it worth it? Is the pay much different than other MSCs? Or is it a matter of they have clients you cannot get at other MSCs? I have not applied at Coyle yet, thinking I probably need more experience first. Thoughts? Experiences? How much experience do you need to be accepted?
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October 21, 2016 12:07PM
Kathryn,
This may be a really good time to learn to use the forum's search function, since there are many threads containing comments about Coyle. And, yes, somewhat more experience may be a very good idea before taking Coyle shops.

Just click on "search" then put Coyle in the subject area and select "last 12 months," for instance.

Based in MD, near DC
Shopping from the Carolinas to New York
Have video cam; will travel

Poor customer service? Don't get mad; get video.
Reply
October 24, 2016 04:46PM
With you all the best. Hope you'll enjoy this. Thank you!
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October 25, 2016 01:03PM
Is there a way to save a copy of my finished Coyle report before I submit it? Thanks.
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November 05, 2016 07:51PM
I just got my score for my first hotel evaluation for Coyle: 94.44%. One of the reasons I didn't make a 100% is because for the comments regarding "no" and "NA" questions, I didn't adhere to their standards of 3-5 words only and I wrote the comments in complete sentences. The other problem with my report was something about numerical format. I wrote times in "10:00 PM" format and referred to the examples while writing the report, so I am not sure exactly what I missed with that. I did notice that for both the restaurant and this hotel shop (my only 2 Coyle shops so far), my score was not provided on the website. Both times I had to email requesting my score. It's really odd because I answered those "No" and "NA" questions on my restaurant report exactly the same way I did with this shop, but I got a 100% on that shop. Oh well, not complaining, just letting other Coyle newbies know to pay close attention to those details while doing their Coyle shops!
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November 05, 2016 08:55PM
I didn't see any way to do that. I copied and pasted each narrative from each section into a Word document and saved it. That was a heck of a long document. Now I have something to refer to when I do reports in the future, and if another company needs a narrative I can take out any details such as names and the location and use it, since it is heavily detailed.

@dattoliumbc.edu wrote:

Is there a way to save a copy of my finished Coyle report before I submit it? Thanks.
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November 09, 2016 02:58AM
Thanks for your reply. I did something similar. I took screenshots of each section (or as much as my screen could hold and still be readable) and pasted them into a Word doc. Yes, it made for a very long doc. But I wanted to have something to refer to in case any questions came up. I used the Snip It tool, which I love so much! I wish there was an easier way to save Coyle reports.
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November 09, 2016 05:07AM
Google chrome has a feature where one screenshot will save an entire document. Wish I would have thought of that.
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November 09, 2016 05:52AM
please mention the app when you remember.

Shopping in SanFernando valley!
Love to travel; bring it on.
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November 09, 2016 05:58AM
App?
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November 11, 2016 04:09AM
I did a little research and it looks like if you are using the Chrome browser, try hitting Control S to save any webpage.
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November 15, 2016 08:08AM
@JL-Baltimore wrote:

Is there a way to save a copy of my finished Coyle report before I submit it? Thanks.

To save a copy of my finished report before I submit, I hit Ctrl+P, and then under print destination, I change it to Save as PDF This way I have an electronic copy of the report and can pull it up at a moment's notice and save a few tress.
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