Going to their training next week, and I too go there on my own. Can't wait to start. Have a feeling I'll have to take a couple shops in area out of my zip, but will do whatever.

Irene_L.A. Wrote:
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> Going to their training next week, and I too go
> there on my own. Can't wait to start. Have a
> feeling I'll have to take a couple shops in area
> out of my zip, but will do whatever.

You'll be able to choose the stores you want to shop. They assign from your own list, which you can adjust whenever you want. You can also pick up "orphan" shops, ones that haven't been accepted or requested by others. My advice -- just keep the printouts you bring to training on hand, at least for a while. (They're always available online as well, but I find it easier to refer to the hard copy.)

OT: Speaking of restaurants, how did your first shop for Coyle go, Irene?

Irene_L.A. Wrote:
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> Going to their training next week.

There is much to note about their training if it went like mine. It will be taught by employees of the client in one of the client's stores. Lots of information will be relayed to you. As an added bonus, you will be able to meet and talk with fellow shoppers.

Good luck.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/03/2010 11:21PM by vlade5394.

Thanks so much, can't wait, what makes them so different from say Baja Fresh or other healthy FF shops. I'm assuming the reports take longer and are more involved, still it is not a service type place...I guess time will tell.

Well well, just get an email from Kern saying shop closed. What, I can't go to the training, got to be my age. I wrote back and she said, they have so many shoppers, they just don't have enough room.....let them ask me to do another of their jobs...I have so many, just can't help out!!

I saw some listed for Maryland with an age limit of 55. I assume they must have that everywhere. I guess I am over the hill.

No, we've already established that age is not an issue, despite what's posted.

Like all shops, you have to apply. The first time I applied, I didn't get it, the next time I did. I honestly don't know why you'd take this so personally. Keep trying, and good luck!

I have been applying for years, I'm done.

Irene_L.A. Wrote:
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> I have been applying for years, I'm done.

Whatever you decide, Irene. However, according to your earlier posts, it seemed like you had actually not applied before. As written numerous times, it's KSS, not Ardent. I believe how it works is that Ardent will pull your application up from file if you do the training. Again, which is scheduled solely through KSS.

I actually registered on the Ardent website several times, and never once heard back. This was the first time I saw their training offered by Kern, and once again didn't get in. Will I keep watching, very tired of their rejections. Irene_L.A. Wrote:
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> I registered a couple years ago, as I like there
> Mex restaurants here in L.A. Never heard back,
> very difficult to get in......

Dupo error.
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> I registered a couple years ago, as I like there
> Mex restaurants here in L.A. Never heard back,
> very difficult to get in......



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/15/2011 04:58PM by Irene_L.A..

Let me try this once more...

Do NOT expect to hear from Ardent after filing an application. That's not how they work. According to your standards, I suppose that ALL of us who do this shop were "rejected". But, that's not really it at all.

How they seem to work is that they keep applications on file, and when and if someone gets the training shop (THROUGH KERN!!), the application is pulled up.

Perhaps in some areas, where shoppers are desperately needed, they work differently. But I'd say that for the majority of us, this is the way it works.

I understand and see they have NO shops in my direct area. I applied for a job in L.A. and didn't get it, therefore, cannot attend the training. When speaking to Mellisa at Kern, she said they are taking new shoppers along with old and I just didn't get selected. Today I applied for another location that is very difficult to fill, and really don't want to drive out there for a lunch...but wanted to see what happens, If I'm not acceoted for this out of the way location, I give up.

I have worked for Ardent Services for almost two years and I love them. I will put their shops before anyone else. My scheduler Michelle and the owner Tracy are great. Ardent Services Rock!!!

Since this old thread was pulled up again, I say age does matter to them. They have many shoppers and if you don't meet their age requirement, won't work for you. I think they were more leient in the old days.

I dont about anything else but in Nebraska, Ardent Services do they own scheduling, I have never dealt with Kern with Ardent. I have dealt with Kern on other shops and I just dont like them.

Re: the training, Nebraska might be one of the exceptions to the rule, but this is the first I've ever heard of Ardent setting it up with shoppers directly. I've only been with them for about six months, so perhaps this is relatively new?

Just to clarify, after the training, all future shops are scheduled directly by Ardent.

I just started with them the beginning of this year and I love them. They are up front and honest and let you know what they want. Great company to work for!

I am "over age" and they keep reaching out to me to ask me to pick up more shops. I was over age when I was trained and they told me "no problem." There is no shortage of shoppers applying for their jobs here, but there may be a shortage of reliable ones, lol.

When I went to their training there was four shoppers there but looks like they have all dropped out because I am the only shopper here. They may have one more that just does one shop a month but I usually do four shops a month

I just had a long conversation with Deanna, one of their two schedulers. I mentioned that I was going to Florida in May and would be glad to pick up some of their "orphan" shops there. What ensued was a discussion that indicated that we may have been misunformed about how to get on the shopper roles with Ardent. She stated that they were going to do a lot of training in Florida because their client would be opening (and had opened) a ton of stores there. Asked if it was still the case that KSS was the only portal that Ardent used to receuit, screen and train shoppers, she stated that it had never been the only way. In fact, they have to pay when someone else provides the lead.

She said that any shopper could email her directly (and she would pass the info on to Tracy, who sets up training) or go to Ardent's site and sign up there. I forgot to ask about the supposed age limit, but that has never really been an issue for any shopper who just asked for it to be waived, as far as I know. AND, in Florida, they would be foolish to exclude older shoppers anyway, LOL.

So, I asked Deanna if I could publicize this, along with her email here, so that folks who had felt discouraged before could apply, she agreed. Her email is deanna@ardentservices.com

I do not get any benefit from Ardent for posting this. Just trying to help fellow shoppers who want to work for them, and not just in florida, to cut through the KSS red tape. BTW, she also said that she needs many more reliable shoppers in NJ.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/15/2011 07:18PM by walesmaven.

That's excellent information, walesmaven. Thanks for solving the KSS mystery!

My wife and I LOVE DEANNA and you should absolutely go through the training and become a shopper for Ardent! LOVE LOVE LOVE working for Ardent!

The weird thing is, much of this discussion has been about people who WANT to shop for Ardent and have applied, but haven't heard back.

Way before I got in via KSS, I had applied, too. Months later, the first offer came from KSS, but it wasn't until the second time I applied that I was assigned. I know there's something on the Ardent site that says you'll hear back if and when shoppers are needed in that specific area, but apparently, that doesn't really seem to be the case, at least not much of the time. (Not to mention that age requirement thing that KSS posts, which, from either our personal experience or what we've witnessed in training, we had already determined to not be true.)

I love the company and everyone there with whom I've dealt, but it seems like they could benefit from taking a look at the way they recruit and handle applications. I bet there are a ton of applications sitting in their database, in places that KSS recruits. That said, for anyone on this forum who's interested, knowing they can contact Deanna directly is really excellent information.

I just went to training today... I was quite impressed by Tracy, the owner of Ardent, and how the training went. Everything was very clearly explained... it's quite apparent that the client restaurant has very high standards and that the MS program helps them to maintain them. I've been eating at this restaurant for quite some time and have always been impressed by them. Now I know why.

I think they have the age restrictions because they would like the shoppers to be in the target group for the client. Every business has their own targets... you're most likely not going to be interested in Medicare Supplement Programs if you're 19 years old, so they're not going to want a 19 year old to shop them.

I'm looking forward to getting started shopping for Ardent!

I have been shopping for them for two years and I love it.

I dont know why people are talking about an age limit. I have never heard anything about any age limit. Lets put it this way, I am not a young person as a matter of fact, I am in my early 50's and they dont seem to have a problem with my age

I am in my 60s and they have no problem with that. Just tell Deanna or Tracy and they will take care of it.

The age thing was one of the things that walesmaven cleared up. KSS had an age stipulation on their application page, which many of us were confused by, from either seeing someone older than that at training, or being that age or older.

My training was conducted by two people who work for the client, and I was similarly impressed.

Had lunch at the one in Bev. Hills with shopping friend Steve, we both paid, enjoyed and no report.....