Hi there,
I have completed or been assigned 5 hotel shops for Coyle, this year and last year. I was wondering what people's experiences have been in requesting and being granted travel expenses. The application usually says to request "reasonable travel expenses, if required," but it is unclear to me what those reasonable expenses are. Occasionally, they will specify up to $150 or up to $75.

Last year, I applied for my first very upscale hotel shop, requested $150 for travel, and got it.

However, since then, I have applied for numerous hotel shops, requesting $150 for travel, and I did not get a SINGLE assignment. I then cut it down to $50, and I STILL did not get assigned. I then decided to apply to a bunch without any travel expenses required, and I was assigned THREE this summer! I was shocked, and not sure if it was just coincidence or if it was because I did not ask for travel.

Given that the entire vacation value of some of these trips is $3000-$4000, I am fine not getting the $50-$150 for travel, but I'm just wondering what other people's experiences are with requesting travel for hotel shops. Some of these shops I REALLY want and so I'm fine putting up the travel myself. For example, I had to travel across the country for one of them and so used miles.

But I am thinking maybe I'm making a mistake, not asking for travel, and that not getting those assignments before was just a fluke. (My Coyle score is 99% and I've done 150 shops for them, so they should know that I am a good evaluator when I apply...) I mean, they always give me $40-$50 for parking automatically when I do their restaurant shops (no request needed, I just submit the receipt), and so it boggles my mind that they would be stingy with travel for these big hotel shops. But maybe the schedulers are just looking for a reason to choose one good evaluator over another? Could that be it?

I'd really appreciate learning about anyone else's experiences! Thank you!

I feel like the glory days of big travel expenses may be coming to close with Coyle, due to the large amount of shoppers competing for assignments, and the schedulers focusing on putting shoppers in that ask for the least amount (both in fees and travel expenses).

I used to be able to ask up to the max allowed travel and get whatever assignments I requested, but now it seems like $100 may be too much. I got an assignment when asking for $50 travel last year and when I asked $100 this year for the same client (different location), they gave it to someone else.

Being that the travel and fees are so limited, for many I just don't even ask for travel if I really want the assignment, and I think that's what they are hoping for; To move to a system of not charging the client many travel expenses.

It's a bit disappointing because 10 years ago I could take an international trip with a few hotels and negate 100% of my travel expense. That's no longer the case, but I also have the freedom of not stacking multiple hotel clients up and stressing myself out with work, and just concentrating on adding one choice assignment to anchor a trip that has a high value.

I also feel like that door swings both ways, and I am under no requirement to do any favors for the scheduling team, so I only take the assignments I really want. If they reach out about a retail client they picked up in my area....nope! Or if it's a hotel/restaurant I don't have interest in, I ask for a $100 fee and never hear back.

I’m probably the best person to ask regarding travel allowances. Guess we probably applying for the same hotel chain. I can tell you that travel had been a huge cut since last Oct. I fly over 10 hours for the shops so the scheduler I have been working with told me approx how much they can offer