Company Overview: Coast to Coast Scheduling Services (CTCSS) was founded in 2001 and is based in California. It schedules shops for a number of companies including Customer First, Goodwin, and Customer Perspectives. As such it is not a mystery shopping company, but a separate, distinct entity that performs the task of recruiting shoppers to perform shops for their client. The client then pays the shopper. This company maintains a Prophet website, but unlike another scheduling company that posts all shops on its own job board, CTCSS relies more on emails, social media, and some phone calls to get the word out. Through its clients, it offers shops of all types throughout the country including Nevada. There, a partnership with Global Intelligence Network allows them to operate. It has membership in the MSPA. The website is here, http://ctcss.com/index-2.html. Contact information for company officers, schedulers and editors is listed on the website.
Personal Experience: I receive regular emails for shops in my area. Instead of responding directly, I prefer to go directly to the client’s website to investigate the listings and apply. When I apply, CTCSS schedulers then may award the shop or confirm acceptance of self-assignable shops. This approach has unfortunately not allowed me to cultivate relationships with schedulers. They maintain a website and I had signed up with them at mystshopsol.com several years ago. I do not recall checking in there and was not allowed to enter there recently. I promptly reapplied from the website and was admitted to a Prophet website. However, no shops appeared there in my area and in a few other states I selected. They frequently post jobs on Facebook and Twitter. Some of their emails headers include descriptions like “fun” and “quick and yummy.” However, this approach to headers is rare in my experience. After having a problem with slow payment from one of their clients I contacted CTCSS because I could not find a contact for that client. They responded quickly. My inquiry was forwarded to the client and they provided an email to me for future followup.
What others have to say: Comments on the forum are very positive. Veteran shoppers praise this company as being great to work with. They respond quickly and are great help with scheduling. Tina San Roman is cited as a hands-on owner. CTCSS maintains a presence on the forum where they respond to questions. Some newer forum members have difficulty with payments from this company. However, it is clear such posts are based in a misunderstanding that CTCSS is responsible for payment for the shops it schedules. The BBB rates this company A+ but does not accredit it.
Overall: Although I would personally prefer all MSPs schedule for themselves and not interject a third party business into the relationship, this is not the case. In those instances, I am content to see Coast to Coast Scheduling as the scheduling company. It is a professionally run company that does a fine job of scheduling. Forum users are greatly pleased with CTCSS schedulers. The company goes out of their way to help shoppers including answering questions on the forum. I am also impressed with the company supplying contact information for all schedulers, editors, and company officers on the website. This rare act of disclosure helps to confirm they are dedicated to building and maintaining relationships with shoppers.