Visit Epinions.com and do a content analysis of customer comments about a restaurant as a service product.  The particular restaurant that you are assigned is based on the last two digits of your student ID number. 

If your student ID ends in a number between 00 and 32 (inclusive), then analyze:
Steak 'n Shake.

If your student ID ends in a number between 33 and 65 (inclusive), then analyze:
Lone Star Steakhouse

If your student ID ends in a number between 66 and 99 (inclusive), then analyze:
Ryan's Restaurant

Your analysis must not be anecdotal, but must be based on an analysis that is substantiated with the spreadsheet method that was discussed in Week 3 (marketing research).  The objective of this research is to determine what factors cause people to like or dislike restaurant service.  Your report should end with recommendations regarding features that should be emphasized when training people who provide restaurant services. 

Do an analysis of the first thirty usable evaluations that are posted for your assigned restaurant using the following guide: 

1. Be sure that the list of reviews is sorted by date, starting with the most recent.  Note that each link above should result in a date-sorted list; clicking on "sort by review date" will reverse the sorting.  Be sure that the list is sorted to start with the most recent.

2. Don't use any review by someone who is labeled as a "top reviewer."

3. Don't use any review that appears to have a bias (e.g., states that the manager is a relative) or that is focused on issues that are not an assessment of the restaurant service (e.g., is a commentary on what is wrong with someone else's review).

Your report must indicate how many reviews were skipped and why they were skipped (discussed in the methodology section).

Your report must include the following format, not necessarily with any sort of headings:

1. objectives of the research

2. source of the data

3. discussion of the methodology

4. discussion of the findings

5. discussion of the conclusions
   (implications / recommendations)

The report should not include the spreadsheet itself; the spreadsheet is merely a working document that is a tool to assist in your analysis.  That is, the report should be understandable without your spreadsheet and your report should not refer the reader to your spreadsheet.  However, your spreadsheet must be readily available if a research client wants to see it and absolutely must be submitted to me as your boss.  That is, for the sake of grading your report for this class, you must submit your spreadsheet as a separate (independent) document.  If you have compiled your spreadsheet electronically, attach it to your electronic submission. 

If you have compiled your spreadsheet with paper, pencil, and lots of tape, that's OK and might be easier for you - the spreadsheet is a work document and only the report must be spotlessly neat).  However, this will require that you physically submit your report and attached spreadsheet either to me or to the College of Business staff support folks by the deadline or ensure that is postmarked five days before the due date if mailed.