Coyle subjective dinner

This different style is throwing me off! Do I just ramble on forever about my feelings or keep it short & sweet? No sample report for me to view. Any suggestions?

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I've never done one of those. Is the subjective style easier to do than the objective style?
Short and sweet. Respond to the questions like a typical report. However, weave subjective thoughts into the narrative. With subjective reports, you can use more adjectives and relay how the experience made you feel.

I don't know what the subjective questions are - but here are some examples that I just wrote up. There are subtle differences below, and it's been a couple of years since I did a subjective report, so I don't know if the rules have changed.

Hope this helps and good luck!

Subjective: Our server was polite and pleasant, but at times she was distracted. She did not maintain eye contact and would fidget when she spoke to us, so we felt that we there was some other place she would rather be.

Objective; The server was polite and pleasant. However, several times when she came by the table, she did not make or maintain eye contact, and she would fidget from side to side.


Subjective: The atmosphere was relaxing and serene. The fireplace was lit, and the warmth and flames from it created a peaceful setting. The lights in the garden sparkled during dinner and truly created an ambiance where we could enjoy our wine and conversation. My guest and I felt that we were well taken care of, and the staff went out of their way to make sure our dinner was memorable.

Objective: The outdoor patio was well lit with no burnt out bulbs. The fireplace was burning, and several heaters were spaced throughout the patio. The tables were bussed appropriately. The chairs were sturdy and comfortable. The patio area was clean and free of debris.


Subjective: The appetizer of escargot was delicious. It was broiled in a light garlic butter sauce, and the Parmesan cheese created a bubbly golden crust above the escargot. The portion size was a generous portion for one person. The filet and lobster were served in an appealing manner. The filet was fork tender to cut,. The rich red center was rare as requested, and the steak was melt-in-your mouth tender. The lobster was broiled to perfection. The lobster meat was tender. The side dish of grilled asparagus was good, but over one-half of the asparagus stalks had the bottom portion of the stalk stringy and too tough. For the value, this is not a dish that I would order again. Overall, dinner exceeded expectations, and I would return.

Objective; The escargot appetizer was cooked appropriately in a garlic butter sauce, with Parmesan cheese melted across the top .The escargot was served hot, and the portion size was generous. The filet was cooked to the correct temperature of rare. The sear was nicely done. The steak was tasty, and I could cut it with a table knife and fork. The lobster tail was broiled well. The lobster was tasty and fresh. The side dish of asparagus was tough, but it was nicely grilled. I would order the appetizer, filet and lobster again, but i would not order the side of asparagus.

~ + ~ + ~ + ~ + ~ + ~ + ~ + ~

Proud To Be A Soldier's Mom
I've done a few of them and they ask a lot of opinions, like within the area which other establishments do u frequent that compare to this place etc...
What is the theme that the restaurant is trying to convey and do u think it did?! ( this one I thought was odd, like why ask me what is the theme)

I would not say it's easier report, the last one still took me almost 2 hours since I had to think about other restaurants in the area that I've been to that is similar etc...
I've completed hundreds of shops for various companies. I did 1 for Coyle and said "never again". It took 2 hours, and then they responded with questions that took another 1.5 hours. There are so many better companies to work with.
How do you "feel"? The subjective report should let management step into your shoes. The objective one is more like a camera. "The server's pants seemed too large and showed her buttcrack, which was distracting in a bad way" rather than "The server's pants were large and revealed approximately 2" of the crack of her buttocks." (True one, btw.) "The lighting was low and made it difficult to see the menu. It made me wonder if the dishes were truly clean" vs. "The lighting was dim."

Now scheduling travel shops for the day after Christmas through mid-January.
I get the difference between the two but was curious if anyone had experience with these reports and if Coyle was looking for a long drawn out report with lots of feelings or just a short & sweet report. The comment field says 30+ characters needed but Coyle is known for long reports. 30 characters is less than a sentence.
I usually do the objective reports for all companies and it works for me. I have done a few restaurant shops for Coyle. I have never taken 2 hours for this type of report. I suggest you speak with someone at Coyle and they will tell you their needs. If you only need 30 characters, per narrative, I don't think they want rambling. Just answer all of the questions.
R@inyDayZ3 gave great examples.
I would not put too much thought into this. Be yourself, that's good enough. Be subjective based on your own thoughts. If you walk in and get a feeling, report it. If someone makes you feel a certain way, report it. Use your own words for taste, smell, where your mind went, whatever your actual experience was.

My posts are solely based on my opinions and for my entertainment, contact a professional if you need real advice.

When you get in debt you become a slave. - Andrew Jackson
Tedious reports. I find it too takes me a couple of hours to type reports for Coyle. The most tedious, for me, is having to put time of day and elapsed time. Most others ask for one or the other. Reports are also repetitive. Have to put the same info in several places. I forget how tedious they are, I rarely do them.
I don't find Coyle ever looking for short and sweet. The subjective reports I have done take at least an hour, usually two.
Well my report was accepted without any contact from the editor. They didn't email my score but who cares as long as I'm getting paid. I ended up writing WAY more than 30 characters in each comment box and the report took me about 1.5 hrs...

I'm happy with that! $200+ dinner (on my birthday) plus $15 pay is great for me. I love quite a few of Coyle's clients and although they are demanding I adapted and it works for me. Plus there is a scheduler there that is AWESOME and so responsive. Truly great to work with.
It needs to be superlong like crazy long they sent it back to me three different times because it wasn't long enough finally decided to submit it as it was and if they didn't pay me and It just is what it is. They made two attempts to ask me to rewrite it again and I ignored them but sure enough they paid me a month later
The last five Coyle reports I have done have averaged 1 hour and 48 minutes (and I type fast from good notes!)....I like the meals, but I hate the reporting.
@aayaey wrote:

I've done a few of them and they ask a lot of opinions, like within the area which other establishments do u frequent that compare to this place etc...
What is the theme that the restaurant is trying to convey and do u think it did?! ( this one I thought was odd, like why ask me what is the theme)

I would not say it's easier report, the last one still took me almost 2 hours since I had to think about other restaurants in the area that I've been to that is similar etc...
Most shops do not ask for opinions. If it is a steak house, just compare it to another same type. They didn't ask you to name the theme, they are asking you if the theme they conveyed worked.
Example: Texas Road House theme, fun, exciting, peanuts on the floor. Compare to Outback Steak House.
That's my point.... This shop DID want my opinion... basically ONLY my opinion. The style was different than normal

@shopper8 wrote:

Most shops do not ask for opinions. If it is a steak house, just compare it to another same type. They didn't ask you to name the theme, they are asking you if the theme they conveyed worked.
Example: Texas Road House theme, fun, exciting, peanuts on the floor. Compare to Outback Steak House.
I did one of those and give up on them. After 12 years of regular Coyle reports, it took way too long to wrap my head around all the subjective narrative. I'll stick to the factual reporting where I don't have to think about what I'm writing as much....
Steve - Right now It is 6:48 AM in California, and I have been "up" since 4:30. (I had to finish some fall tractor work in a block of vines).....I am not thinking about writing or anything else until I get a cup of coffee!
I got the email today about doing four or five hotels in a row in the Maldives...now, THAT is a long trip!
@winemaker wrote:

THAT is a long trip!

That is a long report (if you do all of them)!

The trip there is not too bad as it seems...but I stopped for an overnight in Istanbul last year when I did it, which I wouldn't feel as comfortable with these days. The travel between the islands is more taxing, and just a single night at some resorts is not nearly relaxing. They used to allow 2 nights each.
I did the subjective report last month. Different but ok. Not as long as all of their tedious timings, that no one else requires. (They want both time of day and how much time passed.) My biggest gripe is they will not answer a simple question. Response says look at directions. Well if the directions were clear, I would not be asking the question.
Many of the things we have accepted as objective still have a subjective flair to them. Things like taste, temperature, portion sizes being generous, and doneness of beef for example.

Saying the filet was served hot is subjective to a degree (no pun intended) because one person's subjective viewpoint of hot can vary from another persons. A truly objective statement would be, "The filet was served at 98.7 degrees fahrenheit as viewed from a food thermometer." Anything else is going to be subjective and based upon a person's point-of-view, life experiences, and even culture.

Just playing devil's advocate here as we all try to remain as close to the objective end of the spectrum as we can without carrying around meat thermometers in our mystery shopping bag of tricks. Hopefully Coyle won't read this and get the idea of having us start measuring actual temperatures...lol!

"We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl -- year after year..."
Keep in mind they only want 3-5 words in each comment box for no answers or na answers only. My first Coyle shop I commented on both yes and no questions and I used complete sentences in the comment bixes. I got dinged for it. They only want complete sentences in the narrative.

@luckygirl0100 wrote:

Well my report was accepted without any contact from the editor. They didn't email my score but who cares as long as I'm getting paid. I ended up writing WAY more than 30 characters in each comment box and the report took me about 1.5 hrs...

I'm happy with that! $200+ dinner (on my birthday) plus $15 pay is great for me. I love quite a few of Coyle's clients and although they are demanding I adapted and it works for me. Plus there is a scheduler there that is AWESOME and so responsive. Truly great to work with.
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