Bob Evans — Restaurant in Livonia

I've been kept on hold for an extreme amount of time, while trying to pay for my thanksgiving pickup order. I couldn't get through on the phone initially, and when I finally did get someone on the phone, they put me on hold, and kept me on hold for a very long time.

I understand that things are busy and tough right now, but that's inexcusable. It was almost as if they were just keeping people on hold to keep the phone line tied up so that they could ignore the phone.

I've been fighting with this for over 1/2 an hour, which is frankly not ok, and then to be on hold waiting for someone for an additional 20 minutes is frustrating, lacking in customer service, and leaves a sour taste about the efficacy of the staff at Bob Evans in Livonia. They never did come back to the phone after 20 minutes, I was forced to hang up.

Hopefully, someone does something about this, so that nobody else has to endure a far less than impressive experience. It was, quite honestly, a major strike to the brand.

So, after this frustrating event (though, somewhat understandable given the overflow of people), and the real cause of my desire to complain, is how poorly managed the situation was when I did arrive at the store.

My wife and I went to the establishment... and I waited in line. After approximately 1/2 of the line had been able to go inside to get their order, one of the managers made two of the staffers take down our name and the location we were parked in. We were told that someone would bring us our box to our vehicle.

This didn't happen. This simply served to make me lose my place in line, while other people (who arrived after I did) simply walked into the building, waited in line, and then left the establishment with THEIR box.

I don't blame the two young ladies for this. They clearly weren't given any direction on how to handle this situation, were very polite, and it was evident that they were doing what the could to help, all the while having zero direction.

I blame the inept, incompetent, and grossly negligent management for not having prepared for this influx of people. I'm not a manager, but I can tell you how this could have been easily structured to give people a much better experience. First and foremost, never send people back to their vehicles while they are in line waiting, after you have serviced 1/2 of the line. That's simply inexcusable. Losing your place in a long and slow line, when this could have been avoided is an outrage. The management should be released, and replaced by someone with a sense of structure, organization, and communication skills. It was the most ridiculously absurd, unorganized, and frustrating experience I've had at any establishment in a long time.

Would it have been too difficult to put two signs out front, one for "Thanksgiving dinner pickups" and one for "Carry out pickups" and create two lines? Then have one of the nice young ladies direct people to which line they need to go (if necessary) and act as a gatekeeper to allow one person from each line in (simultaneously) one by one to ensure capacity limitations are followed? Once one of those customers leave, allow another in? Seriously, I'm not in management, and this seems like common sense.

During this entire fiasco, there wasn't a manager in sight. I saw a manager one time, through a window, while they were directing the staff to send people back to their vehicles (after having served 1/2 of the line that had formed). This is an utterly astonishing display in a lack of leadership, and is quite honestly impressive, if the person in charge was aiming for the worst manager of the year.

I'm stunned at how poorly this was handled, and the manager who failed at this event should be ashamed...

Terrible. If you want the short version: 6 month Pregnant wife. Uncrowded Bob Evans. Well over an hour. 2 hot drinks. No water. No straws. No creamer. No food. Told our order never made it to the back. An awe for Peggy the managers level of unconcern when she seals the deal with "I GUESS I CAN GET YOU A CUP OF CHILLI TO GO OR SOMETHING". Pregnant wife and I go to Logans Roadhouse and cancel plans.

The young guy that sat us was helpful and nice. He stopped what he was doing to seat us immediately and looked diligently for the manager when we paid and asked to speak to one. We met our served 15 mins later. Our waitress was very bubbly and happy. Her friendliness was the reason I decided to get up and search the tables for creamer for my coffee and straws for the one out of two waters we did receive.

We got to talking with other tables. One couple who had missed a large part of their movie, the mother of the family of four who was overcharged for the food she never received even though the rest of her family was finished eating, and the couple that never made it past drinks. After an hour and 15 mins of running out of things to talk about in the not so busy restaurant we were notified that our simple order of pancakes and a chicken cranberry apple salad never made it to the grill. we were given the same " it will only take 5 mins" line the mother had gotten 15 mins before and chose to just pay for the 2 drinks and go find food for my wife. I said it nicely because in my mind I had a hard time seeing her employed after that level of negligence

The nice gentlemen found the manager. I truly did not want anything to attend for my experience but rather to bring it to the managers attention of how things were going on the floor. (The family of four was about to really lose their cool) Instead Peggy gave us a slew of excuses and "I GUESS I CAN GIVE YOU A CUP OF CHILLI TO GO OR SOMETHING" We declined or cup of reheated chilli "or something" and went to Logans to find my wife...

My daughter and I went to the Bob Evans Restaurant on Middlebelt Road in Livonia on 2/17/2015 for lunch. We were seated promptly, but after 15 minutes, we still had not been even offered a beverage, let along have our orders taken. The waitress was at the next table of 6-8 people, all of whom were being complete asses, questioning every item on the menu, sending her back to the kitchen to see if certain changes could be made, then when the waitress returned with an answer, they would change their mind about that item (even though the kitchen was willing to accommodate them). We were promptly ready to order our meals, but we received no service, apparently because management requires wait staff to stand at tables for certain people, while they try to decide what they want to order. The waitress glanced nervously at our table a couple of times, while standing at the table of asses, but clearly she had been given her orders. We left after 15 minutes of no service whatsoever. The restaurant was also filthy. On the opposite side of the section we were sitting in, there were 2 women laughing, yelling, and pounding on the table, which made for a less than pleasing atmosphere in which to eat. No one at this restaurant made any attempt to quiet them down so other diners could enjoy their visit. Very unpleasant atmosphere, with very poor service, and filthy. Apparently there wasn't a manager working on this day. We left, went to Applebees, there they service was, as usual, exemplary, the staff competent, the manager clearly in evidence, the restaurant clean, and the food fantastic. Bob Evans is clearly not the restaurant it once was, and the customer base has taken a nosedive, which negatively impacts...