Pros

One of the best reasons for working at Bob Evans is the flexibility in picking up shifts or giving away shifts when needed. Management generally allows this as long as it's not abused too much. Also, if you are a hard worker that is dependable, when you do need time off they are pretty understanding at the store I work at.

If you are lucky enough to be hired as a full time employee, the health insurance is really good. However, it doesn't matter (as a server) if you consistently work full time hours. You have to be given a "full time" job status in the computer by your GM. As far as servers go, they only allow 2 to be "full time" in our store, even though many of us work full time hours consistently. All employees, full or part time, can contribute to a 401 k that is matched once per year.

The employee discount for food is 50%, allowed only once during a shift worked. Which is a pretty good discount. We do have really good, home-cooked style food. Even if most of it comes in frozen or prepackaged. We have 6 microwaves in our store.

Another plus, is that servers do not pay tip share. We don't serve alcohol, so no bartenders. We do have hosts but no bussers. We use a partner system when in stations. We generally have one very large station that we share with one other server, taking turns with tables. I've actually had 8-10 tables at one time. Tables here are unlimited and there is no limit to how many people you wait on in a party. I've had 20-25 people in parties to myself. Which can also be a huge con when waiting other tables!

Cons

There are lots of downsides to being a server, as well. As afore mentioned, there are no bussers. This adds to an already stressful job when very busy. Not to mention, this can be very unsanitary. It is hard to continuously wash your hands, even though I try. I don't want to get sick either. ;-) Plus, my apron gets absolutely filthy when bussing tables on busy shifts. Very unappealing to customers I'm sure.

The amount of sidework before, during and after a shift is atrocious! I have never had to do so much work for a server job in my life! I've worked at other chains and we easily do double to triple the amount of work others do. For every 3 hours you wait tables you have done about 2 hours of additional work not waiting tables. Plus, this is the only place I've ever worked where I've had managers expect me to clock out while waiting for silverware to be washed, or while rolling silverware or finishing sidework.

One particular manager doesn't like to be alone with the guys while closing and she will ask one of the female servers to stay up to 2 hours longer at 2.13 an hour. If you are lucky, one of the hosts get stuck with the job.

Many times hosts seat stations close to the door and ignore outer lying stations until it gets busy. Then they fill those stations at once. Very frustrating and can really hurt tips. Managers will sometimes say things to them, but never really hold them accountable, so it happens constantly.

There is no automatic 15-20% gratuity on parties. You are on your own. You will work your tail off with free refills on specialty drinks that have up six ingredients like our caramel mocha coffeed drink. Plus, get soups and salads and breads (that also have free refills). You will prebus and then bus and clean this filthy mess of a table and them receive $3 on a $100 tab. Extremely frustrating. Here the more people you have, the more work you do and less of a tip you receive.

We have this wonderful thing called a B.E.S.T. card. It is given to employees for giving their very best when doing an extraordinary job. It is basically one free meal ticket. But, includes your drink and dessert. Unfortunately, these are never given to the employees that do give their best on a daily basis. These cards are given to employees that do the worst possible job every day. The laziest of the laziest. But, when they actually try and do their job just once they are given a best card. It is the most unbelievable thing I have ever seen. So, basically the employees who work the hardest and give it their best everyday go unnoticed or acknowledged because this is what is expected of them. However, if you are a lazy SOB that takes a smoke break every 15 minutes and talks on your cell phone during our busiest times, you will love our reward system. You have to do your job efficiently just once, and get rewarded!! Good for you!

As far as management goes, most really aren't very competent. I believe them to be the lowest paid management staff in probably all of the restaurant industry. You get what you pay for. However, the benefits I do hear are good. Maybe it's a trade off, I don't know. I'm honestly shocked, absolutely floored at times, at the people who do get promoted into management there. Then I'm not surprised at all when I hear of the same people stepping down because they can't handle the stress and responsibility. Not to mention we are in the hospitality biz. Some of these guys and gals are anything but hospitable!

Staff wise, it is a large variety like every store. They come, they go. We have a handful that has been around for years and will probably be there for many more. All and all are staff gets along pretty well. Dishwashers can be rude and insulting. A few of the grill cooks can be really nasty at times, and will purposely screw up your food. They don't care. They get paid the same regardless. However, they know they can screw your tip up for you. Every now and then they get a slap on the wrist, but for the most part they have free reign to slop up plates and send out cold food. The only thing that can stop that is a server who refuses to send out that kind of food. Every now and then the managers expo the food. But, I've actually seen the managers tray the food and leave it out of the window to get cold with no one to run the food.

Advice to Senior Management

I really think the big picture is missed in this restaurant. The goal is to give the customer what they come in for. Great food and great service at a great price. If we consistently fail at this, then they won't come back. We need all the sales we can get. Without the sales, our labor looks terrible, our food and beverage costs go up, our operating costs go up. If we focus on serving quality food efficiently and effectively everytime, those sales will stay up and go up. Too many times we let that ball drop because the managers aren't present out front to make sure the cooks our serving food up to par and on time. They don't notice when servers are missing because they are out back smoking again or on their cell phones. They don't notice that the hosts are having a gossip fest while the line is gathering at the register or guests are waiting to be seated. And when that ball gets dropped, those same managers fail to repair the damage that is done and we lose those guests forever when they walk out the door unhappy and unsatisfied.