We were on our way to Science North this morning and decided to caffinate at Timmy’s.  We skipped the local Tim’s in favour of a drive-through, assuming it would be quicker.  We stopped at the Tim Horton’s in Nobel, Ontario because it was on the way and in a high traffic area.  Usually these types of locations are faster because they’re more experienced.  Not this time.

Our first dilema was whether to run in or drive-through.  Looking at the lineup in the drive-through I decided that running in would be quicker.  As I was parking I noticed that the line inside the place was to the front doors – drive-through it is.

There were about 5 cars ahead of us in line which, at my normal Tim’s in Belleville on Cannifton and College, should take about 5-6 minutes.  I knew we were in trouble when we didn’t move at all in 5 minutes.  When we finally got to the ordering wicket the conversation went as follows:

“Do you serve English Toffee?”  (I have to ask because not every location does, for some reason.)
“No, we don’t.”
“OK, a large French Vanilla will be fine then.”
“Actually, we’re out of cappuccinos.” (Now I’m annoyed because you shouldn’t be out of anything at a Tim Horton’s.  Period.  I’m now not getting anything for myself because I’m P-O’d.)
“Fine.  A large double cream, one sugar, a peach juice and a blueberry doughnut.” (I meant the one that was on the big poster by the ordering window since it’s a featured product.)
“OK, $4.12.”  (This is when my wife guesses that we’ll get the wrong type of doughnut.)
We get to the window and I check the doughnut.  Sure enough, it’s some kind of glazed blueberry thing.
“I’m sorry, I wanted the blueberry doughnut you have on the poster by the ordering window.”
“Oh, you mean a blueberry jam filled doughnut?”
“No.” (My wife then remembers they’re called ‘blooms’ and calls it out.) “A blueberry bloom.”
“We’re all out of those.”
“Ok, fine, a strawberry bloom then.”
“We don’t have any of the blooms left.” (WTF? Now I’m just plain mad.)
“Ok, fine, any blueberry filled doughnut then.” (We’ve now been at the window for a good 5-7 minutes.)
She goes to get the doughnut and is clearly not having fun, has no helpers, and will not receive anything close to something resembling a tip.  I take the doughnut and decide that it is the last time I ever visit that location.  I’ve tried, several times, to be patient at this location but I’ve had enough.  And I’m a patient guy.

I feel bad for the girl at the window.  I’m sure she hates having no help and not having any product to deliver.  At the same time, a little help when I’m ordering would have gone a long way to soothe the pain (when I asked for an E.T. she could have then told me they had no cappuccinos instead of making me go down the list).  Let this be a lesson to customer service reps everywhere, there’s always a chance to save the sale.  A smile and a kind word do wonders.  Up until the doughnut I was still a possible “be-back.”  Not anymore.

If you’re from Tim Horton’s and reading this, that Nobel location has been a disgrace for several years and while I’ve only been there maybe twice a year it has consistently underperformed.  They’ve lost sales from me, screwed up orders, been short of stock, and been quite simply too slow for the brand Canadians have come to know, love and trust.  Do something.