Tim Hortons writing on lids

[swak]

As a preface, this little peeve of mine lately is menial at its finest, but is something that I have yet to understand for months now.
Every morning I walk into Tim Horton's as the drive through is usually insane, and just get a coffee and breakfast by myself to bring to the office.

Every morning, and at various Tim Horton's they have done this, they write on my cup lid "R" as i order a regular coffee. Then right after writing on it they hand it to me, 2 feet away.
There are no other coffee's that it could get mixed with and I am only ordering one coffee as such it wouldn't get mixed up with other coffee's i'm ordering.

Are these employees so ingrained in their work "procedures" that they have no brain cells left to realize when writing on coffee cup lids is not necessary? Or is it some quality assurance processes that Tim Horton's has? Seems very strange to me.

Starbucks writes on the cups, but their cups are together with others and could get mixed around and confused. Makes sense. Tim's doesn't so much. :nut:

[killramos]

Can't speak for TH but when I worked at a Starbucks there were a number of steps in the customer service process that corporate took very seriously and you were expected to follow regardless of how silly they felt. Don't blame the employee for toeing the party line.

[jwslam]

I'm betting it's routine from when people come in and order 2+ cups.
But I know what you mean. I've gone in and ordered 3 regulars and they'll write on all of them after putting them into the same tray.

[schurchill39]

I noticed this too. I always go to a Timmies downtown and I order my coffee and stand aside then she fills it, writes on the lid, and hands it to me. Not sure why as its only me and only 1 drink. It doesn't bother me like it does you but it is definitely strange.

[A790]

It's a process. They follow it. Why is it a problem? lol

[jacky4566]

It's a process. They follow it. Why is it a problem? lol

Probably also helps stop fraud.

"You gave me a regular but i ordered a mocha!" -people that make me cringe. :facepalm:

[tonytiger55]

I guess another way to look at it is. Supposing one's order a regular but then the customer started bitchen that they should have got something else?
Its a whole production line process where you can go backwards to cover your (Employees) ass. Not saying you would, but some customers can be right dicks at times.

[rx7boi]

Are these employees so ingrained in their work "procedures" that they have no brain cells left to realize when writing on coffee cup lids is not necessary?

Slightly off topic but I notice this particularly with Filipino workers. They have a hard work ethic but most of them find it hard to adapt to requests slightly different from their routine, even if you're a regular.

[flipstah]

Slightly off topic but I notice this particularly with Filipino workers. They have a hard work ethic but most of them find it hard to adapt to requests slightly different from their routine, even if you're a regular.

Probably because the language barrier. If they're not used to hearing it, it throws them off.

[NoSup4U]

They have to complete the same repetitive task hundreds of times over their shift, it's better it be done uniformly, and a lot of them probably just go into autopilot to get through the day.

Now if they could just start training them to butter both halves of a bagel, without having to request it :clap:

[Seth1968]

This is what it should say on the lid:

"WARNING: Lid won't clamp open or closed, and is razor sharp".

[tonytiger55]

Probably because the language barrier. If they're not used to hearing it, it throws them off.

Language is actually interesting. When I moved here years ago, I ordered tea. I was asked to stay or to go. I said take away please. They looked at me blankly and asked again.. to stay or to go.

[mr2mike]

This is what it should say on the lid:

"WARNING: Lid won't clamp open or closed, and is razor sharp".

http://cponline.thecanadianpress.com/graphics/2013/static/cp-coffee-lids.jpg

[Alterac]

This is what it should say on the lid:

"WARNING: Lid won't clamp open or closed, and is razor sharp".


You can get the better lid on your coffee, just ask for the cappuccino lid on it. Which is the crossover lid from the infographic posted.

[D'z Nutz]

Probably because the language barrier. If they're not used to hearing it, it throws them off.

I don't believe that for a second. When those Filipino women ask me for donations and I tell them "No", they still keep hounding me. I find it hard to believe I'm the only one that's told them that hahaha

[Tik-Tok]

This is what it should say on the lid:

"WARNING: Lid won't clamp open or closed, and is razor sharp".

Also: "WARNING: We filled the cup to the absolute brim, so you definitely will spill some out in your car while trying to open the lid"

[ExtraSlow]

Is this where I post that McDonald's has better coffee, better cups, better service and better lids?

[carson blocks]

Is this where I post that McDonald's has better coffee, better cups, better service and better lids?

I was firmly on the "McDonalds has better coffee" side when I was drinking double-doubles. Now that I'm off the sugar and drinking black, I still drink it but find it a bit watery and lean towards the Tims Dark Roast on the rare occasion I choose to tolerate the lineup at a Tims. Not sure whether they changed something in their coffee in the past year or so, or just my tastes have changed. Their cups and lids are 100x better though, Tims cups and lids are the biggest POS.

[JRSC00LUDE]

Why pick and choose what lids you write on? Recipe for chaos. Every order with more than one cup needs writing.

#thisisntarealproblem lol

[sabad66]

It's a process. They follow it. Why is it a problem? lol

no kidding lol. i'm willing to bet that they have instructions from corporate to write on ALL cups. It's also easier this way... imagine if they had a bunch of different rules to follow depending on scenario like "if only 1 cup OR all the same OR different types but unique different sizes, then don't write"... just too much to think about when they are just trying to work as fast as they can

[HiTempguy1]

What I hate about it is that rather than getting orders right, they just follow the process.

The amount of times I get shit with nothing in it, or cream instead of milk, or just in general the wrong order is staggering. Probably 10% of orders are wrong.

So its great that there is a process to follow, but I doubt it works as intended. Its like traffic signs seems like a good idea, causes way more stupidity than it solves.

[flipstah]

I don't believe that for a second. When those Filipino women ask me for donations and I tell them "No", they still keep hounding me. I find it hard to believe I'm the only one that's told them that hahaha

That's different! They want something from you lmao.

[swak]

no kidding lol. i'm willing to bet that they have instructions from corporate to write on ALL cups. It's also easier this way... imagine if they had a bunch of different rules to follow depending on scenario like "if only 1 cup OR all the same OR different types but unique different sizes, then don't write"... just too much to think about when they are just trying to work as fast as they can

I don't understand why this is necessary to have a job procedure for writing on lids. It's like the bubbles on a McDonalds lid to differentiate between coke and sprite. This makes sense when you need to differentiate between contents of cups, so use it when it needs to be used. Doesn't seem necessary to just do it just because a boss told me to do it.

IE. in every workspace this could hold true. If you had to "sincerely" instead of "regards" or "respectfully" or "cheers" or whateveron every e-mail because it was "policy, would you say this is a stupid menial policy? Or just do it without understanding why or the reason for this policy.
Doing what the boss tells you even when it makes zero sense... makes zero sense to do, and seems pretty robotic of an employee. I encourage all my staff to think for themselves and to still get the job done. We are successful at that, and if one of my employee figuratively wants to write on every lid for the sake of his or her own ways of doing things.... so be it i guess.

[ganesh]

First world problems :)
Why don't you simply ask them the reason for writing on the lid?

[syscal]

Franchise 101. Why does this thread even exist? lol

[botox]

It's a process. They follow it. Why is it a problem? lol
Yup, just easier to write on all instead of pick and choose and eventually it turns into a habit that's been formed. Sometimes people go to the can after they order or they take a call and didn't hear that it was ready, then a pile of people rush in and now your order is all mixed up.


Probably because the language barrier. If they're not used to hearing it, it throws them off.
Doubt it, their minds are programmed for the normal orders and your custom order just throws their universe out of sync.

[ganesh]

Franchise 101. Why does this thread even exist? lol
We are living in the social media world. You find something what you do post in on the Social media platform and makes a spectacle out of it :)

[sabad66]

I don't understand why this is necessary to have a job procedure for writing on lids. It's like the bubbles on a McDonalds lid to differentiate between coke and sprite. This makes sense when you need to differentiate between contents of cups, so use it when it needs to be used. Doesn't seem necessary to just do it just because a boss told me to do it.

IE. in every workspace this could hold true. If you had to "sincerely" instead of "regards" or "respectfully" or "cheers" or whateveron every e-mail because it was "policy, would you say this is a stupid menial policy? Or just do it without understanding why or the reason for this policy.
Doing what the boss tells you even when it makes zero sense... makes zero sense to do, and seems pretty robotic of an employee. I encourage all my staff to think for themselves and to still get the job done. We are successful at that, and if one of my employee figuratively wants to write on every lid for the sake of his or her own ways of doing things.... so be it i guess.
great that you tell your office staff to think for themselves, but that just doesn't work for low level fast food jobs.

[carson blocks]

I don't understand why this is necessary to have a job procedure for writing on lids...Doing what the boss tells you even when it makes zero sense... makes zero sense to do, and seems pretty robotic of an employee. I encourage all my staff to think for themselves and to still get the job done.

Do you employ entry level employees? There are some awesome ones, but a good many people on this planet need to be told every single step and just cannot be told to "use your discretion" and those people often hold entry-level jobs. Hell, most Tier 1 helpdesk folks I've met damn near need a work instruction to go to the bathroom, and god help their pants if you omitted the step to unzip. If they have capability for independent thought and decision making, they make Tier 2 really quickly, and these are so-called IT "professionals" with "education", not entry level fast food employees.

It's much easier to just lay down a procedure, and if it gets unnecessarily followed a few times a day, it's a lesser evil than just saying "use your judgement" and have people pissed off about mixing up their coffees if their judgement fails or something unanticipated happens.

[speedog]

We are living in the social media world. You find something what you do post in on the Social media platform and makes a spectacle out of it :)

My brain hurt trying to read the above highlighted part.

[ExtraSlow]

Makes more sense if you read it in either old Indian dude or old Chinese lady voice.

[heavyD]

I don't give a shit about the writing on the lid but when is Tim Hortons going to change their lids? They leak. If you are carrying them you will get coffee on your hands and sleeve and in your car coffee gets all over your console cup holders. Really it's enough already as its ridiculous.

[dj_patm]

They don't just do your order on its own.

When I worked there 12 years ago they had one person doing coffee, one getting food, one taking orders and one doing till. The guy doing the coffee is constantly pumping out coffee and lining them up in order as best as they can.

So you might have just ordered a Regular but someone behind you might have ordered two DD's and the person behind them ordered a Black and TT. If it's busy then in between the time when you order and when you get to the window, there is 10 different coffees sitting there. With the writing on the lid they know that they're grabbing the right coffee even if the line up got messed up. On top of that, the customer can catch it too and say something before driving away.

It's a good system.

Why they do it when it's not busy? Habit and even if it's not busy, you get a couple big coffee orders and no writing on lids and you have a problem.

[max_boost]

Is this where I post that McDonald's has better coffee, better cups, better service and better lids?

7-11 does! haha

[ExtraSlow]

7-11 is really inconsistent. When it's good it's good, but I've had a cup half full of grounds before, which is a bit. Inconvenient when you figure that out fifteen minutes and a chewy mouthful later.

[bjstare]

I really despise tims. Having said that, when I have no choice but to get coffee there, I always make sure and ask for the dome lid. It's the same as the starbucks one, but brown.

[swak]

Why they do it when it's not busy? Habit and even if it's not busy, you get a couple big coffee orders and no writing on lids and you have a problem.

This is a good point, actually.
At face value just seems odd, staring at the person giving you the coffee writing on your lid, saying that you got a "regular" when you ordered that and its obvious hah.

I'm surprised McDonalds hasn't had a major impact on Tim's yet though.
Every roll up the rim to win week they offer free coffees, and try and one up Tim's in their own categories... it may be just a matter of time

[Seth1968]

A little off topic, but how is it establishments such as Tims can have their donuts, etc, fully exposed for flies to crawl all over?

This has got to be some sort of food safety violation that the health officials are fully aware of. So, what's up with that?

In before, stand outside of Tims with a sign that say's, "Tim Horton's serves fly donuts" :)

[ExtraSlow]

I think the theory is that instead of enclosing the food items in a room full of flies, some steps are taken to reduce the number of insects in the building. Although I m not a health inspector.

[swak]

I'd be shocked if they are against code... As i'm sure a health inspector or two have been to Tim Horton's on work or on personal time in their careers and have witnessed their food storage practices.