2004/03/02
Who learned you to talk good?
A public service announcement from the government of Canada.
Ok, people. It's time for a little lesson in Canadian etiquette. Today a lady cursed me up and down because I served her what she had ordered and paid for at the drive through. The mistake was hers, because she had ordered improperly. Allow me to explain the proper process for obtaining products from a Tim Horton's Drive-Thru:
1. Pull up to the speaker. Turn your radio off. If you are driving a diesel truck, turn your engine off. Put your cell phone call on hold. Know what you want before you pull up to the speaker (it is acceptable to sit in the area in front of the speaker while you make your decision). Wait to be addressed by a Tim Horton's employee.
2. When greeted, begin to relay your order. This is the tricky part, so pay attention. Terms such as "ummm" and "uhhh" should be avoided. Do not give the speaker a run-down of what you will be ordering (there is no "customer is going to order five coffees; please hold" button on the cash register). Speak loudly and clearly. If it becomes obvious that the employee is having trouble hearing you, speak louder (you would not believe the number of people that continue to whisper after being asked to speak up). Order each item seperately, unless they are identical.
For example, when Bob says "Two large double-doubles, please", he is ordering in an acceptable manner. On the other hand, it is not satisfactory for Dave to declare, "Five coffees: 3 large and 2 medium. Two of the large are double cream single sugar. The third large is 3 cream 7 sugar. One of the mediums is single sugar double cream. The other medium is 3 cream and 1 sweetner. Also, two of the coffees are a decaf: the large with 3 cream and 7 sugar and the last medium." Ordering in this manner will earn Dave a curb-stomping.
3. When you have finished giving your order, the employee will try to sell you more products. They do not wish to do this; they are minimum-wage employees being forced by their managers to 'upsell' without commission. It will probably sound like this, "Would you like any fresh muffins or donuts with that today?". Politely decline. Wait to be instructed further by an employee. Do not move your vehicle. Wait for a variation of, "That will be $1.35 at the window, please." If you recieve no indication that you should move your vehicle, then you must remain stopped. Long periods of silence are not licence to proceed to the window. Travelling forward before being instructed to do so will earn you a curb-stomping.
4. Pull away from speaker. When you are fully away from the speaker, get your money ready. See that cement pad in front of the window? That contains a censor that times how long you are at the window. These minimum-wage employees are financially penalized if you are on that pad for longer than 25 seconds. Therefore, you must stop and get your money ready before continuing on to the window.
5. When your money is ready, pull up to the window. Hand your money to the employee in the window. You've been a good person this far, now is your chance to be a really good person and tip this young worker. You are a big boy/girl; you know what you're going to get back in change. If you ordered a large coffee and gave them a Twoonie, then you are going to get 2 quarters, a dime, and a nickel back. Now is your chance to say clearly, "Just give me the quarters." Or, "Don't worry about the change."
6. Having recieved your product, kindly thank your server. Pull quickly away from the window. Remember, the people inside are being penalized financially while you sit there and eat a quarter of your bagel in front of the window.
Further notes on terminology for advanced users:
-A double double is with cream. If you want a "large coffee double double with milk", then you say, "large coffee, 2 milk, 2 sugar".
-Consistenly request the ingredients of your drink in a 'liquid, then solid' format. For example:
"with 3 cream and 1 sugar, please", not "with 1 sugar and 3 cream, puhleese"
With the implementation of these proper drive-thru techniques, together we can all avoid a curb-stomping incident.
Ok, people. It's time for a little lesson in Canadian etiquette. Today a lady cursed me up and down because I served her what she had ordered and paid for at the drive through. The mistake was hers, because she had ordered improperly. Allow me to explain the proper process for obtaining products from a Tim Horton's Drive-Thru:
1. Pull up to the speaker. Turn your radio off. If you are driving a diesel truck, turn your engine off. Put your cell phone call on hold. Know what you want before you pull up to the speaker (it is acceptable to sit in the area in front of the speaker while you make your decision). Wait to be addressed by a Tim Horton's employee.
2. When greeted, begin to relay your order. This is the tricky part, so pay attention. Terms such as "ummm" and "uhhh" should be avoided. Do not give the speaker a run-down of what you will be ordering (there is no "customer is going to order five coffees; please hold" button on the cash register). Speak loudly and clearly. If it becomes obvious that the employee is having trouble hearing you, speak louder (you would not believe the number of people that continue to whisper after being asked to speak up). Order each item seperately, unless they are identical.
For example, when Bob says "Two large double-doubles, please", he is ordering in an acceptable manner. On the other hand, it is not satisfactory for Dave to declare, "Five coffees: 3 large and 2 medium. Two of the large are double cream single sugar. The third large is 3 cream 7 sugar. One of the mediums is single sugar double cream. The other medium is 3 cream and 1 sweetner. Also, two of the coffees are a decaf: the large with 3 cream and 7 sugar and the last medium." Ordering in this manner will earn Dave a curb-stomping.
3. When you have finished giving your order, the employee will try to sell you more products. They do not wish to do this; they are minimum-wage employees being forced by their managers to 'upsell' without commission. It will probably sound like this, "Would you like any fresh muffins or donuts with that today?". Politely decline. Wait to be instructed further by an employee. Do not move your vehicle. Wait for a variation of, "That will be $1.35 at the window, please." If you recieve no indication that you should move your vehicle, then you must remain stopped. Long periods of silence are not licence to proceed to the window. Travelling forward before being instructed to do so will earn you a curb-stomping.
4. Pull away from speaker. When you are fully away from the speaker, get your money ready. See that cement pad in front of the window? That contains a censor that times how long you are at the window. These minimum-wage employees are financially penalized if you are on that pad for longer than 25 seconds. Therefore, you must stop and get your money ready before continuing on to the window.
5. When your money is ready, pull up to the window. Hand your money to the employee in the window. You've been a good person this far, now is your chance to be a really good person and tip this young worker. You are a big boy/girl; you know what you're going to get back in change. If you ordered a large coffee and gave them a Twoonie, then you are going to get 2 quarters, a dime, and a nickel back. Now is your chance to say clearly, "Just give me the quarters." Or, "Don't worry about the change."
6. Having recieved your product, kindly thank your server. Pull quickly away from the window. Remember, the people inside are being penalized financially while you sit there and eat a quarter of your bagel in front of the window.
Further notes on terminology for advanced users:
-A double double is with cream. If you want a "large coffee double double with milk", then you say, "large coffee, 2 milk, 2 sugar".
-Consistenly request the ingredients of your drink in a 'liquid, then solid' format. For example:
"with 3 cream and 1 sugar, please", not "with 1 sugar and 3 cream, puhleese"
With the implementation of these proper drive-thru techniques, together we can all avoid a curb-stomping incident.
# posted by Justin @ 19:08 
