Saturday, August 8, 2009

Some observations about Tim Horton's

First off, wow it's reasonably priced! Maybe I'm just used to hearing about $4 or $5 coffees from Starbucks or specialty shops. The other day I went for a "coffee run" at work and ordered a full tray of stuff. $6!


Psychologically when you order coffee you think it's going to be a lot because you're not just saying "coffee", you're saying "coffee with one cream and one sugar". Add that to an order for 4 people and you're talking for about a full minute. Then the price comes out to only $6. Usually when you're buying something and talking for more than a minute, it's costing you an arm and a leg.


Why don't any men work at Tim Horton's? I think TH is one of the most blatantly, sexist organizations. But that's okay. No one really wants men to work at Tim Horton's.


How do people figure out they like one cream or one sugar or a "double double" or black or whatever? Where do their coffee preferences come from and have they tried all combinations, just to make sure? Or did they just happened to order one when they were younger and they stuck with that one? I think to do it right you'd have to order all combinations and taste test and rank accordingly and do this every couple years because your taste buds might change.


They were magically fast as well. I was concentrating on ordering a complicated order and I sensed that a coffee was placed in front of me. Then I'd look away and look back and another one would be there. By the time I finished paying, it was all done. Where did they come from so fast?


It can be a bit stressful ordering for other people. You have to get their complicated order right, juggle change, read from your notes, etc. Not to mention you have people in the line behind you shuffling their feet and staring at your neck. I always end up not being able to read my writing so I'm squinting at my notes while the cashier is giving me a blank hurry-up look.


One time I went to Tim Horton's downtown (the one on the side of the SFU Harbour Centre building). I ordered a coffee and while she was pouring it, I changed my mind and ordered a decaf, apologizing. She said no. She said she was already pouring my coffee. She was dead serious too. An old grumpy Chinese lady. So I told her off.


One more observation: I like it when the staff tag-teams each other during your order. They all start getting things and taking your money. So you have two or three hovering around while you're reading your notes. And they never talk to each other. How do they know what each other are doing? Are they using mental telepathy? Yet everything almost always works out. You get what you asked for quickly and accurately. Each one does a certain thing (without talking) and it all comes together. Life should be more like that.

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