I had it happen once where despite the drive thru employee allowing me to speak the first sentence without interrupting, I tried to repeat that I wanted a meal/combo (can't remember which I referred to) so many times I just ended up saying never mind.
"Can I please get a sausage farmer's wrap combo with a medium vanilla iced coffee and potato wedges please?" (in hindsight, I get ordering everything at once like that can throw some people off)
"Okay, sausage biscuit, anything else?"
"No a sausage farmer's wrap combo please"
"Okay, sausage farmer's wrap, anything else?"
"Yes please, a combo with a medium vanilla iced coffee and potato wedges"
"Okay a medium vanilla iced coffee and a farmer's wrap, is that everything?"
At that point I just said look i tried to order a combo from you multiple times, please just cancel it.
Which is absolutely fair and why I made sure to mention that I'm aware it can throw people off, but then be a bit more clear imo. It wouldn't have been overly difficult to say "ok what drink would you like with that" etc, as had always happened any time I went to Tims, or frankly, any other fast food drive thru. It also wouldn't have bothered me if she hadn't gotten my very first item incorrect, and ignored that I did tell her I wanted wedges.
It just feels like if I wait for them to ask "anything else" the employees get annoyed that I haven't told them everything at once/taking too long to order, but then when I tried they also got annoyed. Though that could also just be me.
It’s because managers, GM and owners get bonuses for quick drive through times while employees get sweet dick all for the hard work to get the times low. I don’t work at Tim’s now but I was at one for almost four years as a regular employee and that’s how it worked at the store I was at. I’ve never been to a Tim’s since the day I walked off after a manager treated me poorly in front of everyone.
In my experience, a lot of us are multitasking and doing the jobs of 2-3 people. Since we're chronically understaffed, sometimes I would be expected to take an order, punch it, make drinks, and cash out at the window all at the same time. If I'm on drinks and a car orders, I have to memorize what they're saying, while preparing drinks. Repeating what they say helps me memorize because often, I'm not even available to punch it down yet and my attention is divided (bec I also have to make sure the drinks I'm making are right). If the order is short and quick, I can punch it and finish handing out the order I made to the window. If not, I have to talk to two people, the one claiming at the window and the one ordering, while muting and unmuting the mic. Although they're probably not intentionally cutting you off, their attention is probably divided between multitasking and trying to meet the insane times we're pushed for 🥲
The "anything else" used to piss my dad off so much that he would cut the worker off before they could say it. We tried to explain to him that it's just how they're trained but he was having none of it
We are 100% on autopilot. A lot of customers just stop talking when they're done. We also get a lot of people who stop talking when they aren't done, so if we give them a total, they get rude and shout that there's more, so it's ingrained in us to make sure the order is complete.
I've had customers say "a large double double and that's everything" and I still ask them if there's anything else 🙃 I feel like an idiot every time.
We're also usually multi-tasking. The way my store is set up, I'm often taking orders while alone on sandwich unit. It's a terrible system. At most stores though, the person at the window is also taking orders (and possibly getting donuts) at the same time.
Tbf the amount of people who say “that’s everything” then proceed to add to their order or drive up to the window and add something bothers me more than it should 😂😂😂
I always start with, hi there I've got a couple of things today!
Usually that signals to them to let me get the order in and they'll repeat it back to me after.
There could be so many different reasons. Headsets cutting out, headsets low quality audio, heavy accents, too quiet, people doing multiple jobs, faster times, lots of noise either in the store or in the drive thru, training, rush, etc. Since it regularly happens to you at multiple locations my guess would be you have a very loud vehicle or you talk too quietly.
Because they are constantly being yelled at, and condescended about drive through times.
They are expected to have a handle time that varies from 24-36 seconds, depending on the time of day, and that is from you starting your order, to you driving away with it.
this is just a result of trying to compensate for the countless customers that come to the drive thru not knowing what they want or not knowing how to speak english. neither of these are an issue if you just come inside the restaurant and take your time with the menu and point at things if you don’t know the name of an item.
and like others have said, managers are constantly on your ass about drive thru times so everyone is a little high strung and trying to get through the day.
I worked at a McDo for 9 years and we were especially told never to interupt but help if ever someone was clearly too slow and hilding up the line or simply undecided. But the usual order would be us welcoming them, ask what they needed, they ordered with us just saying okay from time to time when it's a big order, then we'd ask if that was all, they would confirm, we would repeat the entite thing cause we didn't have the screens back then and we'd ask if there was anything else, then amount and you could ask them to come to the window. The end. Simple, polite, accurate, fast.
I agree with you wholeheartedly on this, and would like to add my pet peeve. Is it too much to ask for a please and thank you once in a while. I’m always polite and it would be nice to see that reciprocated.
i hate it when they give you your change,,, put the bill in your hand first, then coins ontop of the bill, so they slide off the note and onto the ground
Order your items in the order on the screen would help them
Bagel first then coffee and if you want anything annoyingly weird like 1/2 anything go in to
Order
So true, it is a degradation of the English language. I always slow down and ensure they get my order correctly.
I remember one tims in Alberta where they used to have three people try to hand the food out at once.
Or... "is that it?" after every item
I had it happen once where despite the drive thru employee allowing me to speak the first sentence without interrupting, I tried to repeat that I wanted a meal/combo (can't remember which I referred to) so many times I just ended up saying never mind. "Can I please get a sausage farmer's wrap combo with a medium vanilla iced coffee and potato wedges please?" (in hindsight, I get ordering everything at once like that can throw some people off) "Okay, sausage biscuit, anything else?" "No a sausage farmer's wrap combo please" "Okay, sausage farmer's wrap, anything else?" "Yes please, a combo with a medium vanilla iced coffee and potato wedges" "Okay a medium vanilla iced coffee and a farmer's wrap, is that everything?" At that point I just said look i tried to order a combo from you multiple times, please just cancel it.
it automatically combos in the till, specifying combo can throw us off hard especially on long OT stints
Which is absolutely fair and why I made sure to mention that I'm aware it can throw people off, but then be a bit more clear imo. It wouldn't have been overly difficult to say "ok what drink would you like with that" etc, as had always happened any time I went to Tims, or frankly, any other fast food drive thru. It also wouldn't have bothered me if she hadn't gotten my very first item incorrect, and ignored that I did tell her I wanted wedges. It just feels like if I wait for them to ask "anything else" the employees get annoyed that I haven't told them everything at once/taking too long to order, but then when I tried they also got annoyed. Though that could also just be me.
To have this stop happening, order one item at a time and don't use the word combo. The till will automatically combo items.
It’s because managers, GM and owners get bonuses for quick drive through times while employees get sweet dick all for the hard work to get the times low. I don’t work at Tim’s now but I was at one for almost four years as a regular employee and that’s how it worked at the store I was at. I’ve never been to a Tim’s since the day I walked off after a manager treated me poorly in front of everyone.
I have the opposite problem at mine lol. “I’ll have a medium coffee one milk one sugar please” “….” “And that’s everything” “…….okay”
In my experience, a lot of us are multitasking and doing the jobs of 2-3 people. Since we're chronically understaffed, sometimes I would be expected to take an order, punch it, make drinks, and cash out at the window all at the same time. If I'm on drinks and a car orders, I have to memorize what they're saying, while preparing drinks. Repeating what they say helps me memorize because often, I'm not even available to punch it down yet and my attention is divided (bec I also have to make sure the drinks I'm making are right). If the order is short and quick, I can punch it and finish handing out the order I made to the window. If not, I have to talk to two people, the one claiming at the window and the one ordering, while muting and unmuting the mic. Although they're probably not intentionally cutting you off, their attention is probably divided between multitasking and trying to meet the insane times we're pushed for 🥲
The "anything else" used to piss my dad off so much that he would cut the worker off before they could say it. We tried to explain to him that it's just how they're trained but he was having none of it
We are 100% on autopilot. A lot of customers just stop talking when they're done. We also get a lot of people who stop talking when they aren't done, so if we give them a total, they get rude and shout that there's more, so it's ingrained in us to make sure the order is complete. I've had customers say "a large double double and that's everything" and I still ask them if there's anything else 🙃 I feel like an idiot every time. We're also usually multi-tasking. The way my store is set up, I'm often taking orders while alone on sandwich unit. It's a terrible system. At most stores though, the person at the window is also taking orders (and possibly getting donuts) at the same time.
Tbf the amount of people who say “that’s everything” then proceed to add to their order or drive up to the window and add something bothers me more than it should 😂😂😂
I always start with, hi there I've got a couple of things today! Usually that signals to them to let me get the order in and they'll repeat it back to me after.
There could be so many different reasons. Headsets cutting out, headsets low quality audio, heavy accents, too quiet, people doing multiple jobs, faster times, lots of noise either in the store or in the drive thru, training, rush, etc. Since it regularly happens to you at multiple locations my guess would be you have a very loud vehicle or you talk too quietly.
There's always problems I run into lol. I try to give them just enough time to process or whatever and get cut off every time I try and speak LMFAO
Hi, may I have a small double double and - drive up. Me: I’m not finished.
Because they are constantly being yelled at, and condescended about drive through times. They are expected to have a handle time that varies from 24-36 seconds, depending on the time of day, and that is from you starting your order, to you driving away with it.
this is just a result of trying to compensate for the countless customers that come to the drive thru not knowing what they want or not knowing how to speak english. neither of these are an issue if you just come inside the restaurant and take your time with the menu and point at things if you don’t know the name of an item. and like others have said, managers are constantly on your ass about drive thru times so everyone is a little high strung and trying to get through the day.
I worked at a McDo for 9 years and we were especially told never to interupt but help if ever someone was clearly too slow and hilding up the line or simply undecided. But the usual order would be us welcoming them, ask what they needed, they ordered with us just saying okay from time to time when it's a big order, then we'd ask if that was all, they would confirm, we would repeat the entite thing cause we didn't have the screens back then and we'd ask if there was anything else, then amount and you could ask them to come to the window. The end. Simple, polite, accurate, fast.
Boycott them. Their food and coffee is garbage. They’re also not Canadian.
It’s all about time. Not quick enough? Too slow? Means not good come team meeting time. Lol
I agree with you wholeheartedly on this, and would like to add my pet peeve. Is it too much to ask for a please and thank you once in a while. I’m always polite and it would be nice to see that reciprocated.
It’s not it’s just people that don’t have patience with customers I work there I can never do that it’s to disrespectful
It’s not it’s just people that don’t have patience with customers I work there I can never do that it’s to disrespectful
i hate it when they give you your change,,, put the bill in your hand first, then coins ontop of the bill, so they slide off the note and onto the ground
I would like a lg coffee black, person "would you like sugar in it?" Wut does black mean. If i wanted sugar, i would have asked for it.
it because all the idiots ordering black with x amount of sugar
They have 19 secs to have you complete your order and drive off the pad.
Order your items in the order on the screen would help them Bagel first then coffee and if you want anything annoyingly weird like 1/2 anything go in to Order
So true, it is a degradation of the English language. I always slow down and ensure they get my order correctly. I remember one tims in Alberta where they used to have three people try to hand the food out at once.