One thing I noticed over the past 2 weeks, the service quality in Toronto sucks ***. I've never in my life been so frustrated with people behind cash registers. Especially at Tim Hortons, various grocery stores, Walmart, Canadian Tire... it's like a cashier job description includes "successful candidate must be of diminished mental capacity, and exhibit debilitating chronic laziness syndrome".

Ok so what leads me to point this out? The people who work at Timmies in Windsor work with the quickness bro... by the time I'm at the drive thru window, their hand is sticking out the window with my coffee, and they already have the change prepared on the lil window ledge. A coffee in Windsor is $1.39 for a large, what they do is assume you're coming with a toonie, and they'll prepare the change to the nearest dollar, then say you give them a $5, they just grab $3 more dollars and you're on your way. The entire transaction takes less than 5 seconds, for real. Here, I've waited like 3 minutes for a coffee.... now, to me the whole benefit of a Timmies is the quickness. I'm not incapacitated or inept, I know how to make a cup of coffee at home. The ONLY reason I'd get Timmies is cuz it's quicker. But apparently not in Toronto. Also, cashiers at CT, Walmart and the A&P Dominion by my house are so slow, I've had overwhelming urges to choke a bitch.

Any thoughts, experiences, comments from anyone?? I always thought this was a fast paced city, where things happened quick. Turns out quite the opposite so far...

 

I can't speak for Timmies because I don't drink coffee, but my experience has been pretty good with the other places you mentioned. I guess I only have Walmart in the US to compare with, and those guys are even slower than the guys here in Toronto.

For me it's more frustrating having to always wait in line because there are only two lanes open (even though Walmart has 20 lanes in every store) than the speed of the cashier.

 

ok see here is the thing with the # of lanes open... there is a long drawn out explanation of that, and it actually revolves around the cashier. there are studies obviously done that dictate staffing, store design, etc etc, multi billion dollar corporations don't build stores *****-nilly. the studies show no matter what, there is gonna be an average "customer handling time"... if you stick to the appropriate assigned handling time that was achieved in the studies, there will NEVER be a line up. as soon as you miss the handling time, you're creating a backup and the store seems short-staffed. same goes for timmies drive-through, as long as the orders are simple, you're ok... esp in the morning rush to work. if so much as ONE person orders a sandwich or like 15 coffees for all their co-workers, the drive thru gets backed up... reason being, every 5 seconds a car shows up. as long as each transaction is 5 seconds or less, there is never a line. as soon as some jackass decides he wants a turkey bacon club toasted on white, with extra sauce... well, now that's 4 minutes wait.... except now cars are still showing up every 5 seconds, so by the time that one guy's order is done, there's like a 48 car lineup. same idea goes for grocery stores and wal-mart. if the cashier works with the quickness, there would never be a line. it's a motivational issue, not a logistical or staffing issue.

I really think they should restructure the job, make it based on per-item scanned, just like commission used to work at Athlete's World

 

Not living in Toronto, I'm unable to comment on the service there. Living in this municipality, the service at the majority of Timmies from Ancaster and Dundas to Stoney Creek is, in my opinion, very good. Certainly, there are times you have to wait. But in general, the change is ready, the service is friendly, the order is (most often) correct--the same friendliness goes for the people at Walmart, CT, etc. I won't complain too much on what I live everyday...but that's just one person's experience...in Hamilton, of all places...

 

I've always found that it's a constant hit or miss with any place. My biggest thing is when I have to do a store purchase from one CT to another... No body seems to know how to do them. Ever. It's at a point know that I instruct them how to do them. I never touch the registers since I'm in the auto shop. Crazy I tell you!

 

yeah hit or miss..

I think with big cities you'll have more opportunities so same the smart staff that get jobs at timmies in Windsor if they were to live in toronto are able to get a better paying job, and doing something a bit more engaging than a timmies...

so the only people left to work @ timmies are the geniuses who lack a few chromosomes and common sense

 

you should see the people they got working at the timmies in buffalo.... ugh

 

I heard that they're amazing

 

Americans just don't know how to run a Canadian institution properly.

 

i dont think timmies is run by canadians anymore

 

nope, but still canadian... doesn't change much just cuz the owner changes

 

I believe each store has its own management policy but true enough, that the actual employee in the store has to be efficient to begin with in order to provide a smoother and faster transaction.

BTW, you live in TO now B?

 

i have something called patience

this kinda **** doesn't bother me

there's more important things in my life then worrying about how long it takes me to get a coffee

 

that's cuz you are a slacker and have time for everything...

that's why you work in IT

y'all take forever with everything

 

eh not me

im chop chop styles

id rather get **** outta the way so that i can browse for hours after

 

I CONCUR ............

 

ya, by U of T


shlammed, my patience is relative to the situation.

For example, I was at CT in Richmod Hill, had to return something that was like $2.50. I waited a half an hour in the returns line (remember, this item is only $2.50)... but I didn't care. The girl at the counter typed quick!! She was really working her *** off and knew the job really well. So I was nice to her, ultimately it's not her fault for the lineup. However, when I see people being lazy and causing me to waste my time, it makes the hair on my head stand on end.

 

well in that case i wouldn't have bothered wasting my time for $2.50

 

You make a valid point, Charles.

I've heard it said that if there is a good manager who is kind and fair, yet efficient, he/she will lead by example. Those working for that manager will know what is expected of them and rise to the standard set, or will not be employed by that manager for long. This is not true all the time, but imho, an ideal.

It might be considered good management policy, but really, the same holds true in other facets of life...good leadership is set by example.

 

poor service is why I just leave with my items or leave after my meal...bun bad service!!!!!!!