Lane Queen #1 - August 3, 2019
These days I am the Lane Queen. Or rather the “slowing down and tying up of lanes queen.” All I can say is - avoid getting behind me at your local fast food joint and, if you do, bring a thick book or a long podcast. This is the first of two stories. The other will come out next week. Not because it isn’t written already but because my proof-reader – hubs Laur – said together these were too long as one story. In fact, it reminded him of two recent trips to …
Case #1 – Tim Hortons
Last weekend we were heading down to my Mom’s, Granny Marj’s, to celebrate her 97th birthday. What do you give a person who wants nothing and wants for nothing? Gift cards she can give to others was my thought. While Laur gassed up the car at the local Shell – a true Scot, he gets double air mile points there – I went in to buy the cards and two coffees.
After not too long a wait I was greeting by a young woman I’ll call Amber. Not her real name of course. My name in this story must be “Who’s Next” – because she called out “Can I help Who’s Next?” Why they cannot ask, “May I help the next person?” I do not know. But as usual, I am digressing.
I told her that I’d like to order two coffees and gave the very elaborate descriptions of how I’d like them made, which in itself takes time to input, and then I said I’d like four $25 Tim Cards. “And,” I said, “I’d like you to check them to make sure the money went on it, since these are going to folks in Belleville. It’s my Mom’s 97th birthday blah blah blah blah…” And by now there were about four people behind me and there were only two cashes open – one of which was plugged solid by yours truly.
Turns out the electricity had gone off earlier in the morning and the computers were being very slow in rebooting, so getting the money onto those gift cards took forever and ever. At least one minute each, maybe longer. By now the line was eight behind me and required the inside door to be held open.
I reminded her, “I’d like you to check these cards please.” She did and then realized, “I put $50 on one card and $25 on the other two.” And hence zero on the fourth. I would not want to be the person receiving the fourth card. I said to her, “I’d really like four $25 cards.” Sure wish I hadn’t. She said, “I’ll have to refund you and then start over.” I should have said, “That is fine.” And normally I would have. What was with me?!
“I’ll have to ask the manager,” and off Amber went looking for the manager. At this point Laur came in looking for me. He was wondering if perhaps I’d fallen and broken my other collar bone. I explained that the server was looking for the manager and he noted, “You know, the line is out the door!” I sneaked a look and yes, now both doors were open and folks were lining up on the sidewalk.
Amber came back. The manager was nowhere to be found. The person running the only cash still serving people left her station and said to Amber, “You know, even if you do find him, I doubt he’ll know what to do…” It was at this point I finally wisened up and said, “No worries. I’ll take them as they are. But could you line up each one with the printout?” There were four cards but only three had money on them. This also took a while as this is not a common request…
After even more time – and by this time I was too afraid to glance at the line length – Amber handed me my receipts lined up with the active cards. Or at least I hope they were. I was about to leave and then I remembered, “Oh yeah. And we need our two coffees…” Thankfully she could still read their description off her computer – so much time had passed she could not reasonably have been expected to remember – and she made them and handed them to me. I’m sure she was ready to throw them at me – I would have been.
And you think I’m done with Tim Hortons now, don’t you? Wrong! On the receipt there is a link to a survey where I can rate the service I received. Once back in St. Catharines, I did. I gave positive ratings, of course. (These folks work for minimum wage and many are only part-time so get no benefits at all.) And I added that I wish – like Starbucks – they offered soya milk too. Though I likely shouldn’t have. So few people will ask for it, it will be like when I order a veggie burger at Burger King – they practically have to bring in a “sniffer dog” to find it.
When you fill out this survey you are given a number which you write on your receipt and then you can return it to “a participating Tim Hortons” and you can get 10 Timbits for a dollar (plus tax.) Remember, I have a Scots husband! “Put twa pennies in a purse and they will creep thigither!” (A saying indicating how money soon accumulates if you save it.)
Recently I went to this very same Tim Hortons and did just that. I handed them my receipt with a big smile and the server took my receipt to another server. “You know anything about this?” “Yeah,” said the other gal, “I’ve heard about it.” Both of them were staring at my receipt, trying to figure out what to do – thus tying up both cashes. Sound familiar?
Eventually they decided to just take my dollar and give me my Timbits. These were for three of my five grandkids who were waiting in the car with Grumpa. I wanted to say, “I’ll take one of each.” But then I thought better of it. It’s one thing to keep Laur waiting in the car when he has a book to read. It’s quite another when he’s got three kids to entertain! I asked for five chocolate and five jam filled.
Note to self: Next time remember that 10 divided by 3 is 3.333333. It just doesn’t work out!
[Editor’s note: Unless Laur eats one. Note from Jan: That would be 2.5. Best if I eat one too. Ten divided by five equals two each! Grade 13 Math was not wasted on me!]
Case #1 – Tim Hortons
Last weekend we were heading down to my Mom’s, Granny Marj’s, to celebrate her 97th birthday. What do you give a person who wants nothing and wants for nothing? Gift cards she can give to others was my thought. While Laur gassed up the car at the local Shell – a true Scot, he gets double air mile points there – I went in to buy the cards and two coffees.
After not too long a wait I was greeting by a young woman I’ll call Amber. Not her real name of course. My name in this story must be “Who’s Next” – because she called out “Can I help Who’s Next?” Why they cannot ask, “May I help the next person?” I do not know. But as usual, I am digressing.
I told her that I’d like to order two coffees and gave the very elaborate descriptions of how I’d like them made, which in itself takes time to input, and then I said I’d like four $25 Tim Cards. “And,” I said, “I’d like you to check them to make sure the money went on it, since these are going to folks in Belleville. It’s my Mom’s 97th birthday blah blah blah blah…” And by now there were about four people behind me and there were only two cashes open – one of which was plugged solid by yours truly.
Turns out the electricity had gone off earlier in the morning and the computers were being very slow in rebooting, so getting the money onto those gift cards took forever and ever. At least one minute each, maybe longer. By now the line was eight behind me and required the inside door to be held open.
I reminded her, “I’d like you to check these cards please.” She did and then realized, “I put $50 on one card and $25 on the other two.” And hence zero on the fourth. I would not want to be the person receiving the fourth card. I said to her, “I’d really like four $25 cards.” Sure wish I hadn’t. She said, “I’ll have to refund you and then start over.” I should have said, “That is fine.” And normally I would have. What was with me?!
“I’ll have to ask the manager,” and off Amber went looking for the manager. At this point Laur came in looking for me. He was wondering if perhaps I’d fallen and broken my other collar bone. I explained that the server was looking for the manager and he noted, “You know, the line is out the door!” I sneaked a look and yes, now both doors were open and folks were lining up on the sidewalk.
Amber came back. The manager was nowhere to be found. The person running the only cash still serving people left her station and said to Amber, “You know, even if you do find him, I doubt he’ll know what to do…” It was at this point I finally wisened up and said, “No worries. I’ll take them as they are. But could you line up each one with the printout?” There were four cards but only three had money on them. This also took a while as this is not a common request…
After even more time – and by this time I was too afraid to glance at the line length – Amber handed me my receipts lined up with the active cards. Or at least I hope they were. I was about to leave and then I remembered, “Oh yeah. And we need our two coffees…” Thankfully she could still read their description off her computer – so much time had passed she could not reasonably have been expected to remember – and she made them and handed them to me. I’m sure she was ready to throw them at me – I would have been.
And you think I’m done with Tim Hortons now, don’t you? Wrong! On the receipt there is a link to a survey where I can rate the service I received. Once back in St. Catharines, I did. I gave positive ratings, of course. (These folks work for minimum wage and many are only part-time so get no benefits at all.) And I added that I wish – like Starbucks – they offered soya milk too. Though I likely shouldn’t have. So few people will ask for it, it will be like when I order a veggie burger at Burger King – they practically have to bring in a “sniffer dog” to find it.
When you fill out this survey you are given a number which you write on your receipt and then you can return it to “a participating Tim Hortons” and you can get 10 Timbits for a dollar (plus tax.) Remember, I have a Scots husband! “Put twa pennies in a purse and they will creep thigither!” (A saying indicating how money soon accumulates if you save it.)
Recently I went to this very same Tim Hortons and did just that. I handed them my receipt with a big smile and the server took my receipt to another server. “You know anything about this?” “Yeah,” said the other gal, “I’ve heard about it.” Both of them were staring at my receipt, trying to figure out what to do – thus tying up both cashes. Sound familiar?
Eventually they decided to just take my dollar and give me my Timbits. These were for three of my five grandkids who were waiting in the car with Grumpa. I wanted to say, “I’ll take one of each.” But then I thought better of it. It’s one thing to keep Laur waiting in the car when he has a book to read. It’s quite another when he’s got three kids to entertain! I asked for five chocolate and five jam filled.
Note to self: Next time remember that 10 divided by 3 is 3.333333. It just doesn’t work out!
[Editor’s note: Unless Laur eats one. Note from Jan: That would be 2.5. Best if I eat one too. Ten divided by five equals two each! Grade 13 Math was not wasted on me!]