What would it take for you to give up Tim Hortons?
By now, we’ve all heard about Jimmy Craig, the New Brunswick man banned for life from Tim Hortons earlier this week.
For Canadians, such a sentence is severe to the highest degree. Like being forced to eat toe jam while listening to Lou Bega and watching reruns of The War at Home.
But look closely at Craig’s case and it’s as if he willingly coaxed his punishment.
According to the Star, the paramedic and volunteer fire fighter continually complained about “burnt coffee” for a full year.
While Craig maintained he did his protesting with respect, the local Tims store manager cited several times when the disgruntled customer was aggressive with store staff: “No matter what (we) did to make it right, he was unhappy.”
Still, Craig charged on (“All I did was point out a problem with the consistency of the product,” he told the Star) and filed verbal and written complaints before approaching the coffee shop’s corporate office.
And we know the rest. The manager met with Craig and banned him from the store under New Brunswick’s Trespass Act.
Now, even if you’re to give him all the latitude in the world, on some level you’d have to submit that Craig knowingly contributed to his own ban. Companies have been known to prohibit customers for far less offenses and – without commenting on whether it’s good business or not – it’s not uncommon for relentless complaints to come to such a resolution.
So it’s almost as if Craig chose his right to protest over his right to enjoy Tim Hortons, and that just gets the wheels spinning in my head. Is that worth it to you?
Tims, as we’ve said, is to Canadians as bad shirts are to Charlie Sheen. Someone’s really giving up the restaurant over a chance to whine about coffee?
I think it’s interesting to ask, then, what would it take for you to give up Tim Hortons? What would you need in return?
By Jason Buckland, MSN Money
Posted by: Tracy | Feb 12, 2022 12:20:11 PM
I don't know what so great about Tim Horton's. Due to their coffee being so expensive, I've given up Timmys over a year ago and I don't miss it all. Once in a while I do occasionally buy a muffin and sometimes it's either burnt or dried out. So it's true, Tim Horton's use to taste better....I don't know if it's the reputation that got to their heads or what.....but Tim Horton's is not what it used to be ....now, it's more expensive and poor quality.....I DEFINITELY DON'T MISS IT FOR ONE MOMENT!!!.....especially when I can make it better at home at a fraction of the price......
Posted by: Richard Atkey | Feb 12, 2022 12:21:06 PM
Hi:
The only thing I would need to give up a Tim's coffee would be a Second Cup next to it, as to me the coffee is a whole lot better for around the same money. But on the other hand the people working in the service industry are not to blame for the products they serve.
They work hard for long hours for low pay and with very little in tips and deserve to be treated with the same dignity and respect we all want to be treated with.
So rather then taking your wrath out on the poor folks just trying to make a living like the majority of us have to, instead go after the CEO's of these Companies who are making obscene amounts of money on the backs of the working poor and tell them that their product sucks not that it will change anything but it will make you feel better and also take the heat off of the poor folks behind the counter who like the rest of us are only there because they have to be.
Posted by: Sandy | Feb 12, 2022 12:35:47 PM
What is the big deal about waiting in drive through? Get off your asses and go in! Not only is it better fro the environment, it's much healthier for the customer! I don't drink Tim Horton's coffee as a rule. I prefer their steeped tea, but I find their customer service to be exceptional and their soups to be quite tasty. I wouldn't give up Tim's. They are a part of our HOCKEY LOVIN' COUNTRY!
Posted by: Sue | Feb 12, 2022 12:45:20 PM
I bring my own travel mug to Second Cup every morning for my medium latte. In return I am greeted by a friendly staff and a rebate for bringing my own cup. Socially and environmentally friendly. Tim's is not my cup of tea, in Montreal you can't toss a rock without hitting a Tim's.
Posted by: Sean Kenny | Feb 12, 2022 12:56:43 PM
I have to agree with him. I have always found Tim.s coffee a little bitter. I have'nt had one in a long while and I prefer to drink Coffee Time or Country Style.
Posted by: Harry Riesebosch | Feb 12, 2022 1:12:56 PM
I dont know about this Craig guy. Sounds to me like management was exceptionally patient with their action. I used to own a business and I would have banned him long before they did. He showed a complete disrespect for an establishment whose services he did not like in the first place. He brought this all on himself with his continuance. No one can blame the owner. I am sure the other customers are glad to be rid of him and the media should talk to them before siding with Mr Craig.
Posted by: Peter | Feb 12, 2022 1:17:45 PM
Hello,if you don't like the coffee,you can mention it next time if you wish,and if it still does not taste good,don't go back and make a louder fuss,put it in writing and don't go back.If I don't think the coffee is good I will do the same ,at some point they will loose enough business and realize you were right.Even ,if you put that complaint in writing,you may be asked to sample it again.For all we know he may be working for McD or Duncan's or Starb or just have bad taste bud or even health (?) issues.Drive-thru ? No-one can argue about the pollution.Same as having non-synchronized traffic lights in a city,all traffic is stopped at every light,plus your brakes take a beating.Stupid lights :everyone stops even though there is NO traffic either side,or some pedestrian pushed the button and ran accross ,everyone still has to stop.Maybe they should serve coffee at intersections ????
Posted by: Coffee is the nectar of the Gods | Feb 12, 2022 1:37:34 PM
I am a coffee drinker, at least 2 pots a day. As such, I have to buy coffee throughout the day as I can't drive home (too far from work) when I need a refill. I have NEVER understood the infatuation with Tim's coffee. Is it good...yes, is it great...NO. Still don't understand why Craig wouldn't just go someplace else for coffee instead of harassing the Tim's. If enough people stopped buying their inconsistent product, then Tim's would be forced to get better or close their doors. There are many different chains including small outfits that offer a good cup of joe.
On that note, I recently tried McDonald's coffee again (they haven't been noted as having good coffee before) and found it was really good and consistently so. I now find myself buying McDonald's coffee almost all the time as it's convenient, inexpensive and most of all, GOOD COFFEE. So, if you're unhappy with your usual coffee joint, maybe you should shrug off the negative bias like I did and give McDonald's another try.
Posted by: barb | Feb 12, 2022 1:45:55 PM
Tim Ton you are an A......HOLE, and what do you do for a living garbage picker
Posted by: rudie de vos | Feb 12, 2022 2:27:05 PM
I gave up when tim horton raised there prices in this present depression and i switched to Mc Donalds COFFEE, much larger cup and better paper , and better coffee too. All that and a delicious muffin all together for $ 1.39.
Posted by: scott | Feb 12, 2022 2:36:53 PM
I started drinking my coffee black a few months ago, No more double doubles for me, and have found that McDonalds makes a great cup of coffee, but I no longer go to Tim's two, three, or more times a day
Posted by: Joe | Feb 12, 2022 3:57:17 PM
I would like to state i go to Tim Hortons, I like the Chocolate chip muffins, and Chili. Having said that, If the guy truly cared about the coffee quality he was getting, why was he going to Tim Hortons? The burnt coffee was the result of it being dripped through a bleached paper filter, then sitting on a heated burner for twenty minutes, before you get it in a paper cup. Heat makes coffee more acidic as the coffee sits, ever bought coffee at a hockey rink? Ever wonder why everyone orders a "double double"? So they cant taste the terrible taste of acidic coffee! You can make a far better cup of coffee at home. But if you choose to buy it, go to the local coffee shop, where some one cares about their product, where they buy a good quality bean to begin with. Good coffee doesn't need "double, double". I used to love Tims coffee, until i went to a locally owned shop, haven't bought mud puddle coffee again. This guy should vote with his wallet. Stop going! its a democracy, its capitalism, go find a competitor you like better.
Posted by: Dave | Feb 12, 2022 4:03:38 PM
I think what people seem to forget is that we do live in Canada and in our country people deserve to be treated with respect. Maybe he should have acted like an adult and just moved on. Even my dog knows not to eat things that taste bad twice.
Posted by: David | Feb 12, 2022 4:27:12 PM
I have never been able to understand how Tim Horton's has managed to get and remain so popular. Their coffee really isn't that good but I do like the French Vanilla. But, no matter where you go, no matter what drive thru you use, from BC to Nova Scotia one thing never changes, the service is slow, slow, slow!
Posted by: david i s lee | Feb 12, 2022 5:30:57 PM
i dont like star bucks coffee its the darkest and horible tast horrible too me thats my apening i have had some bad cups at timms. star bucks hasent ghanged for me any way
Posted by: Richard | Feb 12, 2022 5:35:04 PM
Just a few things to clarify from the perspective of a Tim Hortons manager.
1) Iced cappuccino is not made from a powder. It is a thin-syrup liquid mixed with water, and it hasn't changed since they introduced it.
2) Yes, a majority of Tim Hortons products are par-baked. This allows us to produce product based on customer demand, and if done properly allows the store to have more fresh product more often.
3) The stores that people complain about are a minority of the chain. There are now over 3500 locations in North America, so they must be doing something right.
4) If you get a bad coffee go back and talk to the supervisor/assistant manager/manager. Don't go online and bitch about it, just get it fixed right then and there. If you aren't satisfied just call the TDL head office and talk to them.
5) Some Tim Hortons (specifically the ones East of Manitoba) do not accept debit cards....yet. This is a continuing roll-out programs that should be complete by the end of 2010.
6) Tim Hortons has been working for years on creating cups that are both practical and bio-degradable. It is a continuing process, but no one has yet to create the 'perfect' cup.
7) I won't comment specifically on wages rate but some employees have more drive than others to get ahead, hence why I have gone from making $8.00/hr to almost $70,000/yr since I started with Timmy's.
Just my $0.02 worth, I'll throw it in the Childrens Foundation box.
Posted by: ALEX | Feb 12, 2022 6:03:03 PM
i think i would give up on tim horton's if, in an effort to be like EVERY OTHER BUSINESS out there, they pinched pennies and lowered the quality of their product. like, if the apple fritters became a third of the size they used to be (but cost more money).
i might get coffee elsewhere if they no longer had freshly baked donuts and still continued to raise their prices for an inferior offering.
what else, i suppose if they decided shareholders would be happier when the quality of the coffee beans are lowered.....i would stop going to tim's.
perhaps if the number of employees were lowered, or if those employees were doing more than a minimum wage job is worth, resulting in longer wait times and poor general moral.....and still the prices get higher.....ya, i'd go elsewhere.
wait a second.....looks like all this HAS happened! and i'm saving money already!!
Posted by: Chuck | Feb 12, 2022 6:35:32 PM
Personally I think if you are just going for a coffee McDonald's is the winner of the two and their restrooms are a lot cleaner. Tha last few times at Timmies I found the restrooms absolutely disgusting. Tim's donuts and other food is acceptable but nothing to stand in line for and there always seems to be a lineup even at slow times.
Posted by: greg mcinroy | Feb 12, 2022 6:40:03 PM
Tim Horton's coffee is among the worst I've ever tasted. Most service station's have better coffee and you can usually choose from at least two or three roasts. Timmy's is grossly overated in my opinion.Starbucks rules! You only get what you pay for.
Posted by: Cathy | Feb 12, 2022 6:56:34 PM
I would never give up Tim Hortons coffee. Its the best there is.The staff are super and very friendly and should be tipped to show some appreciation for there hard work.I always tip the server and you know they remember so I very seldom stand in line. Keep up the great work to all the Tim Hortons staff around the world. You derserve it.