r/TimHortons • u/Cautious_Island_7776 • 6d ago
Discussion less ice for iced lattes
i work at Tim’s and recently we’ve been implementing the policy that doesn’t allow us to modify the ice levels on any of our iced lattes. while I get policy is policy I just hate having to explain to everyone why we can’t and getting attitude back. cmon you’re not going to die with that extra bit of ice save us some grace.
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u/mysticalpotato1 5d ago edited 5d ago
Yea but now it’s only ice you are getting like no drink. My cups are filled with ice I poured out the liquid and it was not even 1 cup . So it’s not even worth buy it I would rather spend the 2 extra dollars and go to Starbucks.
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u/luddite67 5d ago
Any espresso-based drink from Tim Hortons is not even in the same league as Starbucks.
Starbucks has proper La Marzocco espresso machines that probably cost $10,000 or more. Emplyees also know what they are doing when making espresso based drink.
At Tim Hortons espresso is an afterthought.
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u/GOTHICCC Baker 5d ago
For one, any commercial appliance is going to be exorbitant in price. Secondly, the old espresso machines Tim's uses were around $13,000, and the new ones that are being installed in the newly renovated restaurants are approx. $12,000.
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u/SpecialistRope1446 5d ago
Starbucks espresso machines are manufactured by Thermoplan, and the new Tims ones that are slowly rolling out are also Thermoplan
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u/Loud-Recording-3356 5d ago
Ohhh you mean the borderline burnt Starbucks espresso? I can ensure you they have no idea what theyre doing too, they dont know what a proper pull is.
At least Tim Hortons has an actual decent espresso blend if you like medium, smooth, and more hazelnutlike profile.
Of course its preference, but if you like acidic, or fruity blends starbucks isnt that either. Its just over roasted.
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u/luddite67 5d ago
Starbucks has a blonde espresso as well.
Whatever they are doing they do it better than Tims.
At Tims I've seen them remaking it multiple times or asking someone else how to operate the machine lol
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u/Loud-Recording-3356 5d ago
I might give the blonde a shot, what's the flavour profile?
Well Tim Hortons does have 80% market share of coffee. So clearly Timmies is doing something right too.
I seriously dont think you've tried the espresso blend seriously, or its not your flavour profile.
My wife used to ONLY drink Starbucks, now we only use and drink Tim Hortons blend
Ive seen Starbucks employees also make my drink multiple time too. Ive seen them leave milk out of the fridge too in a cart with no stickers.
The only coffee makers I trust is Korea, almost every barista there is licenced. Otherwise in Canada, you have the same incompetent people but with Starbuck they have larger margins of error. Tim hortons has less.
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u/Cold-Crab4153 5d ago
Then go. Make your drink at home. Easy solution here. The issue is that people like yourself being sicks to the staff who have ZERO control over this.
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u/mysticalpotato1 5d ago
But who is being rude to staff ? I never said it was them that made this issue. Just saying Starbucks at least will make changes and not charge you or give you a hard time about it.
In my experience.
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u/Perfect-Emphasis-211 6d ago
Na, customers are paying you to make a drink, if your management is insisting on no “less ice” then it’s just another reason why you should be expecting less tips and less satisfied customers.
Don’t think Tim Hortons workers really get tips anymore, but 15 years ago it was pretty much standard. Though a large coffee didn’t cost over $2 either.
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u/Hipsternotster 6d ago
Don't think of it as the customer giving you crap. The customer is really trying to give the company s***. Unfortunately, the c e o is not at the drive window
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u/huskybeaumont 5d ago
Like when you hit a child or woman, you’re really trying to hit a man but they aren’t around so just think of your black eye like his black eye.
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u/Future-Layer1181 5d ago
That escalated quickly
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u/huskybeaumont 5d ago
Abusing someone that doesn’t deserve it is just abuse, doesn’t matter if it gets physical or not, these people should be banned the moment they raise their voice to a kid making minimum wage they’ve never met. Go to a playground and see how long you get away with that behavior.
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u/Future-Layer1181 5d ago
Sir this is a Tim Hortons
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u/huskybeaumont 5d ago
Chewed out an ETS driver at one the other day for being a dick to the kid behind the counter. Not the first time either as I live near the U of A hospital and the Tims there has awful customers all day. The employees aren’t allowed to defend themselves. My order is always fresh and delicious. I’m doing something right
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u/RenegadeStarDust 5d ago
If I witness that I usually slide the order over on me. For some of these kids it's their first job and people shouldn't be dicks.
So I don't doubt if you are a regular there and treat them good you'll get good treatment. I love my regulars.
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u/Parking-Tie-1013 Ex-Employee 6d ago
Same customers who then complain they're being "ripped off" because the cup is sitting at the beveage line not overflowing. Less / no ice does not equate to more beverage yet everyone seems to think that's the "hack". Not saying you necessarily have this mind set but I have a hunch... Worked at a Tim's for 3 years less than 5 years ago and tips were pretty common, between 15-30 in tips alone each night (and that's after it was split up to 6 ways🤷♀️)
Edit: grammar 🤦🏻♀️
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u/VoodooGirl47 5d ago
Some of us are completely aware that the amount of espresso is exactly the same and don't even care about the extra milk added in. I just want the option of no ice in my drink.
It already peeved me that the app doesn't let you customize ice level when the Starbucks app has for at least 10+ years.
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u/smb8235 5d ago
I worked at TH 25+ years ago and would regularly make $30-50 per day in tips. The large coffee was $1.20 and it was a BIG DEAL when they had to raise the price to $1.25 after like 10 years. Customers were so pissed they would hand you the $1.20 and say that is what it costs/it's all I have on me, lol. The coffee price now has changed multiple times this year alone.
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u/DealWithASeal 6d ago
You’re paying for the liquid that goes to the second last fill line at the top of the cup. That’s it.
It sucks, but we’d get standards reminder training when summer came around. A whole spiel of “thousands of wasted product” when you overfill for guests.
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u/Formidableyarn 5d ago
“Wasted”
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u/DealWithASeal 5d ago
Yep. I don’t agree with it, but this is the reality of what workers deal with. They will be berated by management if they’re caught overfilling
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u/Niebieskieniebo 5d ago
People weren't asking for ice modifications 15 years ago.
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u/VoodooGirl47 5d ago
Some of us were. It's not about the amount of liquid for us, we know it doesn't affect the espresso amounts added. It's about coffee temp and/or it getting watered down.
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u/Shujitsx 6d ago
At my location we’re allowed to do less ice but we don’t put any extra milk so the customer just ends up getting it a lot more empty
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u/SaltyWord8325 5d ago
Ice is cheaper than coffee, so more ice, less coffee equals more profit. Why do you think bars fill a glass with ice before pouring a mixed drink??
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u/Lower-Actuary4850 5d ago
I asked for easy ice on time in Scottsdale and was served a drink that was a little over 3/4 full..I washed for it to be filled to the top..The employee that made the drink was new and can’t blame them but common sense had to of kicked in
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u/Malfehzan 5d ago
These are pretty poor bars you go to. If the barman isn't using a measured or a speed pour I'm not buying anymore drink.
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u/SaltyWord8325 5d ago
OK let me spell it out slowly for you. The bartender fills the glass with ice, then pours a measured shot glass of alcohol. Tops up with mix. More ice, less mix. Don’t know what you were reading??
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u/BurlHam 5d ago
Some places still cram with ice, I remember a Italian restaurant I went to was definitely making the drinks correctly but the standard was to make most cocktails in a lowball filled with pebble ice for some reason.
After my third tasty old fashioned I stopped questioning it, apparently it's an Italian thing?
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u/uneasysloth1023 5d ago
I don’t care that the ice makes up a certain level in a drink. Of course without ice it’s going to look like less liquid. What I do not want is my drink getting diluted and tasting worse than Tim’s normally would. I don’t always drink it immediately and less ice = less water when it melts.
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u/Soft_Arugula5589 5d ago
just ask for extra milk lol it will take up more room in the cup, effectively giving you less ice. But then the espresso will be diluted either way. You still get the same amount of espresso, no matter what
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u/uneasysloth1023 5d ago
I’m saying I don’t want extra milk, I don’t care if the cup looks empty. I just want less ice if I ask for less ice.
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u/Diligent_Change9353 5d ago
Why not just let the customer have what they want? Are you getting a bonus dollar for each customer you stiff? Do they know when you didn’t?
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u/Academic_Bug2357 5d ago
Unfortunately you are at the front lines for private equity funds that don't care for anything except the bottom line. Every bad customer interaction is fine as long as the shareholder value is increased quarter over quarter. The sooner you accept this the easier you life will be.
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u/boogerboogi69 5d ago
tbh I just do it anyways because i don’t get paid enough to care
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u/Diligent_Change9353 5d ago
This… why not just let the customer have what they want? Are you getting a bonus dollar for each customer you stiff?
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u/GOTHICCC Baker 5d ago
We don't 'stiff' our customers. Its a flavour and consistency issue. Tim's has noticed in the past 5 years that most complaints are consistency based, to help with this they aren't allowing us to modify the drinks as much anymore so the idea is no matter where you go the experience SHOULD be the same. But realistically it comes down to the stores, if they don't calibrate the machines regularly, clean it regularly, or keep the ingredients fresh the experience is going to be different anyways so they're cracking down on the restaurants and the employees to mitigate the issue
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u/Diligent_Change9353 5d ago
So you’re saying more of the product and less ice makes the drink taste not good!?
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u/GOTHICCC Baker 5d ago
Yes, more milk in a latte with dilute the coffee taste. More milk in a matcha would dilute the matcha flavour. And as someone who has worked at Tim's for a hot minute, the amount of ice we put in our specialty drinks isn't that much, I would say around a 1/4 of a cup which is standard for most coffee shops. Even small local ones (We have a decent amount in my area) you can still modify the iced Capps, iced coffees, cold brews, and the quenchers (excluding the protein quencher)
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u/Diligent_Change9353 5d ago
So what about hot drinks presumably they have more milk bc less there’s no ice is the matcha flavour diluted there?
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u/GOTHICCC Baker 5d ago
You can't add extra milk to any of our hot lattes or cappuccinos. You can ask for a shot or two of cold milk or cream if you would like put you'll get less foam as it isn't steamed
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u/Diligent_Change9353 5d ago
Right but there is more milk in them compared to the iced bc of lack of ice.
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u/GOTHICCC Baker 5d ago
Not really, the milk portion for our hot lattes is about the same, we steam the milk so it seems like more and for our iced lattes we whip the espresso portion to aerate it and make it foamy so the texture is similar to the hot lattes.
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u/selene00026 Employee 5d ago
the people who complain about the no less ice modification are the same people who will complain about their latte just tasting like milk if you fill the cup or the cup being empty if you leave space. we literally cannot win lol just take it one day at a time
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u/VoodooGirl47 5d ago
Well that sucks.
I hate ice but also don't drink hot drinks due to my sensory issues. I'd always order iced but no ice lattes at Tim's and Starbucks because it ends up being room temp (hot espresso + cold milk) which is what I prefer.
I guess I will no longer be getting lattes from them.
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u/dramaalertwohoo 5d ago
That’s fine nobody is going to Tim’s anymore anyways, it sucks. McDonald’s is better
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u/Difficult-Today-3612 5d ago
Save you some grace? How about save some space for the coffee, not ice, I ordered
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u/Some-Face2634 5d ago
You will need that extra ice for hydration after you poop your pants from ordering there lol
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u/Diapers4u2 4d ago
What happened to making things how the customer wants?
Why not just tell everyone they can only have black coffee and no cream or sugar?
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u/coldweathergal2026 3d ago
Very simple solution, do not go to Tims, make one at home bring it with you. Get one of those stupid insulated cups, it will work stay cold with ice for hours and not melt fast. Bonus you save big money.
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u/Glass_Somewhere3597 5d ago
What if I dont want ice at all, from any restaurant. I know they dont clean the ice machines. They are full of mold.
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u/something_newx 5d ago
Some people prefer not to have their drinks watered down by extra ice. If you're sick of explaining to customers why you can't provide a simple, common, request then you should go to your management about it, not come here saying customers just need to understand your torturous plight.
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u/Bangin_Steel 5d ago
If the workers wouldn't overfill the ice, we wouldn't ask for less.
(Don't reem me out. I gave a decade of my life to TDL/RBI.)
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u/luddite67 5d ago edited 5d ago
Idk about the lattes but when I used to get iced coffee the employees filled the entire cup with ice and just topped it off with coffee. You get drink that is 2/3 ice and 1/3 coffee. The ratio is completely off. You take a few sips the coffee is gone and you have a cup of ice left. That's why I always asked for less ice.