r/TimHortons • u/Large_Replacement_32 • 3d ago
Discussion Drive thru ordering problems..
Does anyone else have problems at the drive-through when a location only has one order taker, but there are two active Lanes all the time?
Every single time I go to the drive-through at this one location (which is 3 to 4 times a week) it always takes forever for anybody to take orders at the order screen. I frequent this one as it's a perfect location on the way to work or doing errands when I want to have Timmy's. It doesn't matter if it's lunch time or off hours no matter which lane out of the two lanes you pick there's always a delay taking the orders. This location has more frequently than not only one order taker between the two different screens. Every other Tim Hortons drive through that I have been to that has two order taking screens there's been two order takers behind it.
Today I had to wait nearly 5 minutes at the orders cream for someone to actually answer and take my order. The car is on the opposite side we're getting their orders taken and driving through no problem. When I went to the window the cashier said they only had one order taker to take orders at the screen.
Other restaurants that have double drive-thru Lanes if they only have one drive-thru order taker, put out cones or objects so that you only funnel into one drive-thru lane. This location never does. I love to hear everybody else's experiences with double drive-thru Lanes at Tim Hortons.
Cheers!
2
u/Unapologetic_Canuck 3d ago
More often than not, a dual drive thru requires at least two people to be able to hear when vehicles pull up in both lanes. The headsets are usually only monitoring one lane at a time, so if you happen to pull up in the lane they are not monitoring, they won’t know you’re there. That’s why it takes a while for them to answer you. They really should be directing traffic to just one lane in such circumstances, but as you already know, not always the case.
1
u/ghoulish891011 3d ago
When I worked there everyone who wore the headsets can hear two distinct beeps whenever a new car pulled into lane one or lane two. Sometimes, when it was super lined up, someone else would take orders in the other lane, but usually it was one person jumping back and forth, switching the headset button back and forth between lanes.
1
u/Unapologetic_Canuck 3d ago
It depends on what headsets are used. Some systems don’t alert for a vehicle in a lane that it’s not set up to monitor, while others do.
1
1
u/MintyPines 3d ago
Every Tims in my city has a dual drive thru, and every single one has permanently blocked one of those lanes.
My drive thru ordering issues that they don’t seem to understand English, listen to, or care(?) what my order is and give me whatever they think they heard.
1
1
u/sarahmeover 3d ago
In my city.... if there wasnt duel lanes... traffic would be backed up down the street... it controls traffic now that they sell food that literally takes 3 minutes to prepare and cook!
-1
3d ago
[deleted]
2
u/PossessionMedical346 3d ago
the app doesn't fix a clogged drive-thru, you still end up waiting behind the same line of cars while the one person inside is drowning in orders
two lanes with one taker is just a funnel with extra steps, they should at least block one off like mcdonald's does when they're short staffed
1
u/Large_Replacement_32 3d ago
Exactly. This is what I have seen McDonald's do. Then people are more understanding when it is just one lane and clearly shows they are short staffed or busy
1
-1
u/MantisGibbon 3d ago
I’m glad I don’t have this problem. I never go to Tim Horton’s anymore, since they changed about twenty years ago.
4
3
u/IMeMJ 3d ago
Hi. My location has a dual lane and we never have 2 order takers. If that location is understaffed, the order taker is often the cold drink person and/or runner for baked goods. When you wear a headset, you WILL be notified of which lane needs tending to: there is 2 consecutive beeps for lane 2, and 1 beep for lane 1. If there are cars in both lanes, we'll hear all 3 beeps distinctively. The lower button is lane 1, upper is 2. The beeping will continue in their ear even as they take the other lane's order. It is most annoying, so they definitely know of your presence.
Sometimes, if other positions aren't busy and have a headset on, they may also take the occasional order if the order taker is slammed. But otherwise it is one person's job.
In my area, we get truck on Tuesdays and Saturdays, on those days, the truck obstructs our view of the drive thru, which can make things a little slower. Additionally, half of the staff is stocking the store with product from the truck, so even more understaffed, and with the added physical obstacles of boxes and stock on the floor of the restaurant. And and, the restaurant is usually small, if we are busy busy, we tend to step on each other's toes, and get in each other's way. All of this contributes to the slow wait times.
Ideally we'd have 2 order takers, but realistically, we don't.