I decided I really needed an XL Dark Roast with an espresso shot the other day after a couple of hours at work – I hadn’t had a chance to get my regular pickup on the way in. I figured I would cash in some precious points and get myself a bagel as well, a little Thursday morning treat. I finally managed to get out of work and drove to my nearest Tims with the order all queued up in my app – but when I pulled into the lot I saw a substantial lineup in the drive through. I parked up and switched my app to pickup before heading in to beat the line up (or so I thought).

When the I got to the counter, the lady checked my order – I confirmed my name and asked them to triple toast my bagel please. She then informed me that they had no ‘Dark Roast Beans’ there this morning. I was floored, this was definitely a first. I said, ‘You’re a coffee shop and you’re out of coffee?’ I felt like I was in an episode of Seinfeld. I couldn’t get my head around it. I was going to say – ‘Just brew a fresh pot’ – but realized she meant NO Dark Roast. Why did she say beans though? Isn’t the DR at Tims pre-ground and measured up in foil bags like their regular blend? Of course I couldn’t dwell on this because the Tims lady wanted to know if I would be okay with regular? Umm, heck no! I have been drinking the Dark Roast since it came out, the other stuff tastes like dishwater to me now. Do I want the bagel anyway? Again, no! I will be going to the next nearest Tims to get what I wanted in the first place. ‘Give me a refund please’

Enter the Manager, who cancels the bagel and starts the calculus required to generate a refund. How did I pay? Why, with the credit card linked to my Tim’s app of course. Tap the card for a refund – it’s in the car. I try Google Wallet, that doesn’t work. ‘Can I just get a cash refund?’ No, of course not – payment by credit card mandates a refund to the same. I trudge back out to my car, fish out the wallet and go back in for my refund. My ‘quick coffee and snack’ are turning into a serious hassle. Never mind, I am determined to get my order filled – I have been thinking of little else for the past couple of hours.

Tims 2 was its usual nightmare – I usually avoid it because it has a very congested tiny parking area with drive through traffic entering from different directions – aggression rules. It took several minutes just to get into a parking space. Finally! Fire up the app, place the exact same order again and head inside to the Mobile Pickup counter. My bagel arrives so fast I cant even ask for a triple toast, but my coffee is nowhere to be seen. There are at least 4 people working the drive through station, but coffees for Mobile are supposed to be made by the other two front counter people (I guess). I’m waiting, waiting… finally the guy who seems to be in charge of the operation asks me what I am waiting for and I tell him my coffee. He barks at the front counter staff and an extra large cup finds its way under the Espresso spout….and then sits there for several minutes as my espresso shot cools – he engages again, and proceeds to berate the counter staff ‘what the hell are you doing? Mobile orders get priority!’ He then finishes my coffee himself, overfilling the cup and making a mess. I watch him jam a lid on it, and prepare myself to ask him for a new cup but he double cups it and hands it to me. Subsequent scarfing was less than satisfactory as the bagel was cold by then. However on the bright side of thingd – I now have more blog material.

I understand the concept of Just in time Inventory, but how can a Timmies run out of COFFEE! Has anyone else ever experienced this, or am I specially blessed? End of rant….