Three Things I’ve Learned From Working At Tim Horton’s
It’s more than just customer service and making a double-double coffee
I worked at Tim Horton’s for five years, and it was my first job. I started working when I was sixteen years old, just like other high school students do. I didn’t have any job experience even as a volunteer (urgh, shame on me), but since Tim Horton’s offers opportunities for anyone who wants to work there, they gave me a chance to be part of the team.
I decided to work at Tim Horton’s because my two brothers worked at Tim Horton’s but in another location. I worked at Tim Horton’s a few blocks away from my school. Tim Horton’s was a stepping stone for me which helped me progress and learn worthy things. I have encountered different people; there were rude and good, sweet and bitter. There are reasons why they acted that way. Besides customer service, I have learned some valuable life lessons that I still carry until now.
1. Don’t Judge Easily
There was an old lady who would come in at our store to get some change. I once didn’t allow her because she was stinking, and changing money wasn’t allowed at our store for some reason. Sometimes I see an old lady asking for money from anyone on the bus. One time, I told my co-worker about that stinky old lady, and little did I know my co-worker knew this old lady. The old lady and my co-worker have the same background, and they talked in English. The old lady preferred speaking in English. My co-worker told me that the old lady used to be a businesswoman until her husband took all her money and divorced her.
I felt bad for judging her for being old, stinky and homeless. I mean, I don’t even know her until my co-worker told me about her story. Maybe she is lost, but there was a reason for her being homeless. She might be devastated and didn’t have any choice but ask people for money.
2. Be Patient
There was a regular customer; he hardly speaks in English, and it was a little bit annoying that he couldn’t read the menu and was holding the line. He would come in every weekend, which I usually worked during the weekend, and he would buy different sandwiches every week. Every time he comes in, I would raise my voice as I repeat his order because I was annoyed by him for taking so long to order. I would make his sandwich and his drink as fast as I could so that he could leave. I know that it was not good customer service, but there were times when I couldn’t handle things and pressure. As I was washing our dishes at the end of my night shift, I had an AHA moment, and I have realized that I need to be patient. As I work in customer service, I need to be patient and put myself in someone’s shoes. I could be that person who takes too long to order because I couldn't read the menu properly, or that could be my brother or someone close to me, and if I see someone treating my loved ones the same way I did to that man, I wouldn’t be so happy; I would feel disrespected.
Be patient because not everyone is perfect.
3. Appreciate Every Little Thing
My manager appreciated every little thing, and some little thing was ME. She respected me despite making a lot of mistakes as a new team member. She thanked me for taking my co-worker’s shift and every small thing that that I thought it didn’t matter. Those small things I did were all recognized by my manager.
I’ve learned that when you appreciate little things, they will grow into bigger things. I wouldn’t be where I was five years later if my manager didn’t appreciate my small victories. I would have left my job if my manager didn’t appreciate me. Appreciate every little thing because you wouldn’t know it might turn into a bigger thing.
To put it all together, working at Tim Horton’s is not just making coffees and sandwiches. I have learned a few valuable lessons that I still carry until now, such as look beyond what you see and don’t judge easily. Put yourself in someone’s shoes and be patient because you wouldn't know what they are going through. Appreciate every small victory, no matter how small that might be because they will turn into more significant successes. You don’t have to work at Tim Horton’s to learn these things. I have worked at Tims through hard and good times to learn these things, so you don’t have to (kidding aside).