You might not realize it but there are actually things that you can do wrong at Tim Hortons when you're ordering.
Whether you're ordering in-store or at the drive-thru, an employee has revealed mistakes you're making and what you should do instead!
Narcity spoke with Kait Beck, a Tim Hortons employee who has shared menu hacks on TikTok, to get a rundown of what customers are doing wrong on Timmies runs.
So, if you don't want to get the wrong menu items or waste time when ordering, here are six things you might want to stop doing at Tim Hortons locations in Canada.
Ordering drinks before food
According to Beck, the biggest thing that customers do wrong is ordering drinks before food in-store and at the drive-thru.
"As soon as you order it, we're starting to make it," she said.
So, if you order a medium double double and then a breakfast sandwich, your coffee will be sitting there on the counter getting cold while the employees make your food.
This advice from the Tims employee also goes for espresso-based beverages like lattes and cappuccinos.
Espresso-based beverages should be ordered before brewed coffees just like any food items you want because employees have to wait for the beans to grind and the milk to steam before handing it off to you.
Using secret menu names from TikTok
You've probably seen Tim Hortons secret menu items on TikTok with unique names like "Stanley Cup" or "Wayne Gretzky."
But if you want to try one of those drinks, you're doing it wrong if you order with the made-up names since those items don't actually exist and there's no real secret menu at Tims.
"It's still a huge thing all over TikTok, where they're making secret menu items and it's just still not realistic," Beck said.
Instead of saying that you want a special drink that's not on the menu, just tell the employee exactly what you want in the drink.
So, for a Wayne Gretzky, you can order a nine by nine or say you want nine milks and nine sugars. Don't say you want a Wayne Gretzky!
Beck recommends ordering this way because not every Tims employee is on TikTok which means they don't know about all of the unique drinks people are creating and their names.
Going to the drive-thru with big orders
While Beck didn't say that you can't go to the Tim Hortons drive-thru with big orders, doing that could waste a lot of time not just for yourself but for the customers in line behind you.
So, if you're going to order a lot of items and want to save time, it might be best to avoid the drive-thru and go into the Tims location you're at.
Doing this can help save other drivers time because they won't have to wait behind you for a while as you idle at the pickup window to get your big order.
Saying what you don't want in your drinks
If you're saying what you don't want in your drink, you're ordering wrong! It's a mistake that most people make at Tims.
You've probably ordered tea or coffee at Tim Hortons and said that you want two milks and no sugar — or even no milk and one sugar or no milk, no sugar.
Beck revealed that ordering this way can actually be confusing for employees.
"If that's the case, just order a medium two milk. Do not say 'no sugar' because we don't hear the 'no,' we hear sugar," she said. "Just don't even mention it."
This is a mistake, especially at the drive-thru.
It's difficult for employees to hear orders through the speaker with cars driving by and your distance from the mic so there's a bigger likelihood that you'll get sugar in your drink even if you said "no sugar."
Saying your order customizations at the end
If you're ordering a Tim Hortons menu item and you want it to be customized, don't wait until the end of the order to tell the employee what changes you'd like.
For example, if you order a farmer's wrap but don't want the sauce that comes on it, say that first.
Don't start ordering other things after that and then, when you're finished, tell the employee you don't want sauce on the wrap.
"While you're listing all the other stuff that wrap's already made," Beck said.
If you order the wrong way, you'll end up with something you don't want.
Not having your cards ready
When it comes to paying for your orders, Beck said that another thing people do wrong is not having their cards or cash ready.
Whether that be cash bills, a credit card, a debit card or a Tims Rewards card — just have your payment ready!
"You're waiting in the line, get your money ready," she said. "That could be a whole minute that you saved."
If there are five cars in the drive-thru lane or five people lining up in the store and everyone has their payments ready, that's five minutes saved.
Also, if you have your cards on your phone and your phone is plugged into your car, Beck recommended unplugging it before you get to the pickup window.
That's because employees can't really lean into your car to scan your phone.
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.
This article has been updated since it was originally published on December 9, 2021.
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