Tim Hortons bans complaining customer for life

Legally, sure. Theoretically, absolutely. But if you value your reputation, you'd do well to live up to what you advertise, which includes store hours.

 

This only works up to a point.

I know that if I can't finish before closing time, then I don't go in. But, that is just me. As such, I don't base a place's reputation on whether they booted me when they said they would boot me.

Some people do. That's fine. Go with what is important to you.

As you pointed out with Burger King's milkshake, if you get there and the thing is never on, why bother? That's understandable. Don't go there.

 

My whole point is that if you're open, you should serve whatever customers who come in, knowing only that the place is still open. If they want to stop serving before they're officially closed, they should make it known to their customers. If they don't want to, that's their choice, but they run the risk of losing reputation and customers (do I want to to eat somewhere where they don't tell you when they're shutting down the kitchen?)

Is it really that much of a hardship for restaurants and fast-food places to say when they'll stop serving food? All I have to go by is the posted hours. And plenty of restaurants take the Cracker Barrel approach of serving up to the moment the doors lock, so it's not like anyone who thinks they'll get served close to closing time is clueless.

 

It's staggered, though, and depends on how long it would take. They want to serve anyone they can before they close.

With 30 minutes left, they can serve almost anything except shakes. With 15 minutes left, certain items start to become problematic and dine-in becomes an issue, although to-go is still fine. With 5 minutes left, only a few things can work.

No sense in having a sign with minute-by-minute charts of what works and what doesn't. Just let the employees use their judgment.

 

But plenty of fast-food places (Wendy's and Taco Bell come to mind) have their full menu until the very end. And Wendy's has a Frosty machine. I mean, I can understand WHY you'd want to get a jump on the shutdown process if you're not getting a lot of business in the final hour, but you never know when you're going to get a mad late rush. My experience with Cracker Barrel (and also McDonald's in college) was that their goal was to treat all customers equally, whether they're the first one in, last one out or anyone in between.

 

I appreciate being lumped in with douchebags. Thanks.

And I've always tipped generously--more generously than usual--when I eat as a place is closing down. I am aware that I've walked in before you're ready to close and appreciative of the effort being put forth by the employees...even when I'm sure I'm being served by people like you, who are likely to be spitting in my food.

Nothing that difficult about printing a sign that says "No dinners served after 8:30" or whatever time is half an hour before close.

I'm inconsiderate? Buy a mirror.

 

A generous tip doesn't change the fact that your spouse was supposed to be at their job 30 minutes after yours ended, and there's no one to watch the baby while you work the extra 45 minutes because someone demanded to be served at 1 minute to closing time.

 

If you're closing, you know that there's no set time for you to punch out. My wait staff friends can tell you this, and I can from my closing at the mighty Barrel, waiting for BYH to buy his fucking licorice whips and blackberry cobbler filling and buttercream Yankee Candle and My Three Sons DVD sampler and quilt with kittens on it. That's why, if you need to adhere to set hours, you don't get put on the closing shift.

And why is it "demanded to be served"? Way to paint anyone who comes in later than you want them to as a self-centered asshole. I can guarantee you I've never "demanded" anything, whether I come in at 9 a.m., 2 p.m. or 9 p.m.

 

Well, you've repeatedly stated that in this situation you don't feel bad about wanting what you want regardless of how it may or may not affect others. I wouldn't use the phrase "self-centered asshole," but for this specific instance you are in the right ballpark of my opinion.

 

You're throwing the word "demanded" around pejoratively. It is not demanding shit when you enter a restaurant that is open for business with an expectation that you would be allowed to engage in said business. It is not assholish that you assume that you would be served in an establishment that has an open sign on and allows you to enter. And as much as you want to paint this as big evil person towering over the Tiny Tim-esque staff, the fact of the matter is that many places this is the case, and that's what they signed on for. If, at your restaurant, you want to let the staff close the kitchen at their discretion, so be it. Don't be surprised if it hurts your reputation, though.

 

Ah yes, the dreaded "if you don't do exactly what we want, we'll take our business elsewhere" customer threat. Tell me, do you respect that when readers or viewers call in and start dema -, I'm sorry, *requesting* things?

 

Can you devise a statistical formula to determine what the fuck you are talking about here?

And "demanded"--that's bullshit. Like Meat, I've never demanded anything. If I walk in at 8:59 and am told I won't be served b/c the restaurant is closing in one minute? I'm disappointed but I don't argue. I think you should serve til 9 if you're open til 9 but it's not ruining my night. Maybe I'll frequent the restaurant again, maybe I won't. All I know is I'll eat Wendy's tonight.