Making things right at the Tim Hortons queue

Dear Editor,

The following letter is in response to the piece entitled “Helpless at Tim Hortons—Locations at UTM don’t accept the Tim Card” submitted by Sami Karaman.

The letter was very well written and clearly expressed frustration for the situation that currently exists at the full-service Tim Hortons outlet in the Meeting Place. For this frustration, both Hospitality and Retail Services and Chartwells are sincerely sorry. For the answer you received regarding the lack of acceptance, we are equally sorry and please be assured that follow-up training will take place to reduce the chance of such an answer being provided in the future.

Additionally, I would like to acknowledge that it is true the Tim Hortons cards aren’t accepted at this location at the current time. I do want to reassure you, though, that we have been working towards a solution that enables the implementation of the Tim Card in this location in the very near future, a solution that provides an appropriate service speed at UTM. This plan has been in the works since before the outlet opened.

The self-serve Tim Hortons kiosk was opened with the Tim Card as per the Tim Hortons standard program implementation. This results in the Tim Card (and the debit and credit card transactions for that matter) in this location being processed over telephone lines. This solution—the solution Tim Hortons uses in all outlets across the country—contributes significantly to the speed of service issues that we experience at UTM, in my opinion. For certain, the Tim Card transactions at the self-serve Tim Hortons are the slowest transaction type on our campus. UTM took the stand that this is not acceptable and we demand better.

So we opened the full-service Tim Hortons with debit and credit card machines that were network-based and asked that Tim Hortons follow suit to improve the speed of service with their Tim Card. At first they were not willing to do so, but they came around and we are jointly planning the implementation of network-based Tim Card devices for UTM. The UTM Tim Hortons site in the Meeting Place will be the test site for this Tim Hortons program change. This enhancement should be arriving shortly. Please watch for notifications at the Meeting Place Tim Hortons.

You may say that is all well and good for the future, but what about now, you ask—“What about the inconvenience suffered by your faithful customers?” You are absolutely right in taking this stance. We do need to make it right and this is what we are prepared to do.

Hospitality and Retail Services will open a UTM Campus Value Plan in the amount of $5 for any UTM community member not having an existing Campus Value Plan upon presentation of a Tim Card. All you need to do is visit the Meal Plan Office located in the Davis Building, room 2098, and show us your Tim Card during the month of February. We will set you up with a Campus Value Plan to make purchases at any food service outlet on campus—including the Blind Duck. You also receive a 5% discount on all campus purchases—yes, again, even at the Blind Duck.

Please accept my sincerest apologies for this issue and please know that it was a setback along a path while UTM was advocating for better service on campus. It is also my hope that you will see the benefits in the Campus Value Plan and the positive impact it has on the speed of service and its contribution to shorter lines.

Bill McFadden,

Director, Hospitality and

Retail Services, UTM