Carmella's Hang Out

The last time I wrote, I said that I put in an application at Tim Hortons. Now, I write to tell you the outcome of that application!
I got the job!!
Later the next week, I was called in for an interview. After answering a few questions so that the manager could get an idea of what I was like, he looked at me and said “So, would you like a job?” I gave a very enthusiastic YES {ok…so I did a better job of hiding my excitement. heh. I did give a hearty YES, but it was not nearly as loud and hyper as it could have been} he then said “Alright then, you are hired!”
My first day was Saturday the 11th and I was to start at 10. Mum needed to take the car into the shop for the day, and it had to be in by 9am, so she drove me to work before 9 and I sat out in the lobby writing letters to my soldiers for awhile. The manager, seeing me at the table, first gave me some paper work to fill out, and then let me start early. I had told him that I had Church on Sundays, so he did not have me work the next day. Instead, I returned to work Monday {yesterday} to start at 9. However, David also worked at that time, so he dropped me off around 8:30. heh.
The store is not but two and a half miles away, and I have no problem walking that kind of a distance, except when it comes to walking out doors. Since the cars are not around when I have been getting out of work, I have walked home so far, but I do break out and begin an allergy attack {the rash is one of the first signs that it could get worse. I have taken a Benadryl both times, used my inhaler a bit the second time and made it home fine, just in time to pass out on the couch, tired from the medicine!} Since I am likely to have these attacks it is a better idea for me to get a ride into work, and do the walking on the way home if that is necessary.
Being that I was early again, I was just going to stay out in the lobby again and write more soldier and friend letters. Instead, after about ten minutes, I was told I could clock in early if I wanted.
So far, I like the job and the people I am working with. The place is run much better and more efficient than McDonald’s was, and has some of the best team work I have been able to be apart of in a working environment! I was promptly told, upon starting my first day of work, that it had been said I was a quiet girl and that was not going to fly there! Seems my way of holding back for the first week or so, getting use to the atmosphere, the people, the job itself, came off as me being more shy than I really am. In the words of my best friend Kade “You don’t know the meaning of the word shy!” And it is true, for the most part. heh. I assured them that I really am not quiet, and that they just need give me time to settle and I would break out of my temp shell I place on in new jobs. I was told that the group is a family, not just co workers. Everyone is given nicknames, once something seems to fit, and jokes fly none stop. You get to know each of your regular customers, and you joke with them as well.
There were many times where the order was already made by the time the customer came in through the door, since someone had seen the car pull into the drive! They are good at what they do. And they have a lot of fun doing it too.
I am still a little uneasy with everything, meaning that I have not gotten the hang of everything as I would like to in order to say that I know how to do my job. The crew, however, has been really great in not making me feel bad about that at all. They all tell stories about how they were for the first few weeks, and how they all know that it takes time but you get the hang of it all.
I do know how to make a coffee double double no problem, though! So that is a start!
There are somewhere around four or five head sets that the crew wear. It is not like you are assigned to do drive through, or counter, or food prep. Everyone does just about everything. There are jobs that some like better than others and that they tend to do more than some of the other crew, but they do not hesitate to pick up another job and do that if it needs doing. The biggest goal is fast, friendly service. As soon as there is a beep in the headset to say that a car has pulled up, someone is on the speaker welcoming the customer and asking to take the order. Now, that crew member may not be by a computer, but whomever is near the drive through register begins to mark everything off as they hear it over the set. At the same time, anyone else who is not working at something, is making the order as it is spoken by the customer. When you order a medium ice capp at our store, it is more than likely waiting for you at the window by the time you reach there, since someone was grabbing the cup the instant you said it. It is really cool to watch, and even neater to be apart of.
Same goes for front counter. The head sets have a button that you can push so that the others on headset can hear you, but it does not transmit through the drive through speaker outside. This way, if you need more Timbits thrown in the oven, you can just call back to someone near the freezer, and ask for what you need. In the same token, if someone is over by the coffee, you can ask them to get the drink your front counter customer just ordered, while you pack up their donuts.
We are only busy from 6am to 10am. Thats it. The rest of the day, people come and go, but there is no big rush. Those four hours in the morning are our breakfast and early morning to work goers. Saturdays are also less busy than other days, which is why it was easy for me to start then. Both days that I have worked, I have left before I thought I would, and not stayed past 12:30, a time when every other fast few place is in a big rush. At TH, we are all getting the ‘lists’ done {daily work lists are handed out of things needed to be cleaned, stocked, checked etc} and helping the one or two people that came in the past hour. I can so handle a slow pace during the later hours, or working early in the morning to have the afternoon off!! I was told that I would probably be doing many four or five hour shifts, once I am put on the schedule. This is more than ok with me!! heh. I was only wanting about 20 hours a week, at least to start with, so that I could make some much needed money, but also have time to hang out with the kids and Kade, go to the rec center with Mum and Kade to keep up with our weight loss, do the other things this summer that we had planned, and pick up some extra hours house keeping. K-D and I have an every other Thursday cleaning job together, and I wanted to keep that. TH had no problems with keeping my Thursdays open but still giving me around 20 hours a week.
I am going back for my third day of work tomorrow at 8. Just keeps getting earlier and earlier! lol. Soon I will be helping with the entire morning rush I hope. I have Thursday off, as already stated, but was told I will probably work Friday morning. For the moment, I am getting my schedule day by day, and I get a starting time only no out time. That just comes while I am there. Once I am put on the paper schedule it will be different. At the moment, I do not even have a uniform besides a name tag {with the words ‘In Training’ engraved under my name} and a blue baseball cap.
I like my job…and it is nice to be working again and enjoying it. I hope it continues!
Thanks to everyone who was praying for me and my situation with no work! God is good!