Crying over burnt coffee nets man life ban at N.B. Tim Hortons

Jimmy Craig is going to have to travel a little out of his way to get a coffee on his way to work now that he's been banned for life from two Tim Hortons franchises.

St. Andrews, New Brunswick - Jimmy Craig has lost his spending privileges at two local Tim Hortons outlets. Yanked for life, actually. His crime? Craig complained that his decaf coffee tasted burnt. Okay, he complained that it tasted burnt on three separate occasions. The owner of the St. Andrew's Timmies served Craig with a letter of trespass, which also bans Craig from the Tim Hortons in neighbouring St. Stephen. Edwin Dow told media his staff had attempted to respond to Craig's complaints by brewing him fresh coffee, but Craig had continued to complain, upsetting the other patrons in who were spending their money in the coffee shop. Craig, however, asserts the coffee was bad stuff.

"It was like brown, burnt water. I almost, you know, got sick in the sink."

Craig said he had first complained to staff, then to corporate HQ. Then Dow arranged a meeting, during which Dow served Craig with the letter of trespass, which puzzled Craig.

"I was baffled. It didn't make any sense at all. All I wanted to do was bring it to his attention that there was a problem with the consistency of his product. I don't see this is a way to treat people. Whatever happened to the customer is always right?"

Craig loves his Timmies decaf so much, he is consulting with a lawyer in an attempt to overturn the life-time ban. The present ban is conditional, however. Craig is allowed to purchase coffee if he is on the job -- Craig is a paramedic. Last year a Nova Scotia Tim Hortons patron threatened to take a Sackville Timmies to the N.S. Human Rights Commission. Reliant on a motorized scooter, Dave Matthews said he couldn't' access a Tim Hortons through the doors, and he was refused service when he lined up in the drive-through. It is not known how the situation was resolved. Last year Tim Hortons employees, frustrated with being mistreated by customers who complain too vigorously, set up a Facebook page that outlines the basic rules customers should follow if they would like service at Tim Hortons. Called Tim Horton's Rules for Ordering and More, the Facebook site has over 7,000 members. Drive through rules include the following:

"... - when you drive up to the speaker box have your order ready, we don’t carry “Give me a seconds” or “Hold ons”

- Don’t make us say “Can I help you” 5 times before you actually start talking

- DO NOT yell “Hello...” as soon as you reach the speaker box

- Have your money ready for when you get to the window

- Don’t park 5 feet away from the window

- When you receive everything at the window leave immediately don’t just sit there..."

Not to be outdone, a small group of Tim Hortons patrons have their own Facebook page, although the 27 members have not been active since early 2008. Which doesn't mean the popular franchise doesn't get complaints. Most complaints posted on the web seem to revolve around either difficulty working for Timmies or poor customer service. Considering a visit to your local Tim Hortons? Review the rules for ordering first! Or else arm yourself with knowledge about your consumer rights, as laid out by the Consumers' Association of Canada. Tim Hortons experienced an increase in its 2008 profits, despite the recession.