Digger Posted May 23, 2008 Report Share Posted May 23, 2008 Tim Hortons in a new PR jam Good Samaritan scolded after buying a homeless, pregnant woman food – then leaving her to eat it May 23, 2008 04:30 AM No good deed involving doughnuts, it appears, goes unpunished. Two weeks after an employee at a Tim Hortons in London was fired, then rehired, after she gave a child a free Timbit, Toronto investment manager Teresa Lee bought breakfast Wednesday for a pregnant homeless woman at a Tim Hortons downtown – then was scolded by a restaurant employee unhappy that the homeless woman stayed in the restaurant to eat. The employee, Lee said, told her the Tim Hortons at King and Victoria Sts. does not let homeless people eat inside, even if they are eating Tim Hortons food, because they "make a mess." "I said, `She purchased the goods, there's no reason she shouldn't be able to eat in the store,'" said Lee. "He said, `No, she didn't purchase it, you purchased it.' I said, `They were purchased. There's no reason she doesn't have the right to eat it in the store.' He said, `No, she's going to make a mess, who's going to clean up that mess? Are you going to clean up that mess?'" The homeless woman, Tim Hortons spokesperson Rachel Douglas wrote in an email yesterday, had been "disruptive to customers and staff" on "several" occasions in the past. But Douglas did not say the woman had caused any problems Wednesday morning, and she apologized later to Lee — though Lee was unsatisfied with what Douglas said. Walking to her office Wednesday around 8 a.m., Lee, 34, said she saw the homeless woman lying on a grate on King St. When the woman got upset after police told her to move, Lee asked if she was hungry. Lee bought her a sandwich, a Boston cream doughnut, and chocolate milk. The woman, Lee said, sat down at a corner table, "not bothering anybody," to eat. When Lee walked out the door, the employee followed to admonish her. Douglas said the homeless woman, who could not be located later for comment, had been asked to leave the restaurant on several previous occasions. Tim Hortons, she said, does not have a policy on the treatment of the homeless; it is up to franchises to "make delicate judgment decisions when dealing with any disruptive customers to ensure the store is pleasant, comfortable and safe." But she acknowledged the woman had not been disruptive Wednesday before the employee rebuked Lee. "What happened here was the act of a Good Samaritan and we agree it was not handled in the best of manners. We have since apologized to the customer." Lee, who works at an investment firm at Yonge and King Sts., said that apology was incomplete. Douglas appeared to apologize only for how the restaurant treated her, she said, not the homeless woman. "I don't think she directly admitted what they did wrong," Lee said. The Lee incident Wednesday and the Timbit controversy two weeks earlier illustrates the challenges companies like Tim Hortons face in protecting their brand images from negative publicity created by the decisions of their franchises. Ninety-five per cent of the Canadian stores in the Tim Hortons chain are owned by independent franchisees who pay annual fees to the company, not by Tim Hortons itself. The company, "a Canadian icon of best practices from a franchising perspective," extensively trains franchisees on the treatment of customers, said Perry Maisonneuve, the principal at Northern Lights Franchise Consultants in Mississauga. "But it comes down to judgment. Somebody is Johnny-on-the-spot, they're there at that time, and they're going to react." Maisonneuve said a specific company policy on the treatment of the homeless would probably be "too narrow"; Tony Wilson, a franchise lawyer at Boughton Law Corp. in Vancouver, said "it's just common sense" to most restaurant owners that they should not evict homeless customers. But after another public controversy, Wilson said, "I'll bet you dollars to navy beans Tim Hortons is developing a policy right now on it." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greencoachdog Posted May 23, 2008 Report Share Posted May 23, 2008 (edited) So who caught the fish? This is just another in a long line of sensationalized/one sided bleeding heart liberal pinko commie human interest stories of which I am quite frankly getting tired of. Aggressive panhandlers disgust me and we have laws against it here! Edited May 23, 2008 by Greencoachdog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cranks bait Posted May 23, 2008 Report Share Posted May 23, 2008 As a person who has been homeless, I find this disgusting and very pregidous. We have a lot of less fortunate people here in our neighbor hood, right in front of our store. Yes they can get out of hand sometimes. But they are also the eyes of our streets, which I am happy for. To say that all homeless people do is make a mess, I beg to argue. I wonder what they say about the rich bass mom with her 2 and a half little monsters running around screaming and making a bigger mess. I'm glad I make my own coffee for the most part. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crappieperchhunter Posted May 23, 2008 Report Share Posted May 23, 2008 If everyone started posting topics like this. I for one wouldn't be a member here much longer. Unless you are involved in this personally and know ALL 3 SIDES of the situation...Side 1 what person A said, Side 2 what person B said and side C...the truth, I don't feel the public has any right to get involved. Lets just go fishing and leave them to sort it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stoty Posted May 23, 2008 Report Share Posted May 23, 2008 Well said Scott. There are "bad apples" in all walks of life, so to generalize isnt right/fair. (I am a native, and wouldnt appreciate being labeled as a spear fisherman who ruins the fisheries and blocks the highways!!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gerritt Posted May 23, 2008 Report Share Posted May 23, 2008 If anyone was listening to 1010 CFRB today, they would know the answer/truth. Tim's talked to the radio host this morning live on the air.. This lady has been a trouble maker at this location for sometime, and has had the police remove her from the location before.. Being a property owner, they have the right to refuse entry to anyone they wish, or serve anyone they wish. They are not against homeless people, they had an issue with this ONE individual based upon previous experiences. I find zero fault in how Tim Horton's handled themselves. Mind you they should have just asked the lady to take it to go.. This is sensational writing by the Toronto Star, writing it in hopes of selling a few more papers given the incident that occurred two weeks ago. Kudos for the restaurant for sticking up for themselves and the consideration of other patrons visiting the establishment. Sensationalist Journalism at it's finest. G Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigfish1965 Posted May 23, 2008 Report Share Posted May 23, 2008 I think we've had enough of Tim Horton's for one day.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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