Costco Wholesale

I have been a regular at this Costco for a while, but I've decided to stop going there and leave a 1-star review due to my recent experiences. While this store has a decent variety of products and well-organized shelves compared to other Costcos, the inconsistent customer service has left a particularly negative impression, especially from the employees with poor attitudes, which has deterred me and other customers from returning.

Let me provide a few examples. Firstly, in recent months, I've frequently been approached by more than one Costco employee asking if I want to upgrade to an Executive Membership. While some employees politely walk away when I decline, others are overly aggressive in their sales tactics, significantly impacting my shopping experience.

Secondly, the return counter often has only 1-2 windows open, resulting in long wait times, while other customer service windows are exclusively for new membership sign-ups and can't assist with returns. If some service windows are only for new memberships, they should be labeled as such—perhaps as 'New Customer Acquisition Window'—rather than misleadingly as 'Customer Service Window.' In my opinion, the best way to attract more members is to improve service quality, not by employing aggressive sales tactics or prioritizing potential members.

Thirdly, while some Costco employees are knowledgeable about the location of common items like seafood and are willing to help you find them, others are completely uninformed and unwilling to ask their colleagues for assistance, which is unhelpful.

Lastly, the attitude of the security staff at the entrance and exit varies greatly. As the first and last impression customers have while shopping, their behavior is crucial. On one occasion after returning items, I was accused by the security staff of potentially stealing my own belongings simply because Costco happens to sell similar items. Even after explaining that the items were mine, they didn't trust me like other stores might but instead called a supervisor to follow a formal procedure. This made me feel distrusted and caused delays at the exit, inconveniencing other customers.

I can't understand why the staff at the door would be so suspicious of customers, insisting on cumbersome procedures that might reduce theft but ultimately harm the shopping experience and the company's brand image. It's truly counterproductive.