Costco Wholesale — Attraction in Saratoga Springs

Ugh. Just the thought of this place gives me anxiety. I will say this: I've always been pleased with the cleanliness, organization, product variety & availability at this location.

However, for starters, the service is just OK at best, and if this was almost any other retail store, I wouldn't even mention it, but knowing what Costco employees get paid and what unparalleled benefits they receive in comparison, I feel pretty strongly that they should be providing a MUCH higher level of service to customers.

Secondly, using the self checkout is one of the MOST irritating experiences imaginable. I am not an easily angered person. I tend to laugh off most things that could be considered "annoying" (vs. genuinely upsetting) but I'm a little embarrassed to admit I've walked out of this place feeling like I'm going to scream! Haha. First of all, an employee walks over almost every time & just starts scanning the big things in your cart, which I do appreciate to an extent because I understand they're trying be helpful & not make you lift the heavier items, but they should really leave a hand-scanner at every checkout as nearly every other US grocery store does on Earth: 2023. It makes me nervous that I'm going to get double charged for things because they'll scan things that aren't VERY OBVIOUSLY requiring to be scanned vs. picked up and swiped (example: pallet of water bottles? I would expect them to scan that. But like... a cantaloupe? or a gallon of milk? No.). They just come over and start scanning things all willy-nilly and it stresses me out like crazy. It also CONSTANTLY does that enraging thing that all self checkouts occasionally do where for no apparent reason or for putting something down that IT didn't properly estimate the weight of, they'll block you from doing anything and make you wait for an employee to come over and scrutinize everything you have like you're a shoplifter before either giving you the all-clear or a lecture about how you should modify YOUR behavior in order to appease the tempermental machine, as if you even care one iota about turning this into a learning experience for next time instead of just getting the ahem out of there.

And do I dare get started on the other customers here? Ugh, I'm already this far. Maybe someone will benefit, might as well: There are 2 kinds of customers that come here, IMO, & obv I'm generalizing/joking (kinda) but it's just hard not to notice! There are the aggressive customers who won't hesitate to plow through everything standing between them & anything free and served in a tiny paper cup. If you didn't know any better, you'd assume some of them had just returned from being lost at sea, perhaps, or maybe even stuck in a 127 Hours-type situation, except for the fact that you just witnessed BOTH of their hands snatch a sample off of those prison-cafeteria trays with the speed and agility of Mr. Miyagi chop-sticking a housefly out of mid-air. Then, there are the ones who are completely unaware that anyone in the store (or perhaps the world) exists around them. The refrigerated produce section warrants a sort of unwritten, unspoken choreography. One enters at the right and joins the herd of generally continuous movement 'round the square at a respectable mosey - if one of the herd must stray, there are polite and undisruptive ways/areas to do so, but when THIS customer is hungry for a smoothie, the world halts for them. While their cart blocks anyone else from simultaneously shopping the same product, they examine each carton of strawberries in a state of tranquility & oblivion I haven't experienced since before I could chew solid food. In other areas of the store, one might encounter this customer enjoying the sample massage chair for no less than the run time of a Marvel film, or attempting to distract the Free Sample distributor with conversation and a little 'sleight of hand' to take advantage of that well-known but timeless loophole: "As long as you're still talking to the chef, you get unlimited free samples. No...

If you've been to one Costco, you've pretty much been to them all.

Parking area is large than Lehi, less hassle. The store isn't as busy as Lehi. Food court has a dedicated food court self checkout. Bathrooms are clean. The building is newer. The building is larger.

It's much easier to enter and exit Costco in Saratoga; however, peak traffic hours are brutal for this location. Redwood is the city corridor. Pioneer crossing goes west over redwood and then wraps behind the shopping center because the city and UDOT were stupid and disconnected Lehi Main Street from Eagle Mountain (they forced the flow onto either pioneer crossing or drive traffic south onto Pony Expressway). Traffic is pretty dense between 4:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. and 4:45-6:00, good luck. There's no longer a pinch point on Redwood and Lehi Main. The whole road is awful through the shopping center while more and more lights are being added. This happened to Bangerter Hwy before they realized bridges were needed because traffic flow was broken. Yes, I'm pushing on the traffic point, but this is important because in order to access Costco you have to make a left turn across peak traffic on Redwood Road to enter the west side. If you're traveling southbound, then you're crawling south through the congested traffic until you can turn into the shopping center. If you're Northbound from the housing area in South Saratoga, you have to turn left across Redwood Road to get on to Pioneer Crossing, but there's a dense flow of people headed home to Eagle Mountain. Once you do this, it is easier to get onto the property. When you want to exit, You will not be able to make a left turn easily onto Pioneer Crossing (West of the shopping center). The signal rotations are very slow for those making a left turn. If you go to the exit right by Costco on the Northwest corner where there is no signal light onto Pioneer Crossing, you are risking your life to make a left turn during traffic. Make a right and make a U-turn, or go where the light is one more street south (Even with slow rotations, it's easier, faster, and safer). If you want to exit directly onto Redwood Road, you have to make a right turn to exit the property into peak traffic which is usually at a dead stop. The signal timing on Redwood road gives priority to Pioneer Crossing. Now with every single cross street having a light, the entire road is gridlocked north of Lehi Main, down to Pony Expressway (Eagle Mountain has no option to avoid Saratoga City traffic). Both Pioneer Crossing and Redwood Road unintentionally form a traffic barrier that significantly obstructs movement getting into and out of the store during peak traffic. I guess this is what happens when UDOT and the city only build infrastructure with a 5-year lifespan. I cannot stress enough, do not shop during peak traffic hours.

I have lived in Saratoga Springs since the road was two lanes (North and South), without lights or stop signs, and was flanked by corn fields on either side of the road. There were no lights as the road flowed all the way up into Riverton (The exception being Lehi Main Street). In 15 years, Redwood Road has been reworked at least four times. 15/4 = 3.75, which means both the city and UDOT are incapable of coordinating, planning, and constructing sustainable infrastructure together. Stay away from peak traffic.

If you shop at the Lehi Costco on a Saturday, then shop at Saratoga on a Saturday, you'll prefer shopping at Saratoga more than Lehi. Just avoid the store during peak traffic hours at night and you'll be fine.

Also, I have found seasonal items and some vendor items sell out rapidly here. When they're out of stock I've been able to find them at the Lehi or Orem stores. I don't know how many people are aware of this, but each Costco store does have certain items that are more accessible based on quantity given the demographics of that store. In addition some items are carried in one store that are not in another. Costco legitimately does change some products or quantities based...

Welcome to the new and improved Costco, where your customer experience May or May Not be as excellent as it once was, beginning as soon as you reach the door.

Today, as I did last week when I dropped nearly $1600 on a set of new tires (and have done countless times over the years buying batteries and getting tire rotations), I started to take the direct path to the Tire Center from the Store Exit and Refund Entrance doorway.

However today was different, because an employee I've never seen before refused to let me in, instead directing me to enter at the Main Entrance, scan my card, and take the longer route to through the registers to the Tire Center. When she saw the puzzled look on my face she headed off any questions by saying "its our standard" with a frozen smile.

Okay I think to myself, as a military retiree I can follow rules no problem, but I left the service of our country a long time ago, and now I need reasons for rules, especially when I'm paying for the experience. I asked for a reason for the sudden change in policy and I got, "its our standard" again, but this time with attitude in her voice and delivered with a cold stare. (Nice nose ring, by the way, Kristina).

The Tire Center person explained, when I told them what happened, that since the new membership card scanners have been installed "they" are "cracking down" on people wandering into the store. Okay! There's an answer I can live with. Now, why couldn't the person at the door provide that simple answer?

So, I don't know if this person is on the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), or can't handle questions because their manager didn't train them thoroughly, or is just a happy psychopath who is enjoying their new police role at Costco. Your guess is as good as mine.

As for the policy, COSTCO Management, if you even bother to read these reviews:

IF mgmt is in fact "cracking down" on people "wandering" into the store through the Store Exit and Refund Entrance, then as least provide the shortest route possible to the Tire Center from the Main Entrance instead of blocking off the first six register walk-throughs with carts.

It would be wise for COSTCO Management to remember that when customers are made to feel like they are taken for granted, or inconvenienced, or being rebuffed and talked down to by immature receipt checkers, those customers will go where they are appreciated and treated with respect when they ask simple questions.

I'm reading more negative reviews about Saratoga Springs Costco, and it's a shame I have to add one more.

WRAP UP FOR MANAGEMENT: So your newbie at the door explained to me today that YOU have standards, and I have to follow the rules without question. You better think long and hard about how that approach is perceived by paying customers. There are so many good employees at this store that I've had positive interactions with since you've opened in Saratoga Springs - THAT IS THE STANDARD I EXPECT.... EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. While that is MY standard, I know people will fall short, and I try to make allowances for stupidity, bad days, employees being affected by poor managers, etc. Pull your new employee aside and ensure she knows how to politely answer legitimate questions from members. If she can't handle it, then have her make sandwiches or cookies where no customer interaction...