Costco Wholesale — Attraction in South San Francisco

I did a review several weeks ago but I deleted it because I wanted to share and let everyone know about how kind this one particular staff member was.

You know and can understand how it can be when you're wanting a specific thing and the product is not available so you have to wait and come back when they have it in stock etc.

I'm sure many of you watched the Mandalorian...now I'm not a Star Wars fan but I must say, I enjoyed Season 1&2 and I looooove Grogü whose soooo adorable. Sorry going off track. Costco closes at 8:30pm and we got there at 8:15pm. While entering the warehouse, I happen to see a customer leaving with a Disney Grogü stuffed pillow with the cute ears and I just had to get it. We seen a box almost empty and they only had Chewbacca, ohh the disappointment but then another customer who happened to overhear me talking to my husband said, They have another box and gestured towards the back of Costco, you know where they usually have the breads, desserts etc. I was hopeful and we went and backtracked from the back end of store towards the middle aisles and still couldn't find it. I can admit I was thinking that guy lied 🤦🏾‍♀️. Giving up we rushed to grab the rotisserie chicken which is the reason we went there in the first place and there was only one left as if it was waiting for us. I was happy to get it but my mind was still thinking of Grogü. I spoke with staff member Andanla who was very kind to see if there was any in the back but unfortunately it was all gone. I'm assuming the lady I seen leaving took the last Grogü 😒. At checkout I asked the cashier and another staff member helping whose name is Timothy if they could see if there is another Grogü because I truly believe "Close Mouths Don't Get Fed" they can either say yay or nay. Timothy kindly explained how they put out 3 boxes and it was all gone but try back tomorrow and it should be out by 9am (mind you, they are closing). Idk if it was my expression of disappointment, if I looked bratty but as we got our receipt he said give him 4mins. Next thing I know he disappears and I hear over the walkie he's asking to please see if they can bring down a pallet because there was a nice lady and it went static.... All I know he's walking towards us with Grogü. Why the long story??? What Timothy did was a good deed and not to mention, during these times, he listened, understood my need, and still had a great positive attitude where he could've just brushed me off about wanting Grogü and sent me on my way which Im sure we've all experienced that a lot! Timothy's customer service is a 5star. For me as a customer wanting a product.. he took time to help me eventho they were about to close (which others wouldn't care if I had to wake up early the next day just to come back to get it) he saved me time and gas. Lastly Timothy made my night and I left with a big ol smile 😊 on my face which my husband was happy because we all know... Happy wife Happy Life 😂😂😂... Basically... We need alot more of Timothys because that's the type of staff you want working in your business. To all the essential workers stay...

There are far too many reasons to list here for giving this company a 5 star. Most people think 'I don't need that much food, so Costco isn't necessary', which is not the point at all - in fact, I do just fine buying here on a weekly basis with my normal refrigerator and household of two lol. The reason Costco is great is because they actually source most of their food and beverage items locally, they partner with the best of class in a given region. I shared a flight with their West Coast buyer on Southwest once and she told me all about it - eerily enough, this person also seemed to enjoy her job...a lot, which is a rare siteing. You can also Google Costco's sourcing strategy to verify that. They also have a 90-day return policy on any electronic or technology items (most stores give you 7 to 15 days), and up to 3 years for anything else...like mattresses. I have used the return policy many times and it is absolutely incredible. The customer service and quality of items in Costco are unmatched anywhere else. I would say Costco, at least in the Bay Area, is like the Nordstrom of wholesale markets. If you're looking for bottom of the barrel cheap, you're probably better off at Walmart. If you're looking for really high quality items that are also really cheap because of Costco's purchasing power and lower overhead due to selling directly from their warehouse, this is the right place for you. It's like comparing REI to Burlington Coat Factory...you know your own preference and there are certainly times when each has its place. I have bought everything from fish, organic chicken, Japanese whiskey, to DJI drones from Costco and they have always gone above and beyond to ensure that I am satisfied with both the selection and quality control. Did I mention that the Bay Area Costcos have incredible wine selections, and $1.50 hot dog...the hot dog, guys...the hot dog is what it's all about. At the San Francisco Costco, they also have really good craft beer that they sell in single bottles and six packs (highwater brewing, Stone, Rogue). In the recent fiasco of hand sanitizers being recalled, Costco immediately refunded me for having purchased a bottle that was on the recall list and held a bottle of replacement / safe hand sanitizer for me. The store branded Kirkland items are also white labels of some of the best brands available (ex. Kirkland coffee is actually Starbucks, Kirkland vodka is rebranded Belvedere, Kirkland Tuna is Starkist, etc). Also, I happened to buy a larger ticket item recently and it was on sale the next week after I had purchased it... Costco refunded me the difference, no questions asked. There are only a few meaningful relationships in life that I would actually use the term 'true love' to describe and Costco SF, to date, happens to be...

I am a big fan of Costco, and spend a lot of time and money there, usually in the San Francisco or El Camino locations, or online.

I avoid this location, having had a prior unpleasant experience there. However, today, I was near it, so decided to give it another shot. Big mistake!

First, it has a much smaller selection than the San Francisco location. For example, it only had a very small display for beef, and was missing items like burrata mozzarella and grape seed oil. The store also appears to be a bit disheveled - for example, there was a broken egg on the floor in the dairy display section for a long time while I was there, with no one cleaning it up.

The checkout process was the worst that I've had at any Costco location. Since I was checking out with more than $800 of groceries and wine, I asked the cashier's assistant (an Asian female assisting cashier named Charles B.) to put the items for me in boxes. I always make this request at other locations, and it is cheerfully accomodated.

"We don't have any boxes," was the curt reply. When I pointed out that the cashiers to the right of her and to the left had large stacks of boxes, she mumbled something and grudgingly went and got one box. After dropping it off with the cashier, the lady left somewhere. The cashier was scanning the items without putting them in the box, so they were all piling up at the end of the register. When I asked the cashier to put the items in the box, he also told me that he didn't have any boxes, and I again had to point out the boxes all around him. He did not acknowledge me and continued to scan the items.

Since the items kept piling up at the end of the register while my cashier kept scanning, I ended up having to ask another cashier at the register to the left for boxes (which he gave me without any issues), and boxing all the groceries myself.

As a kicker, I tried to purchase four meat items - chicken, lamb chops, ground beef and beef steaks. When my time came to check out, I was informed by Charles B. that I exceeded the limit and needed to give back a beef item. I asked him to give back the steaks, which he appeared to do. However, when I was reviewing the receipt, it turned out that he sent back the lamb chops, so the whole "you are buying too much beef" experience was completely non-sensical.

Interestingly, I had a similarly poor shopping and checkout experience at this location about a year ago, so as a loyal Costco shopper and a big fan, I hope something is done to improve the shopper experience at this...