Costco Wholesale — Local services in Brookfield

Well, we stopped by to check the place out and explore possible membership. The experience was so off, I felt it deserved a review here.

First and foremost, it's hard to understand how we have shopped just down the road at BJ's, but how vastly different the experience was here. And unfortunately, in a very negative way at Costco. We had high expectations from everything we read about Costco being slightly better than their competition, but we didn't see this. The entire store, maybe it's just this one location, but it was best described as noise! The way isles were laid out and progression through the store didn't flow well. And it was just weird...

Anyways, we went to join and this is where the store failed badly. The person assisting us was very, very slow, and they seem to be pushing the top tier membership along with adding a new Visa credit card. They lend the impression that this is the only way to pay, and they want entirely too much information above and beyond normal. The straw that broke the camel's back was when going to pay for the membership, being told that it required an approval for Auto-Renewal on the yearly subscription. We were like what are you talking about, we are just joining and you want us to apply for automatic renewal!? No, sorry! And we found afterwards that this is not Costco policy but an option that is available. The person handling our application did not tell us that, but said they needed to "check" if we could opt out! Maybe it was this person's first day?

In any event, the store really was a mess, the parking lot was loaded with errant shopping carts all over the place. I shouldn't have to worry about getting nasty dings and damage to my vehicle just to shop! This was true even right near the cart park sections. The shoppers there were also of a different level than while shopping just down the road, for whatever reason. It was like shopping the week before Christmas where people are insanely urgent and absent any consideration for those around them, like they were the only shopper in the store, get out of their way, and largely just oblivious to anyone around them. Inconsiderate is the best description... I know this isn't reflective upon the store, but it's clientele.

We may try another location, but this one definitely left a bad taste and experience for us to overcome. Again, so weird because we do shop just down the road and it is and was never like this.

Posting to just share our...

After enduring four solid hours of testing at a different (but major) hearing aid seller, then gasping at their over-the-top cost, I headed off to Costco in Brookfield to try their Kirkland. Can't say if every Costco is as good, but this one has been spectacular.

Their private test is long and detailed. And exacting. Turns out my visit was long overdue and sorely needed.

Perhaps every hearing aid seller delivers the same results. For me , sounds were suddenly alive; clear, clean, bright, crisp discernable sounds. Which is very nice, but just my personal journey. It's how I got here that really matters.

The preliminary test was exacting and the audiologist's patient attention to detail was impressive. It was sadly both humiliating and humbling to learn how poorly I was hearing. But the audiologist seemed to understand that, and remained kind and supportive and, I was sure, actually caring.

My new ears (as I like to call them) arrived fulling programmed and ready to wear in about a week. After being fitted and tested I was asked to walk through the store. "Come back when you've done your shopping..." Then there were new question about comfort (both physically and audibly), the balance of background sounds, the sound of my own voice.... More adjustments, another walk, a few minor tweaks, and I was headed home.

It was definitely not perfect after that. Yet no matter how minor or major a problem might have seemed to me, no matter my request for something only I could hear, it was resolved within minutes (or a few days at worst). There was never an added charge, never a hesitation. I'm only sorry I didn't go much sooner.

It's well past a year now. My new ears - Kirkland Signature 10 (made by Sonova) - are still hearing flawlessly. Alas, not everyone has been as fortunate. This model has been discontinued and other brands are available. Fortunately it was never the device alone that impressed me - it's been the ongoing service. And I suspect that'll continue no matter whose brand...

Today was not such a great experience due to some issues picking up my canvas print. Costco Customer service doesn’t know where customers need to go pick up the prints since they closed Costco photo center. They sent me to another section which sent me to an area near optical. A young employee jumped the gun and decided to walk with me to collect the print. On the way she explained to me that some people had not paid yet for the prints and she was going there so she could walk me back to ring me up. All this without asking me of I had already paid for the print. She asked me for my last name and pull out my print. Then she walked back with me to the cash registrar. She then asked me for my Costco card which I produced and after that I added I already paid for the print. “You’re saying you already paid for the print?”, she asked. I confirmed yes, I already paid. She closes the registrar and decided to walk away to another area to double check my account to make sure I had already paid. After a total of 10 minutes trying to collect my print,I decided to leave the store. I told her that I had perishable groceries in my cart and I couldn’t wait for her to figure out if I paid or not and that they needed to mail out the print to me once they figure things out. My question is why did she not ask me if I had already paid for the print? And why did she doubt me when I told her I had already paid for the print?

Update on the review I went back to the same store and asked for the print. A gentleman came out to help me. He listened to my complaint and told me he was going to look into it. I went about my shopping business. Then he found me. He handed me the print, apologized profusely, gave me a $25 gift card for my troubles. So, I’m editing the review to applaud them because they listened to customers complaints and tried to make it right by...