Costco Wholesale — Local services in Liberty Township

Shopping at Costco in this university-adjacent, ostensibly upscale enclave is nothing short of a transcendent retail pilgrimage—a paradoxical blend of primal hunting instincts and the serene detachment of a tenured professor browsing the faculty lounge. The angels pushing my cart are likely underpaid but remarkably efficient grad students, their smiles just convincing enough to make me believe they aren’t counting the minutes until their break.

As a devout plant-based ascetic, I nevertheless engage in a slow, meditative procession through the meat department, where the precision of the packaging suggests an advanced seminar in Euclidean geometry. Each cut of meat is arranged with such fastidious symmetry that one half-expects to find a peer-reviewed paper tucked beneath the styrofoam, perhaps titled "Optimal Marbling Distribution in a Late-Stage Capitalist Paradise." The presentation is so artful, so museum-grade, that I briefly consider whether the butchers moonlight as curators at the Guggenheim.

The grocery aisles unfold like a well-structured academic syllabus—overwhelming in scope, yet meticulously organized to ensure maximum impulse acquisition. The product blocking is so psychologically masterful that I’m half-surprised a choir of tenured marketing professors doesn’t burst forth from behind a pallet of organic quinoa, harmonizing in a triumphant chorus of "Buy More, Save More (Theoretical Savings May Vary)." My visual acuity sharpens to unnatural levels, allowing me to spot, with predatory precision, items I never knew I needed but now cannot possibly leave without.

And then, the checkout—a blissful exercise in learned helplessness. No need to lift a finger, no expectation to perform even the most rudimentary tasks. The employees, like benevolent retail deities, handle everything with the practiced ease of scholars who’ve long since accepted that the system is absurd, but hey, the benefits are decent. I stand there, a passive participant in this choreographed consumerist ballet, silently mouthing -“thank you"-as if exiting a particularly satisfying dissertation defense.

Magnificent. Flawless. A retail experience so refined it almost— almost—makes me forget I came in for almond milk and left with a year’s supply of artisanal pickles and a kayak. Bravo, Costco. You’ve perfected the art of making excess feel like...

I just went to this store today (11/2/2023). It was like experiencing a nightmare. I forgot to bring my membership card today, so I went to the customer center to print a paper membership card. Unfortunately, the customer center There were so many new customers applying for cards, and it took a long time for everyone to fill in their personal information. I had been waiting for more than twenty minutes, so I asked: I just forgot to bring my card. It’s easy. Can anyone help me print it out? ? Then a middle-aged woman said very loudly, "You should be patient, everyone is very busy." The service staff yelled, and I was so scared that I didn't dare to speak. I don't know if it was because I have an Asian face or my language is not good. , the other party gave me a disdainful look and went to chat next to me. I took my son who is in high school with me. My son did not go to school with me today because he was sick. My son was with me during the whole process. My son was very depressed. She said, "Mom, let's go, don't be here." I was also very frustrated. I told my son that it was okay. After I went out after shopping, I saw this short-haired woman again. The customer service member glanced at me sideways. I couldn't bear it anymore and went over to tell her. , you shouldn’t talk to customers like this, and it’s not you I’m asking. Just such a sentence, the woman and the person she was chatting with scolded me, and I shouted blindly, I want to see your manager, and finally the manager Came and the manager apologized. I wanted to know how the manager handled the matter. The manager said she would ask, but she didn’t need to tell me. This is what happened. I hope the service center of this store can treat customers better. Improve and be friendly to different ethnic groups instead of discriminating against weaker ethnic groups. This is not the experience a member who charges 188$ per year...

I am a loyal Costco shopper for years…you do have to know your prices, but all the deals make membership well worth it. Employees are normally super courteous & helpful, I love going there! Food for thought today, however. There’s a new policy where an employee confirms the customer is indeed the card owner, while also directing self-serve checkout customers to one line & all others to regular checkout lanes. In order to direct customers to the proper line, the employee yells loudly enough for customers 30’ back to hear her. When the customer finally reaches the “card checking” employee just prior to heading to a specific register, the directions re having your card and/or ID ready are given in a somewhat stern manner, rather than polite & professional. When asked why this new policy is in place, I was told they were looking for customers using someone else’s card, “because it’s unfair to you who are paying for your membership.”

As a senior citizen, I dislike being yelled at, even if I’m just one of a group of people all standing in line waiting to give Costco my money. Prior to this policy, an employee would walk slowly down the line of waiting customers, calmly explaining which line was for which purpose. They might repeat themselves several times depending on the length of the line, but at least it was courteous & professional. I think it would help if the “card checking” employee developed some finesse in her delivery. It also occurs to me that Costco likely has initiated this procedure in order to require more folks to buy memberships if they want to shop there…all well and good, but why not reach out to the members who are lending their cards to unauthorized people, rather than scrutinizing me and pretending it’s for my own protection? Call me old fashioned, it’s just not the superb customer service I’ve always enjoyed. Thank you...