Costco Wholesale — Local services in Scarborough

I'll start by saying, I LOVE COSTCO. Still do. It used to be the highlight of every month for me. But this location has some very real staffing issues that need to be addressed.

Unfortunately I don't have very positive things to say about the way this branch handled my membership renewal yesterday.

I got the coupon in the mail for the difference in membership cost, because we did not spend enough last year to justify the executive membership. My girlfriend and I came in the other day, and the lady at the scan in station informed us that our membership had expired. No big deal. I asked if I needed to go to customer service and the lady told me I could finish my shopping and take care of my membership at the checkout. She then reiterated the membership pricing and we went on our way.

How convenient right?

When we get to checkout, load up about $500 worth or groceries, dairy, produce, etc. I told the clerk which membership I would like. They then proceed to tell me they cannot process my membership at checkout, because I wanted to downgrade to a regular membership. I was informed that they would have to remove all of my items from the belt, take me and all my items over to customer service, processes the renewal, and start the checkout process all over again.

Mind you, this is a busy store. There's people waiting to checkout behind me and the customer service line is usually pretty busy. So I begrudgingly tell the clerk I will take the executive membership to avoid the inconvenience. To be clear, I understand this to be corporate policy. I place no blame on the checkout clerk for simply doing their job, regardless of how I personally feel about the policy.

That being said, I was personally not a fan of this policy to be completely honest. No big deal since Costco has a 100% money back guarantee on memberships. So the next day I decide to go back and cancel/refund the membership. The lady with the English accent at customer service brings over management. I explain the situation to the management on duty, they refund me and apologize.

Great right?

Well then right before I leave the lady with the English accent proceeds to tell me what I could have done to remedy the situation. She proceeded to inform me that "I could have just paid for the executive membership, come right back in, and get a refund for the difference."

Which brings me to the 3 problems I would like to address to the management.

1. The onus of informing customers where to go is on Costco and it's employees. Not the customer.

2. I did in fact ask the greeter before walking in whether or not I needed to go to customer service.

3. Please don't get defensive when someone has a problem and asks for a refund. It's not personal. A simple sorry and my cash back would have been sufficient.

This was totally avoidable.

A pretty simple communication breakdown at first. But following it up by telling me what I could of done differently wasn't a great look.

Improper communication with customers seems to be a theme at this location.

The under communication at the greeter station, followed up by the oddly defensive over communication at the customer service counter just didn't sit right with me.

The whole experience was really unpleasant and awkward. Again the problem was completely avoidable. The solution for me was very obvious.

I hope the management can implement some communication training, so this particular situation doesn't occur again.

As much as I love those $1.50 hot dogs, they are not worth that...

Literally the most amazing customer care and service. Chris S at the member service desk is the absolute MVP. He is super professional, while also being super nice and super friendly. He always treats everyone with so much respect and kindness. I am never made to feel ashamed or guilty for having a genuine and valid return within the return window. I've found that many stores eye you like you are trying to steal or defraud them always if you even think about returning something. In contrast, Chris genuinely love to help others and do everything he can to help people out. He has always made my day whenever I have to visit the service desk, and he always delivers amazing, above-and-beyond service with a smile and lots of humor. Please continue to hire and keep people like Chris S, Costco. 😭😭😭❤

LOVE COSTCO! This is the first time I've ever been to a Costco anywhere or had a membership. It is Maine's first Costco! Opened in November 2023! Costco is super clean and new, and the food court is fantastic and run very efficiently. I get my food between 20 seconds to never longer than 5 mins after ordering, depending on how busy it is. On average, it takes 1 min. It is so fast!!! Food very fresh and tasty. The Berry (fruit) smoothie is to die for! And the pepperoni pizza slices are so amazing! I'm always finding something new I didn't know I needed but have to take home (e.g. cooling body pillows, salad spinners, bean bags). The prices are fantastic and there are always instant savings like at Sam's Club and BJ's.

There's always tons of clean and large produce boxes to put groceries into at all the registers. It's a great experience shopping at Costco!!! The person who checks receipts at the door, the older gentleman, is super super nice and very funny. I don't know his name yet, but he's a great guy 🥰🥰💜 thanks for coming to Maine, Costco. So happy to have you!!!!!🧡💜🙏

I do really wish Costco had a faster website/app and a way for members to check store prices and store inventory online. Unlike Sam's Club and BJ's, Costco moves a certain number of items around every day or almost every day (the Treasure Hunt business model). Unlike Sam's Club and BJs, there are no aisle markers or store map, so you will definitely need to spend some time getting to know the store over a few visits before you know where anything is located. (Food still will move around, but seem to stay on the same aisle, usually, or one aisle over.)

In sum, I love Costco and will continue renewing my membership for years to come. A super amazing experience, and great value...

After years about hearing all the wonderful things regarding Costco, I finally had the chance to see for myself. My wife signed us up when Costco finally came to Maine in the last few months and I had the chance to visit the store in Scarborough. The vast parking lot was the first indication of scale, perhaps 50% full on a quiet Thursday morning between winter storms. The large gas station was enticing, since their price per gallon is roughly $0.45 per gallon below anyone else but Sam's Club. Unfortunately my gas tank was full. I had a return to process first thing, no sweat - the friendly woman handled it with aplomb. Then I walked every aisle just to take in what was on offer. As a businessman, I was extremely impressed with the way the place is set up and how it functions despite huge demand. Any consumer, even older folks like us with no small business and no children at home, can save significant $$ at this place by paying attention and buying what makes sense. I was impressed by the obvious focus on product quality - unique granolas that have far less sugar than supermarket brands. Packaged meats like chicken sausages at very low prices but ingredients I can live with for healthy eating. The clothing is uninspiring but I am lucky to be able to afford better items. A quick 25% savings on gift cards to Portland Pie company, sold! I know their hearing aids and eye glasses are very well regarded so I'll try them when needed. Heck, even car buying and maintenance deals, to say nothing of great savings on travel. And of course, $1.50 for a sizable hot dog and soft drink - who does that except smart business folks who know how to terrorize their competition while benefitting their customers. In short,...