Costco Wholesale — Local services in Sioux Falls Township

I've had a membership since the beginning. There's good and bad.

Good: Prices on certain items(birthday cakes, meat, pre-made food, food court just to name a few)

The food court is fast and cheap. I ordered a whole pizza when they were busy, and it took 10 minutes.

Stuff you buy there tends to be high quality. The Kirkland brand is just as good as name brand in most cases.

Alcohol is usually a little cheaper than liquor stores. Again, the Kirkland brand reigns supreme.

Decent prices on clothing, excellent place to get kids winter coats, hats, snow pants...

Employees can be helpful. They usually know where stuff is, and if it's in stock

Checkout is lightning fast.

The customer service desk is usually awesome. You can return almost anything for any reason. They also do price adjustments up to a month after.

Bad Tire service is awful. I won't buy tires there again just because of the service. They take forever and just aren't helpful if you have problems.

Employees can be rude. I think they get busy and forget their manners. I usually just give it back to them, and it shuts them down. If they order me around, I'll say, "I'd be happy to if you would ask nicely. ASK is the key word there." Usually, stuff like this happens at checkout. Be firm but polite. Don't raise your voice.

They get pushy about upgrading to the executive membership. I'll say "No" nicely once. Just once, though.

You can't try on clothing. Well, you can try on shoes or a jacket right there in the aisle. Usually, I buy something and try it on in the family bathroom so I can just return it if it doesn't fit.

You have to check produce for spoilage. I don't know how many times I've gotten home and found a rotting onion or whatever in the bottom of the bag.

Stock is inconsistent. I don't know how many times I've gone there to get pantry staples, and they're out. They're just out of random stuff sometimes. Paper products, produce, meat... It's just annoying because now you have to get it somewhere else or go back later.

They're constantly moving stuff around, causing you to wander around the store looking for it. I've heard they do this on purpose, hoping you'll buy more stuff while you're wandering around looking.

They've gotten way too busy over the years. Weekends are out of the question anymore. There's just too many people, people get grouchy(myself included), and it's just a miserable experience. We usually try to go weeknights an hour or two before closing.

One more thing... OTHER CUSTOMERS, my gosh, people can be inconsiderate. You should need to take a class to shop there. #1 thing is don't block the aisles. Ran into your old co-worker and want to chat, great, but don't stand there and block the aisle. Want to grab a sample for you and your 3 kids? Fine, but don't block the aisle. Want to read lables or look over stuff before buying, again, great, but pull your cart to the side and don't block the aisle. Other people shouldn't have to ask...

Our family is very impressed with various aspects of this store ; especially the optical staff and those throughout the store that solicit if you need help or get you to appropriate resource that can provide an assist. The food products are great, timely sale of items, discounted gift cards, occasional quick meal from food court, etc.

Today was another whole experience. I had the opportunity to work with tire service group for a plug/patch. First, I was told 1h 45m wait time. After close to 3 hours I solicited status with same salesperson that rung up sale. Sebastian was very nonchalant and lacked professionalism. How about a text or call to say wait would be longer than planned. Then to top it off all four tires left the shop with different psi than manufacturer recommendations. Some tires were even at 39psi after car sat for 3 hours thus tires were cold. The norm for this tire is 35. Costco, you can do better. My rating reflects 5 stars for normal shopping activity and 1 star for tire service.

Update:

I'd like to offer an update to my previous review. I spoke with one of Costco's local administrative managers (Tyler) who displayed great listening skills and empathy. Tyler was apologetic for the situation, and upon our next visit had their customer service team credit cost of original service and provided a merchandise gift card for use within the store. A sign of great companies is how they resolve customer service queries, especially those from someone disgruntled. I sought Tyler out on our next visit, shook his hand and personally thanked him for how well he represented the Costco brand. Upgraded my overall rating from...

This review is specific to Costco tire services we received today 3/2/21 around noon. I have been going there for tire services for many years. I have bought 12 tires there. I take each car in twice a year to switch between regular and winter tires. I went in to change from winter to regular tires today because the weather is in the 50s going on to the 60s. It took 1 1/2 hours. Rob Fitzpatrick reprimanded me for coming in for tire change “prematurely.” His tone suggested that he was upset with my decision. Then he told me that a TPMS battery was low and a warning light might go off tomorrow or, in a year. He checked my car out. When I got home I noticed an obvious leaking sound on a tire so I drove back to Costco. John McGaugh confirmed that a tire nozzle was loose and leaking. (No leakage prior to tire change.) John fixed it. I have received services from John and other staff (among them Henry Goodman I think) many times and never had any problems. I conclude that Rob is NOT professional while John is. How could Rob check out a car with obviously loose and leaking tire nozzle? I might not go back to Costco next winter unless I can specify which mechanic I do or don’t want work on my car. I have noticed Michelin medals or awards displayed on the wall. Please award John. He is the competent one, not Rob. UPDATE on 3/3/21: Went in for 25-mile safety check today. Rob offered an explanation and an apology for the event yesterday. He provided a good service today. I appreciate that Costco and Rob took notice of my feedback and took action to improve our relationship. Therefore, I am adding 2 stars to the 1 star I...