7 Things Costco Employees Wish You’d Stop Doing
Costco is widely considered a great place to work, with good benefits and opportunities for growth—but it’s certainly not an easy job. Like any business where you have to deal with customers, it can be stressful at times, especially during busy periods like the weekends and holidays. Anonymous Costco employees sometimes vent online about behavior they witness or experience, and wish customers would think twice about. Some of it is not obvious, but still good to know. Here are seven things Costco workers would like you to please avoid doing when shopping at the warehouse chain.
Grab Your Cart From the Lot
One Costco cart pusher says to please just grab a shopping cart wherever you see one instead of only the corral by the entrance. “If you need a shopping cart on your adventure in the warehouse, can you be so kind as to take one from the parking lot, that way there are less carts for us to push up and you don’t have to wait behind the long line of people also waiting to grab a cart,” the employee says. “This especially applies to when there is a cart that someone stuck right on the line of the parking space. So it’s a win-win for all of us.”
Don’t Cut Off Cart Pushers
Another Costco employee asks customers and drivers to be considerate about workers pushing several carts back towards the store. “Please don’t run in front of the heavy full cart pusher in full motion to ‘just add one more cart!’ It’s like running in front of a semi,” they said. “Please don’t drive your car and zoom in front of the cart pusher with a full stack, just to brake check them. I almost hit your car because….objects in motion stay in motion. Then please don’t give me an attitude for almost hitting your car. 😂”
Keep Traffic Moving In the Lot
A lot of people will wait in a busy parking lot for something to load up their car—this can cause issues. “If you see someone putting groceries in their car, do not just sit and wait for 5 minutes for them to pull out so you can get the close parking spot; you’re just holding up traffic and indirectly causing a possible accident to take place since people like to get around you sitting there,” the cart-pushing employee asks.
Don’t Leave Trash In the Cart
Employees share horror stories about people leaving used diapers in shopping carts. “As a cart pusher, I 100% agree with all of this. But by far the most important thing, please please please pick up your trash,” one Redditor said. “The amount of diapers I have found left in carts is way too many,” another responded.
Have your Membership Card Ready
Do not wait until right before you walk in to search for your membership card (pro tip, if you have the Costco app all you have to do is scan it right from your phone). “Get your membership card out before you walk up to the store, that way you’re not standing right in front of the carts and blocking the cart pusher from putting in his carts and the people who are also trying to get their own cart just like you,” the employee says.
Don’t Overfill the Corral
Another employee says to use common sense when it comes to putting carts into the corral. “I pushed carts at Costco. I feel your pain. I would also add; If the cart coral is full, don’t add your cart to the long line that is already jutting way out into the parking lot. There’s another coral nearby. Find it,” they asked.
Be Aware of Your Surroundings
Don’t just stop in the middle of a busy area to have a chat, either in person or on the phone. “If you want to have a friendly conversation with your long lost friend, please be more aware of your surroundings and do not just have it right smack in front of the carts,” the worker says. “It’s kind of hard to dictate where is a good place to have a conversation because there are guys pushing carts from all angles, but don’t do it in front of the carts.”
