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Costco Gives Me The Finger On The Way Out The Door!
Posted on May 25, 2008 | Filed Under Rants
05-25-2008
Costco, Orange CT USA
In general I'm a fan of Costco. The experience is pretty much the same whether you shop in San Diego CA or Shelton Ct. And anyone that can get away with charging EVERYONE at least 40 bucks a year for the privilege of shopping there, well… they earn a special place in my heart.
I went in today just to pick up a brick of playing cards for my friend and partner Frank Everhart, Frank is a Magician in Key West, Fl and the other half of The Key West Guys. Franks not lucky enough to have a Costco within 5 hours, so I help him out!
While I was there I happened to run into a Toaster Oven that looked like it would be a great replacement for the one that conked out on me a couple of weeks ago, that and a beach chair and some socks.
Went in to spend $13.00 and left spending almost $150.00. And that's not unusual… From what I understand Costco has the highest average ring of any retailer in the US. Good on ya Costco!
The transaction was event less, even pleasant. I heard the 2 young ladies ringing me up discussing how someone had just gotten chewed out for just throwing peoples purchases back in their cart, they commented that it was horrible behavior and I dug that. (They weren't talking to me, I just overheard them while waiting in line)
They rung me up, I had a $10.00 rebate on the Toaster Oven. I was walking out and was looking for a rebate board, ya know where you would pull the rebate ticket, I couldn't find one so I stopped at the Customer Service counter where 3 employees were shooting the breeze. I approached the closest young lady behind the counter and explained I had the rebate and asked how I get the rebate ticket, barely looking up she said - "send in the receipt".
DONE
No "thanks for shopping with us", no "thanks", no h"ave a good day", no smile - NOTHING! Not even "goodbye", she just went back to work!
Well, maybe to anyone else that would seem like just a tiny mistake, but to me… HUGE. I would have fired her for that.!
She was the last impression I have of that visit at Costco. Everything that just went right - just got sabotaged because she was lazy and didn't care. Will I go back? I'm sure I will, but I may go back only 9 times this year instead of 12. I spend an average of $300 each time I shop there. So that's 900 bucks Costco does not get a chance to make. That's probably about 3 weeks pay for this "Customer Service" Rep!
Why, oh why do so many people go so far and then screw it up at the end. The end is just - if not more important than the rest of the experience. That's why you make sure the folks on your registers are trained and drilled to smile, be polite, pay attention to the Customer, have fun with the Customer, make the part where they're parting with their hard earned money as pleasant as you can. Geez, if it was up to me I'd say hug and kiss them at the register!
Do ya get it? Many stores put their quietest and most conservative people on the register - WRONG! Put the most outgoing fun people on the checkout. Teach them to count change better if you have to but that's the person you want there.
Change just this one thing…I'll bet you'll see your sales go up, repeat visits increase, and the average ring accelerate. Try it!
Talk to me folks. What do you do during the check out process that makes your business special? What have you seen done that you wish other folks would do - Talk to me!
John Jaworski
Comments
4 Responses to “Costco Gives Me The Finger On The Way Out The Door!”
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If your assumption of $900 equates to 3 weeks of pay then that customer service rep is making $7.50 per hour ($300/40 hours per week = $7.50 per hour). The minimum wage is $6.55 per hour so that Costco employee is making about one dollar above the minimum. To be honest with you, you are lucky that she spoke English at all!
The problem with America is not that we don't have our most socially adept people at the cash register (those people don't work at Costco and they most certainly don't make $7.50 per hour). The problem is that places like Costco are undercutting American jobs and American businesses. Americans need to understand that "Every day low prices" equates to "Every day low salaries". That toaster was almost certainly manufactured in a foreign country with a labor force that makes far less than the minimum here. Not only were you supporting the low pay scale of the customer service rep. but also contributing to the outsourcing of the American workforce.
When you are shocked to get poor service from a WalMart, Target or Costco then ask yourself how much that employee is getting from your cheap toaster, beach chair and socks and maybe just maybe you will be answering your question as to why the quality of service at those stores suck. If you expect to get fantastic service from your cashier then expect to pay a premium for your socks. The truth is that I'm sure it won't be long before Costco forces you to use one of those automated cash registers. I'm a computer person and I hate those things. I'll take a socially retarded cashier any day before I have to deal with a machine that refuses to accept my sock purchase.
Argh!
I will say one thing… It's good that you are replacing your socks. I will never forget the odor of John's foot in my face while taking a long road trip. Call your little brother some time, he misses you.
And just how cordial and polite were you sir?.Do you know how many members have the "I pay to shop here" extremely rude disposition?
Want polite, attentive,efficient service with a smile?–try giving some yourself.
We are paid extremely well and have top notch benefits as well,so you need to reconsider you estimations on your ridiculous 3 weeks salary B.S.
Dont judge Cotco based on the fact that someone may have had a shit day !
Good Question and comment employee. I was as cordial as any human being would be. i'm sure I didn't have a Howdy Doody smile on my face, I had just spent hundreds of dollars, waited in line 10 minutes to check out, in a hurry to get to my next stop - I would say that I was your average customer - no ruder or nicer than anyone else.
Your question - Do you know how many members have the "I pay to shop here" extremely rude disposition?
I don't. Perhaps more than at an average store because we pay to shop there… I guess we have the feeling that we pay for the privedge to give COSTCO our money, we should ALWAYS be treated with respect. Regardless of how we treat the person at the store…
Your Comment - We are paid extremely well and have top notch benefits as well,so you need to reconsider you estimations on your ridiculous 3 weeks salary B.S.
So you informed us that COSTCO employees are paid very well. Good for you guys. BUT…. that's even more reason that you should ALWAYS treat a Customer like they were a very important and welcome guest. that's what you are paid for. Now I am the last person to tell you the Customer is always right. They aren't. I have been treated like shit by customers in the past and while it's not right - it is Retail. It is a fact of dealing with the general public. You can become the whipping boy. It definitely goes with the territory.
But I wasn't that Customer. I was very civil, friendly and just wanted top know where the rebate board was…
What's most worrisome here is that you expect Customers are going to treat you like a King first. I have news for ya - It Doesn't Work That Way. They have already shown you and your company a lot of respect by choosing you as the place to leave their hard earned money. They have said, "I'll go to Costco, Not BJ's Not Sams - COSTCO".
That is itself should be enough respect for you to offer a great Customer experience.
Plus - every time I interact with you you have an opportunity to leave an impression. Is it a good or a bad impression. One good or bad impression alone usually is not enough to make me a loyal Customer or cause me to choose another store. But they are Cumulative.
Customer service is like a bank. You start off with nothing, (actually Costco starts off with a deficit because you charge me to shop in your store. So you have to earn my respect now.)
How do you make deposits? Many ways. A clean store, Easy to find merchandise, great selection, fresh produce, meat, fish etc. Convenient store hours, great customer/Customer Service Representative interaction and great prices! Plus I'm sure there are many more…
How do you make withdrawals… Don't do or do poorly any of the above.
Every time I spend money in your store - I make a deposit in your account. I prove that I am a customer that will spend money on the 2 gallon jug of mayonnaise etc. I physically, and literally make a deposit.
How I am treated before I walk back with my cart is what will make me decide if my deposit is paying dividends. The question most Customers aks after we have made our deposit (most of us ask this question without knowing it EVERY time we spend money) is - "Did I get a good return on my investment?" If the answer is "yes", we'll be back. If the answer is "sort of", we'll be back less often, if the answer is "no", we really have to think about it before we shop with you again. If the answer is no enough times, you just went bankrupt and I shop somewhere else.
So was the way I was treated enough to make me not go back - no, but it did make me think about it. In general I like Costco a lot. I think it's a great store and most of the time the return on investment is fine, but if I happened to feel like it was beginning to be a bad investment and I was treated the way I was JUST before I left the store, JUST after I had "made a deposit for $150.00, I just might have decided that our relationship was bankrupt and I need to shop elsewhere.
Employee I would love to hear your comments about this and appreciate what it's like behind a register - been there done that and it's hard, really hard. What I found was the difference between my good days behind a register and the bad ones were my decision, my decision to make it a good day always made the difference.
Well, this title that Costco gave the finger on the way out the door made me laugh because Costco has indirectly (during my deposition with Costco Defense Attorney David Kadue) insinuated that I (after being terminated from Costco) flipped someone off as I left. I didn't.