Costco employees have taken to a viral Reddit thread to voice their frustrations about customer behavior, sharing a list of pet peeves that have sparked conversation among workers and shoppers alike. Complaints have more than tripled in just the last year. This increase comes on the heels of a significant decrease in customer satisfaction, as reported in this year’s American Customer Satisfaction Index.
That index showed a 5% decrease in satisfaction for Costco customers over 2024. Workers are the ones feeling the effects of this bust. This is likely due to the way your customers behave during their shopping journey. In the r/iAmA reddit thread, employees shared their frustrations from everyday customers, shining a light on rude behaviors that make store associates’ jobs so much harder.
Workers often vented about customers who blocked aisles. These customers frequently plant themselves directly in the roadway despite traffic they have no knowledge of. This aggressive behavior harms the other customers. It’s very frustrating to staff trying to restock shelves and keep everything in order.
“The amount of times I’m in the produce fridge and see people opening every container of grapes to take one and try it in order to apparently find the bunch of grapes that Christ himself blessed is too damn high.” – Anonymous Costco Employee
Other complaints focused on customers leaving perishables behind in random places around the store. Employees were amazed at the frequency with which they found food left in non-approved locations. This habit led to wasted food and undue confusion.
“People leaving perishables in random places, throwing their trash in random places, and rudeness, I think we agree, don’t belong in Costco.” – Anonymous Costco Employee
Many employees followed up with funny stories. One painted the picture of how parents use toys and seasonal amusements as babysitters while they get their shopping done. They told us that nothing derails their work even more quickly than children on the loose, darting through the stacks.
“Treating the toys and seasonal games as a babysitter while you shop. Nothing stops work faster than unattended or missing children.” – Anonymous Costco Employee
Employees noticed that customers were frequently throwing away sample cups behind pallets. This exhibitionist behavior caused unsanitary and disgusting conditions of the store. One other staff member expressed this same worry. They said bluntly you would never roll up to your best friend’s house with an ice cream cone, only later find out it was in your butt.
“That’s like me coming over to your house, pulling the ice cream out, only for you to find it an hour later chilling in the bathroom.” – Anonymous Costco Employee
As these frustrations come to light, employees hope that by sharing their experiences, customers may become more aware of their actions while shopping. The goal is clear: to foster a respectful and efficient shopping environment.
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