Costco

DISCLAIMER!!!, THIS IS A REVIEW ABOUT THE CELL PHONE KIOSK … I LOVE THIS COSTCO THOUGH.
I went in on a Tuesday looking to switch from my plan with sprint into a family plan. After having to fight them off for about 30 min about me switching carriers, i finally picked the plan i wanted. So after getting the paperwork started, the employee told me that sprint no no longer is offering the deal. REALLY? WTF… So on that note, i decided to switch carriers and start over from scratch. After 3 hours of trying to activate my new plan, the manager told us that they do not have any phones in stock. AGAIN, REALLY! WTF! This wasnt acceptable since my dad needed his phone ASAP because he was leaving the country the next day and needed the phone. So we asked the manager if they could check the inventory of the other stores. She said only the store in Bolingbrook had phones in stock. So we told them we were leaving to an AT&T store who had phones in stock. The manager flat out lined to me and said the deal they were offering isn’t offered anywhere else, but that she did have good news and was able to track ONE phone down @ the niles costco. Like an idiot i believed them and proceeded to niles to pick up that phone. When i got to the niles store, the AWESOME salesman informed me that they were FULLY STOCKED with phones! UNBELIEVABLE! so i asked him if i could cancel my order with the clybourn retailer and start fresh @ the niles one and he said yes, but i would have to pay for the taxes again and i would have to return the phones that the clybourn location ordered from Seattle and wait for a while for a refund. That would have been about $ 300 in one day i spent for nothing. When i returned to the clybourn location, i had to wait a total of 4 HOURS! The new employee fucked up the activation and couldn’t reverse his mistake so we were on hold with AT&T customer support the whole time. I had to return the next day because they were closing to fix the problem. The manager said she would be there to fix the problem herself around 5pm and asked me if i could come in. I agreed and showed up the next day. GUESS WHO DIDN’T BOTHER SHOWING UP?! yep, the manager. So after fixing the problem myself with the help of the new employee, i was expecting them to @ least expedite the phones. Nope, nothing. Now i have to wait till they arrive on Monday, 6 days later, to go back to that costco and have them activate my phones and plan. TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE!!! never will i go back there for phones.

I probably go to Costco once a month-​ish to buy items that I go through a lot of. Normally, I am fine trading off experience for lower costs. This store is a pretty typical Costco. My knock on Costco (and it just so happens that it manifested itself at this store) is how they handle recalls (one in particular that impacted me personally). Recently, a frozen veg product that I had purchased from Costco was recalled for food safety reasons. I get that Costco sells thousands of products, so occasionally they will stock a product that is defective. They sent me an email letting me know the product was recalled (because they knew that I had purchased the product based on their sales records), and that I should not consume and that I could return for a refund. My issue with this is that they are forcing me to return a FROZEN product to the store for a refund. That would imply that I would have to go immediately to physically return the product if I don’t want something with food safety concerns potentially being consumed by my children while I hold it in my freezer until the next time I go to Costco. Really!!! You sold me a defective frozen product that has food safety concerns, but the only way to get a refund is to hold it in inventory at my house until I can physically bring it to the store for a refund (especially since you know that I purchased the product and how much I paid for it)!!! That is not a customer centric corporate policy and clearly puts short term profit concerns above long term customer relationships.
Note: I validated that I physically needed to bring the product into the store at the store itself.

This is for the customer service counter. Every time I’ve had to use it, they don’t have enough staff & the wait is longer than it should be.
I’m incredibly unhappy with Pencola? Spelling? I’ve had to deal with her twice in the last two weeks & she has been the rudest customer service person both times. I’m shocked Costco has employed her since 2001 or 2011 (whatever is on her name tag) with an attitude like that.
1^st encounter I show up & she barks at me to move to the counter. I explain that I want to renew & downgrade my membership & she takes my id. She then calls another associate over stops working & just stands at the counter talking about a theft that happened earlier that day. When she’s finally done, she calls for a manager to override the account. I realize I had left my debit card at home & say I’ll have to come back to pay for it. It was an accident & she was incredibly rude about it.
Today I return & immediately try being very nice so hopefully I would be treated better today. I walk up to the counter & she just stares at me. I explain that I don’t have my Costco card since I haven’t had my membership for over a year but I do have my state issued id & she rolls her eyes at me. I’m a secondary user on the account & my last name is different from my fiancé, so I can’t downgrade the membership. I understand rules are rules but why didn’t she tell me this last time because at this point I have wasted two trips trying to get my membership. This second trip could have been avoided had she done her job properly the first time. Ridiculous.

This is about CostCo Optical. While the prices are cheap but so as the frames. I had such a terrible time with their frames, had to return one and am super unhappy with the replaced one. I think name brand manufacturers supply cheaper and lower quality frames to CostCo. My face is not deformed, and I’ve never had such a bad fit with frames. They are either too heavy, too tight, too something rubbing everywhere, cannot be adjusted, somehow dig into my nose just on one side (could not be fixed), gave me massive headaches. Just terrible. I went there numerous times for adjustments, still have bad fit pair.

DON“T ORDER ONLINE FOR DELIVERY TO YOUR HOME!
I like Costco for their good deals, great produce, and value. However, the shipping company they work with (Old Dominion) will only deliver your items to the sidewalk outside your door, not indoors. I ordered 4 five foot round tables to be delivered and the driver refused to bring them inside. He left them on a pallet outside my door, even though I was standing there with keys in hand to hold the door open. I didn’t expect him to bring them in all the way, but just into the entry way so they wouldn’t get stolen. No such luck. I did manage to get them inside, but lesson learned– don’t order from COSTCO for delivery.

I go there at6 pm and due to power outage they were closed ! Don’t they have extra private power?

This is for the vision center. Avoid at all costs.
I went there for an updated exam and because one eye was a bit red. Turns out I was wearing my contacts too much, or too long. So the doctor suggested daily contacts since I wear monthly. Well he didn’t even have a whole set of trials to give me so I ended up trying two different brands at the same time. Just a terrible idea. This is after he chastised me for rinsing my fingers with water before taking my contacts out.
So long story short, the daily contacts were terrible and I wanted to stick to my monthly pair. Well the genius put that I only take dailies and I used to take monthlies, but he put down the wrong brand of monthlies and only wrote down 1 brand on dailies he gave me. So now I can’t buy contacts online because the prescription specifies something different.
So I gave them a call and was transferred to the doctors office, was told there was nothing that they can do and got some really poor attitude, I wish I would’ve gotten the girls name. She said that it had almost been a year so it didn’t matter since I’d have to come in anyway. It actually expires in under 3 months, simple math is hard. I was told the doctor doesn’t work there anymore so they can’t even ask him. And the doctor I have on my prescription is NOT who I saw in person. She eventually hung up on me when I asked to have my prescription sent to me because what she was saying was ridiculous. Overall this place is garbage, the staff that work the desk and front machines are barely trained in even the simplest of customer service skills and the same could be said for the eye doctors.
AVOID AVOID AVOID

NASTY ATTITUDE CASHIER who seems all too comfortable being so. There SHOULD BE be a CAMERA with AUDIO AT each CASHIER focusing on the face to face interaction.
Upon very kindly and respectfully asking perfectly innocent and appropriate questions it takes her absolutely no effort to answer, and all of 1 or 2 words, she BLATANTLY looked dead in our eyes and spoke condescendingly. She had a light tan completion and freckles on her face. SUCH a nasty attitude, the kind sick people who enjoy intimidating others have… also an insensitive bossiness and shameless sense of entitlement to act however she pleases absent of fear of consequences!
People who see nothing wrong with being mean and don’t beleive in kindness should not be allowed a job especially one dealing with PEOPLE!

NASTY ATTITUDE CASHIER who seems all too comfortable being so. Upon very kindly and respectfully asking perfectly innocent and appropriate questions it takes her absolutely no effort to answer, and all of 1 or 2 words, she BLATANTLY looked dead in our eyes and spoke condescendingly. She had a light tan completion and freckles on her face. SUCH a nasty attitude, the kind sick people who enjoy intimidating others have… also an insensitive bossiness and shameless sense of entitlement to act however she pleases absent of fear of consequences!
There should be a camera with audio at each cashier focusing on the face to face interaction.
People who see nothing wrong with being mean and don’t beleive in kindness should not be allowed a job especially one dealing with the public.

Costco is my go to for wholesale goods they sell a lot of items in bulk packaging and severely discounted. The Kirkland brand is great across the board. They sell extremely cheap alcohol here and it is all good quality.
The only thing you don’t have to be a member to buy is their hot food items which are cheap and tasty.

This Costco is unorganized, unhelpful, and poorly managed. The workers complain about their jobs in front of paying customers and comment on buying habits. I have been going to this store for about a year and keep thinking it will get better but it hasn’t. The optical department is not any better. I called at least 6 times to schedule an appointment and every time it took me to voicemail. I left multiple voicemails and have not had one call back. The only reason I go back is because it is the only location close to us in the city. I have no complaints about the products of Costco, only the customer service. The manager of this establishment needs to get his staff under control and make this place more efficient.

Pretty big and fast service of cashiers.
weekend morning tends to be busier.
they maintain it clean and organized. I really like this location as they carry healthy conscious food even cold pressed juice, many organic foods.

For the pharmacy. Wow, I wish I would have know about their pharmacy years ago. My prescription costs were nearly half the price of other places.

I love going to Costco because I can get all of the things we use often in a large bulk. Buying somethings twice a year is a great feeling and time saving. If you like crowds go on the weekend. But there are a lot to sample on the weekend. So it all depends on what you like better.
I try to go on weekdays to avoid crowds and lines.
The staff aren’t always the best or as helpful.

I wasn’t sure I would use it, and now we stop at Costco every week. Weeknights are less crowded than weekends. The membership was worth every penny.

Hi. Primarily signed up because I thought I’d give the optical dept. a try. Member since April of 2015. Optical — overall — a good experience. Decent prices & a lot of options for frames — but not quite as good a deal on exam as advertised. Lots of addons along the way.
Customer service outside optical — «Meh» at best. What you can expect:
— They won’t spell your extremely common 1^st name or two syllable last name correctly on your membership card. I handed them my IL drivers license & they still got both wrong.
— They won’t get your home mailing address right. Again they had my IL drivers license & still got it completely wrong.
— Fallout from wrong 1^st name, last name & address — I just got the 1^st costco «deals of the month» (?) mailing in late August.
— Don’t expect them do get your 1^st name, last name or mailing address correct — but — do expect extremely aggressive sales push to buy a more expensive membership. For at least the 3^rd time while inside the store — over-​the-​top aggressive costco employees in my face (I’m not kidding — in my face — buy a gym membership aggressive :)). Had to say «No. Thank you» at least 5 times between the two attempts today.
— I think they found it suspicious I took out my smartphone & took pictures of some costco items to research & think about for later (a soundbar in electronics, bulk allergy medicine & a «natural» contact lense solution in pharmacy).
— I think it also bothers them when I only pick up only a few items. The store is located on Clybourn Ave. — a main bicycle commuting route. I won’t be loading up a jumbo shopping cart & heading to my McMansion in the suburbs from there. :)
— Overall — a very weird vibe from employees in these location.
— Will I renew next year? «Meh».
— Last comment — 75% of the time — the costco price versus the aldi price (next door on Clybourn) — Aldi has almost identical price & doesn’t make me buy jumbo portions.

My wife introduced me to Costco and I have loved it ever since. This particular store, however is a bit of an outlier.
There is a disconnect between how you are greeted and inspected when you leave (always polite) and your experience at the cashier’s register. Sometimes assistant cashiers simply hang there, making a small talk with customers without even thinking about putting groceries back into the cart.
Last time, this guy called Rich, did exactly that. He kept commenting about my cart while completely ignoring his (only??) job. His comments carried zero positive value in terms of customer experience and wasted everyone’s time. I almost felt like telling the guy to stop goofing around and do his job!
While I do not expect the: «Welcome to Costco, I love you» attitude seen in a movie called Idiocracy, I think a little customer service could go a long way to make everyone’s experience a tad better.
Take a note, management.

I’ve been a Costco member for more than 10 years, and the company is just fine, nothing extraordinary (I’m actually reconsidering canceling my membership). This is not a review of the company, but a review of this particular Costco located in Chicago, IL (2746 N Clybourn).
This place is a ZOO. I really hate coming here, to the point that I am compelled to write a review and stay away as much as I can. Customers are so rude it’s incredible. I don’t know where this entitlement feeling comes from, but you can clearly see it. There is barely any courtesy whatsoever, starting from the parking lot, to the line at the pump, inside the warehouse, and lining up to pay or to grab some food at the food court. Employees do the best they can, I’d say, but you can also feel some frustration among them. As many as three times, I overheard conversations by employees complaining both about the company and about the customers. Not very nice. I guess not all that glitters is gold …
I rather drive 10 miles to to the suburbs than stepping in this mess again.

This is on the vision center. The girl that asst. Me was excellent & went out of her way to help me compared to the south Ashland store.
South Ashland one star
Lincoln park Five stars
Management need to looks @ the Unilocal reviews.

My wife has been here a few times and so have I. We both like shopping here because it’s very close to our home. What can say, it’s a pretty good costco. I have no complaints and I will continue using them until I move from this area.

I don’t personally own a membership, but daddy J. and mama J. are in town and they are both Costco business members.
Their membership works worldwide, so that’s definitely a perk. I used to shop at Costco back home with my parents. Now without a personal vehicle, I stick with my neighborhood Hispanic grocery stores.
Costco, located on Clybourn, near Damen (accessible via #50 bus) and Diversey, is pretty much a jumbo warehouse that sells electronic appliances, fine jewelry, luxury watches, apparel, accessories, dairy, meat, seafood, fresh produce, deli food, frozen goods, snacks, vitamins, and toiletries. I don’t believe that list was exhaustive, but you can certainly accomplish your «one-​stop» shopping here in this big «C» store.
Here are items that are priced reasonably and are worth to take a look at:
1) HP ink cartridges: hubby prints lots of documents and instructions out daily for work purposes. He also expenses and get reimbursed because one (1) HP black ink cartridge costs approximately $ 25 (when not on sale in Walgreens). Nevertheless, the HP ink cartridge combo: two (2) black and (1) color cartridges for $ 60.
2) ground coffee: their 3-​lb. Kirkland-​brand Colombian ground coffee costs $ 10.49. If you own one of those Keurig coffee machines at home and has the «my k-​cup» device, the ground coffee would come handy.
3) seafood: they have the Alaskan wild sockeye salmon for $ 13.99/lb. Yay, that would be an expensive choice for most middle-​class Americans. How about the farmed salmon for $ 6.99/lb. They also have some other nice selections, like ahi tuna, tilapia, and other frozen varieties.
We picked out the Caesar salad on sale for the week and cocktail shrimps. There’s a food court located near the registers. There was an ultra-​LONG line during lunch rush hours. While they don’t feature Chicago-​style dogs, they have all-​beef dogs with a 20oz. fountain pop (free re-​fills included). For $ 1.50 (as of 07/​01/​2015), they have condiments on the side for your convenience. Please remember: DON’T EVER PUT KETCHUP ON YOUR HOTDOG!
I wouldn’t consider the deli food in Costco as out-​of-​the-​world amazing. If you like an indoor picnic, watching people with their giant buggies maneuvering back and forth, you will probably enjoy what Costco has to offer.

I am a huge CostCo fan. However, this CostCo is run by employees and managers who do not seem to represent in the least CostCo’s commitment to excellent customer service. I placed an order for a graduation cake this morning at 8AM via fax and received a fax confirmation that it had been received. I called this afternoon and was told by Sharon that it had not been received. I tried to verify that I had the correct fax number, was cut off by Sharron three times before I could get it out, and when I explained that I have the fax number correct and a confirmation the fax was transmitted, she started going off on me. I merely hung up on her because I don’t expect this kind of customer service. I will be ordering my cakes elsewhere and I won’t be doing business with this CostCo any longer.
Previously I was treated very rudely when I told the aggressive person trying to sell me the Executive Membership when I had stated and explained I had done my research, I had the Executive level the year before, and just didn’t find the savings in the end-​of-​year check worth the extra $ 55 up-​front. I called management and explained how I felt pressured into buying that membership and asked them to call me back to discuss the matter, they never called me back even though the person I spoke with in the office promised a call within 48 hours.
This is not where I want to spend my money.

This Costco is extremely busy, especially on the weekend, so be prepared for that. Also, parking can be an absolute nightmare, so I recommend just grabbing a spot in the back and walking, far less stressful.
Outside of the crowds, this is a great Costco. The staff is friendly (for the most part) and the long lines tend to move quickly. They always have great food samples available, and if you’re anything like me, you just want to eat and people watch your way through Costco.
The layout is just like any other Costco, so not much to say there. If you’re looking to buy a membership, skip the lines and do it online. Or, just come on a weekday/​night to avoid the craziness of the membership line on the weekend.

This Costco is extremely busy, especially on the weekend, so be prepared for that. Also, parking can be an absolute nightmare, so I recommend just grabbing a spot in the back of the lot and walking, far less stressful.
Outside of the large crowds, this is a great Costco. The staff is friendly for the most part and the long lines tend to move very quick. They always have great food samples available, and if you’re anything like me, you just want to eat and people watch you way through Costco.
The layout is just like any other Costco, so not much to say there. If you’re looking to buy a membership, skip the lines and do it online. Or, just come on a weekday/​night to avoid the craziness of the membership line on the weekend.

I absolutly love, love this Costco. They have way more items then any other Costco I have ever been to. The associates are always friendly and they have gellato which is Awesome!

Costco overall: 5 stars. Concept is great, deals are plentiful, and selection has (almost) never disappointed (I’m still bitter about them getting rid of my favorite frozen potstickers)
This particular Costco: 3 stars, maybe 2. From Saturday morning through Sunday night, this wonderful warehouse of savings turns into Dante’s 8^th circle of hell. It’s no fault of the employees (usually, they’re decently friendly) — it’s the customers. No regard for where the oversized carts are steering, kids running amok, lines that back up so far they curl around the snack aisle (so I always end up purchasing more snacks, probably maybe), and a perfect storm of THE SLOWEST PEOPLE IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD and people taking Jeff-​Gordon-​esque turns at approximately 157mph so they can get their organic hummus faster. I’ve seen the best of savings, and the worst of humanity at this place, but I still keep coming back. $$ talks.
Okay, rant over. But seriously, if at all possible, go during the week!

Costco is definitely the place to go to buy in bulk and save a penny if you need large quanities of items. I highly recommend going on a weekday as weekends here are crazy busy. Costco offers a variety of items, but sometimes once an item is gone, its gone for good. I love Costco and can always find some great buys. Also try the hot dog and drink combo for $ 1.50, a delicious treat.

This is my neighborhood Costco and I’m always here for home and work.
Negatives are that parking is always horrible and the lines are pretty long.
Other than that it’s just like any other Costco I’ve been too.
There is a sweet girl named Nilda that works here that I see every now and then, she is the best. She is always working in different departments when I see her but she always greets me with a big smile. Always helpful and very friendly.
I always love great customer service. See you again soon Costco.

I can’t say enough great things about Hinckley Springs water service and product, which we got through Costco. Our first water dispenser had a defect and they replaced it in less than 24 hours. The deliveries always come as scheduled. Our delivery person gave me his card so I can contact him with any questions and the customer service reps on the phone have been very professional, courteous and accommodating. We love this water and the service Hinckley Springs provides.
Water dispensers are available for purchase at Costco, but the warranty is only for a certain amount of months. We prefer renting the dispenser; if there’s ever a problem, they come out right away with a brand new unit, set it up for you and test that it’s working. We get occasional calls asking of everything is ok with our service, which is appreciated. You will get spoiled by being able to pour ice cold or steaming hot from your water dispenser!