Costco

Costco Optical is a joke, just take your business elsewhere. They don’t value your time and the process for getting glasses or contacts is in the stone age. They don’t accept over the phone payments so you have to drive to Costco and pay for the prescription then wait a week then drive back to pickup your order… Stupid and a waste of time.

Costco is great, they have good prices on things that are often hard to find. The problem? everything comes in overly large sizes. I think that is because I live by myself. It is also why I am not a member any more.
That said I do like the occasional visit. Usually this one with a friend of mine who lives close by.
Once inside it is a great store, I just never know what I will find. Time it right and you will get a lot of great samples. Good buys are all over the store. I also like buying drinks, snacks, other foods…
The big negative here is the parking. Its a big lot but I always wind up with a lousy parking spot. Then there is the parked carts of people inside the store… it can be hard to make my way through.
Tip: if you are a guest, they are usually up to take your cash only.
Tip 2: if shopping with a friend buy stuff together and split it in half, the package sizes are often just to big.

Wow, I’m baffled by this one. The Costco staff and most of the patrons are fine (a lot of grazers and shopping carts parked in the middle of the aisle). But it is crowded; and the exterior store plan is a disaster. I was nearly mowed down in the crosswalk going in and leaving. It’s the first time I felt like I was back in California, where the car is king and the pedestrian is a speed bump – really the opposite of what I’ve seen in Oregon. It’s only my first visit, but I’m already considering a farther trek to another location. It seems like a giant pain just to get in and out of the parking lot.

Called about my son’s prescription (a new one that had never been filled before). We recently moved and live over 30 minutes away now — I wanted to make sure that before I drove all the way there, his insurance covered his prescription (his doctor made it sound like they wouldn’t). I was told that I’d have to come in before they’d do anything and fill out his insurance info. I asked if there was any way I could do it over the phone because we lived a ways out and I’d hate to drive all the way there just to find out it wasn’t covered. To make a long story short, her AND her supervisor (who I requested to speak with) were just extremely rude, uncaring and unprofessional. The kind who interrupt you, could care less about helping and do the bare minimum of what their job requires. Where in the world has good customer service gone?! Her excuse was that it was too difficult to do over the phone (apparently jotting down six letters/​numbers was too difficult … considering the fact that they already had his name and DOB). They were infuriating.
I called our local pharmacy here in our new town — nicest people ever. Seriously. Just another example of big companies with terrible customer service and employees who don’t know what it means to go the extra mile for the customer because they don’t have to compete for business. No thanks.
On a good note, the cashiers in the actual warehouse have always been very friendly and helpful. The food court is delicious and cheap. Their return policy is one of the best — absolutely no hassle.

This Costco is my visitor’s destination shopping spot.
I stop in just once or twice a year but love it when I do. The entry doors are strangly located near the corner furthest away from customers as they walk in from the parking lot. It’s one of the few Costco’s where you can see their gas pumps before you see the store as you enter the parking lot. And being in Oregon, state law requires an attendant to operate the gas pump for you!
It is a moderate sized store. The cool thing is that their prices for snack foods are at the same cost as the Costco stores I shop at in Washington state. With no sales taxes in Oregon, I feel like I’ve been given an added discount!
Family member pointed out the sign designating a few of their indoor café dining tables for those requiring accessibility, which is another cool idea.
I have enjoyed the service I receive from employees at this store.
Exit 253 off I-​5. The return to I-​5, both north and southbound directions, is on the right hand lanes as you turn left out of the parking lot.

been to this location 3 times for gas. easy to get to and fast service attendants.

It really is two different ratings. 5 stars for gas, since it’s always one of the cheapest in salem and the line moves quick. Plus you never have to worry about getting old fuel that’s starting to break down. The warehouse part is 3 stars. First it’s way to crowded with people that don’t buy anything but come here to graze on the free samples. Last week there was 40+ people all huddled around a table to try a half of a meatball. They all but eliminated the video game area but keep stocking rows of clothes. Do they really sell that many pairs of Kirkland socks and jeans? The food area is adequate with the normal stock of supplies including chicken salad and chicken pot pie. Checking out is usually a slow process but that’s to be expected.

This location is terrible.
Not only is the layout awful, I’ve never seen Costco cashiers work at such a snail’s pace. Usually Costco employees have a great sense of urgency and are motivated to move the lines. I think one of the reasons that this Costco is ALWAYS busy is that the cashiers don’t move the lines efficiently. I never thought I’d write a poor review about Costco employees but there’s something about this location that irks me.
When I was going through the checkout the other day, the cashier was having a conversation WHILE ringing me up. And it wasn’t the multi-​tasking sort of conversation where you can actually do your job, she was stopping to turn around to talk while holding the freaking product. Someone even brought a baby over and she stopped for a good 20 seconds to coo over the baby MID-​CHECKOUT. I’ve never seen a Costco cashier move food over the scanner so slowly. There was zero motivation despite having a long ass line.
I’m wondering if the Salem location doesn’t offer incentives to their cashiers to move lines like other locations? Terrible experience. I’m limiting my Costco shopping to once a month if I can help it.

My experience a few days ago at this location was awful. Let me explain…
Everything was going great. My Mom and I had finished our shopping and were at the check out stand. The cashier Steven seemed to be giving an elderly lady in front of us a hard time about a form she had or something.
Our turn rolls around. We had a sub total because we were each buying our own things. My Mom very politely mentioned this and Steven says «well where’s your Costco card?» My Mom says my daughter in line has her own card which we are using today. He continues to badger her, asking the same question two more times. My Mom politely says she doesn’t have one with her and we are using my card today. The whole while, he is talking loudly and almost laughing, and being very sarcastic…
As he rings up everything my Mom has, she reminds him that she has cash and I’m using a check for my stuff. Steven responds with «WHAT’S your point??!» My mom and I look at each other in confusion. Again he says «well what’s your point?!» My
mom politely says that she’s just reminding him she has cash. He then blabbers on about how he knows how to do his job! UNBELIEVABLE! He continues asking Mom the same questions and talking down to her.
That’s when I jumped in and said «excuse me, you’ve gone far enough, please stop.» He exclaims loudly «OH, COME ON NOW, WE’RE JUST HAVING FUN!!!» I exclaimed oh no we aren’t!!! Instead of taking it down a notch he just continues his badgering, only focused on me know. At this point, I try to ignore him, and just want to get out of there. I called the manager when we left. AVOID STEVEN at all costs. He is a troubled man.

Love Costco. This is a pretty nice store and I don’t have any major complaints about it. The parking lot is a bit awkward but when you have as much traffic as this store does that shouldn’t be a surprise.

THEY ARE ONLY FULL OF EXCUSES! DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME HERE!!!
I’m very disappointed with the entire experience, dishonest, used car sales men persona and they go even as far as to cut you off when asking a question to only tell you off for wanting to clarify about warranty etc.
The wait time I was told took 1hr and 15min, so I figured I’d shop for a bit and then come back. It then continued to take an additional 2 hrs. No communication, and even when I asked how much longer so I could leave and come back if need be, I was assured only 15 more min.
A few days after I received a call about my tires and was told to stop by, without a reason. Worried I found the number and called them to clarify how soon and Austin, I think was his name, was beyond rude. Told me «if you had bothered to listen to what was told to you, then you’d know why» and proceeded to hang up on me, even though no reason was left in the voicemail.
THE ONLY reason I came here is because of the deal they had and the nitrogen tires, but it is worth the extra driving to go to another location.

Update: In the time since I wrote the previous review, Costco’s tire shop has degraded remarkably. Their selection is a fraction of what it once was, and now their prices have risen substantially. I couldn’t find the tires I wanted, so I went to America’s Tire and got what I wanted for about $ 200 less than what I would have paid.
They still have good enough service there to merit a second star for me, though.

Love their coffee grinder’s location! In other stores, it is located in front of the cashiers next to the restrooms. Here, it is back in the aisle next to the bags of coffee beans. I don’t have that senior moment whereupon entering my car I realize I forgot to grind the beans (again). I grind them as soon as I pick up the bag.

If the government ran like Costco. We would all be saving money, every ones ID would be checked for membership, and $ 1.50 hotdogs for every one.
But seriously. You cant beat the prices or the return policy.

Costco’s are like other warehouse stores. Lots of stuff, in bulk, along with some great home items at decent prices. Membership is required, but very much worth it.
I could talk about that, but honestly, if you need eight bear fur rugs cheap, this is the place to go. But only if they found a deal on those bear rugs. The stuff in the middle of the store tends to rotate, while everything on the periphery is standard.
I do make it a point to stop by here and pick up toilet paper and paper towels bi-​monthly or so. Also, you can buy the big bags of cheese and large quantities of Zip-​Lock quart bags, and you can package it all up in individual bags and freeze it. Keeps for a long time!
There’s more than just bulk buying, though. They have a food court, which is accessible even without a membership. I haven’t had the hot dogs, but I’ve made numerous forays from work to pick up pizzas for the crew.
Which…damn, this is good pizza. For ten bucks, you get a massive huge pizza. Your choices are pizza, pepperoni, and a combo with a ton of stuff. All for the same price, so it’s purely preference. And that price is 10 bucks. Sure, you can get a pizza for 5 bucks at Little Ceasers… or hell, almost anywhere now. But not this big or this good.
If it wasn’t for the incredibly jammed parking lot and ridiculous check-​out lines, this place would be damn near perfect. Just park in the back and walk in. It’ll save you time and is good for you and your car anyways.

Happy to find they have a gas station here, as some do not. That was the sum total of our visit. Good service from friendly associates.

(Only applies to the food court/​food stand)
So yes, I’m Aaron, and I’m a caffeine addict. (others: «Hi, Aaron!»). My usual drug… er, drink of choice here is the mocha freeze. If those ceased to exist at Costco, I’d be one sad panda. I’ve known for a while now there was a hot mocha/​latte option, so I had a hot latte for starters ($ 1).
Not really one of my better experiences. The latte was weak and barely lukewarm. Where’s the assertive, bold espresso? And I shoulda told them to nuke that bad boy until it scalds my mouth. I guess I’ll have to get the mocha and rely on that chocolate to make it taste better.
Overall, it’s still OK because the prices are insanely cheap and I’ve otherwise been happy with my food/​drink purchases there (from the pizza to the Polish dog).

I find this store a necessary evil. I am addicted to many of their products that aren’t available anywhere else. It would get a good 4 stars if it’s customers weren’t so insane.
How is it that I go in to buy baby cucumbers and walk out with $ 150 dollars worth of mayo, cheese and lunch meat? The Costco dogs are okeydokey. Thank God, I have only buckled under the pressure once and bought one. I burped it up for a good 6 hrs.
Pros: I like going there with the kid because of the free samples. They have great products. I adore Kirkland brand anything.
Cons: I have an anxiety attack if I go on a weekend or during a holiday rush. I think people’s common sense exits the car right as you turn into the parking lot. Is it really that hard to walk an extra few yards or so to the entrance? I spend more than I anticipate when I go in because I have little impulse control.
Quick tip: Breathe in your nose deeply, hold, then slowly exhale while parking. It’ll help with the heart palpitations.

I’m not a big fan of Costco because the whole place is a lie. Yeah, they sell in bigger quantities so people THINK they are getting a deal, but what the dummies who buy 8 pounds of mayonaise or 72 avacados don’t do is figure out the actual price per unit. Usually it’s the same or more than what they’d pay at a regular grocery store, but in an unmanageable size.
The fact that you have to pay $ 50 per year to be a «member» is annoying. I have a Costco card yes, but the only reason is because they had the best kosher hot dogs (Sinai Kosher) and they have the best cheesecake in town. I was here two weeks ago and they have STOPPED selling the hot dogs – WTF?
I still haven’t figured out why this place is always packed. Oh wait, yes I have – Salemites are idiots. They love crowding into a tiny parking lot and fighting for a space so they can pay the SAME price as Fred Meyer for an item, but get it in a container 19x the size. Duh…

When this Costco opened up in the early 90s to a booming area of Salem’s Industrial District, the parking lots have never been more full. At some point, I would expect them to open another Costco just to keep up with the demand as parking and traffic around here is consistently a mess. On the weekends this place is a zoo, with people jamming up the place in search for the next deal (in bulk).
Staff for the most part are very helpful here and there are plenty of them. Its places like this that inspired the movie «Employee of the Month» to be made, the employees look like they could totally fit in that movie, I’m just looking for the Dane Cook wannabe attempting to court the sweet Jessica Simpson type in the break room. That said, I once attempted to apply for a job here, but was turned down because I was also going to school. Tsk Tsk.
Who can hate on the food court? With prices like $ 1.50 for a hot dog and a drink and free samples all around the warehouse, its no wonder my coworkers would venture here to eat «lunch» to save an extra penny while making rounds in the «Costco Buffet.» Ultimately their food court could use some cleaning up, there aren’t enough people picking up the dry pieces of sauerkraut stuck to the condiments table.