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Jingleheimer
Mar 30, 2006

Loveline posted:

So apparently my costco ditched the brat for chili? Went for the dog instead but that better be good drat chili to drop the brat.

That happened at my Costco as well. I was sad to see the brat go, but the chili is pretty good. They are also ditching the beef brisket sandwich for cheeseburgers, but that hasn't happened yet. I think it's a pretty fair trade off.

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Jingleheimer
Mar 30, 2006
Costco does what they call E-Blocks once a month from Thursday to Sunday. During their E-Block weekend, when the cashier scans a membership card it will flag a message saying that the member might benefit from upgrading to executive. This could be what happened in your case. I don't know what criteria you have to meet to get your account to flag on the E-Block, but I'm sure more than a few of the accounts that get flagged probably don't need to be.

At my Costco they used to push membership upgrades all the time at the register and it was annoying for both the people shopping and the employees who were forced to sell people on it. At least now they only make them do it during their E-Block weekend. They can see how long you've been a member for and they know that if you've been a member for like 10+ years that you have almost definitely made your decision about which membership you need. The only thing that might get someone like that to upgrade is if they're dropping a bunch of money on something expensive like a TV or a set of tires.

They do make upgrading risk free for you though. If you upgrade to executive and don't get back the amount of money you paid to upgrade by the time your membership expires, you just have to let them know at the membership desk and they'll give you back the difference.

Jingleheimer
Mar 30, 2006

Im Ready for DEATH posted:

It's not even the timing. Fruit at costco spoils within days. I can pick up every nectarine in the tray, bring it home and the very first day there will be mold growing on one of them. Then I throw it away so the mold doesn't spread and I find another one with mold on it. Maybe I throw away half the tray like this. It's not a question of not eating it fast enough, the fruit just spoil too quickly. Maybe Costco needs better buyers for fruit?

This is probably the case, but it might also depend on where you live and how far away the fruit comes from. At my Costco during the summer more than a couple times they got berries in that were already going bad before they even had a chance to put them out and sell them. One time they got so many peaches and nectarines in that there was no way they could sell them all before they went bad.

They do try to avoid having to throw out all that stuff though. If only one or two strawberries in a package are bad and the rest are good then they'll just take the bad ones out and sell it. If there's more then a few bad ones they'll cull the good ones together in an attempt to not have to throw out an entire pallet of strawberries. However, one could argue that while their intention is good, if one or two in a package is bad then the rest can't be very far behind them.

Jingleheimer
Mar 30, 2006

clopping and cumming posted:

Hey! Hey guys!!! It's here!



Waiting for the coupon book to arrive in the mail is a rookie mistake. Don't you guys know that all that poo poo and more is included on the Costco app?

Jingleheimer
Mar 30, 2006
Today I had my first dog in like 8 years. It was good but I didn't really like tasting it with every burp for a couple hours after eating it.

Jingleheimer
Mar 30, 2006
Alright guys, anyone have any questions for a Costco employee? I'm bored and I don't mind talking about work because I am employed by the greatest company in the world.

Jingleheimer
Mar 30, 2006

EAT FASTER!!!!!! posted:

How can I get my local Costco to stock some of the stuff other Costcos stock but our Costco doesn't?

The best way is to write a suggestion and put it in their suggestion box, which is probably located by the exit door. They do read them and pay attention to them, but unfortunately, unless they get a lot of the same suggestions they probably won't do anything about it. The Costco warehouses typically don't do any ordering of merchandise themselves, that is done through a regional office.

There are so many reasons why one Costco might have something that another one doesn't. It could be a regional thing, or they might have tried it at that warehouse at one point and it didn't sell. Or in the case of the one I work at, it could be a smaller Costco and they just don't have room for everything.

But if there is enough demand, the warehouse manager might be able to make it happen by calling up one of our buyers and say something along the lines of "hey, I've gotten a lot of requests for so and so item, any chance I can get it in my store?"

Jingleheimer
Mar 30, 2006

Chinatown posted:

Do you rotate who has Gas Station Attendant duties? Is is considered an easy or lovely post?

If you have been the Gas Station Attendant, how many accidents have you seen?

The gas station is a department just like any other department at Costco. They have a small staff of employees who go out there every day and do what they do. As for whether it's a good or a lovely position to be in? Well, I guess it depends on the person. For most people, including me, it entirely depends on the weather. But it is a boring job. I intentionally never got myself recertified to work at the gas station because pretty much all you do is walk around and make sure no one does anything that could potentially start a fire. The most I've ever done at the gas station was cover for breaks and lunches, but I actually liked it when it was cold and snowy outside because then I could keep busy by grabbing a shovel and getting rid of all the snow that piles up. But some people like just standing around and having very little responsibility, so for them it's a good gig.

Jingleheimer
Mar 30, 2006

Teikanmi posted:

How often do you take the $1.50 communion?

When I first started working there I had the $1.50 communion every day on my lunch break. That lasted like 2 months, I was so sick of the dogs that it took years before I could eat them again. I get the pizza every once in a while, but after 8 years of repeatedly eating food from the food court, my digestive system just can't easily handle it anymore.

Jingleheimer
Mar 30, 2006

FogHelmut posted:

My wife and I share an account, but we each have our own card. I've used my parent's card in the past. I don't know how strict they are about checking that the card is you. I think the rules are pretty loose with a business account about who can use your card.

Yeah business accounts might be a little different, but they can definitely refuse to ring you up if you're trying to use someone else's membership card. I've seen cashiers not even give the card back and say that when person on the card wants to come back and shop themselves they can get their card replaced at the membership desk. Not sure how that would work if it was a Costco Visa card, but it would certainly be more complicated. It might be difficult to prove that the card belongs to a close friend or relative and not that it was just stolen from a random person.

They're also starting to crack down on people bringing their friends or family in with them to shop on their card, because technically, if you're shopping at Costco you need to have a membership. We basically tell the member that the person on the card has to be the one who pays, but I'll let it slide if the other person pays cash.

People still get away with doing all that stuff though. If they know that a certain cashier doesn't give a poo poo then they'll just always go through their line. But that cashier will absolutely get in trouble for it if they're caught not checking the membership cards properly.

Jingleheimer
Mar 30, 2006

Fellis posted:

Can’t you have two people on a costco account? Just keep one card for yourselves and hand one card to another family member for free and rake in 2% on their spending also.

This is probably against costco’s ToS though so I wouldn’t advertise you’re doing it

I think only the primary person on the account gets the 2% back. I'm pretty sure I don't collect on what the other people on my account buy, otherwise my 2% check would have been higher. My case could be different though since I have a Costco employee membership, but I think the employees just have a standard executive membership. I'm not great with some of the lesser known membership details though, membership is one of the areas that I have never worked in.

Jingleheimer
Mar 30, 2006

bio347 posted:

Not actually true. Unless it differs in the US, guests are totally fine as long as a) they're with someone who has a membership and b) they pay in cash. Guests are also technically not allowed to have their own receipts, so it's good form to inform the cashier beforehand. It's irritating to deal with, but because Costco doesn't advertise this sort of word of mouth/see for yourself thingy is pretty big for them.

Also, fun fact! If you bring a guest and get them to sign up for a membership, you'll (probably) both get a $10 cash card.

Yeah, that's pretty much exactly what I meant to say but was too lazy to type it all out. The point of it all is that if you're paying with a card, the name on the card needs to match the name on the membership card.

Magius1337est posted:

my local costco finally got liquor

I can now get a shitload of light beer for beerpong and a bunch of vodka and whiskey for like $15 for 1.75liters, they also have decent wine

now if only they delivered

You actually can get stuff delivered from Costco, just not directly through Costco itself. They recently made a deal with Instacart for that very purpose. People will just have to deal with Instacart for Costco deliveries. I'm not very familiar with Instacart though, so I don't know if dealing with them is a good or a bad thing. And I don't know how or if it would work with big stuff like tv's or furniture.

Jingleheimer
Mar 30, 2006
I know they'll charge an additional fee if you don't spend at least $75. I personally wouldn't use it, but it's a good thing for people who don't get around easily. And I don't know exactly how they do it, but I know they have a way of letting members go through Instacart and still use their own membership card so they can still get 2% back with executive membership.

Jingleheimer
Mar 30, 2006

Magius1337est posted:

anyone shop at costco use an extra freezer to store all that stuff?

Well, it's not exactly a coincidence that they sell chest freezers there.

Jingleheimer
Mar 30, 2006
My Costco wasn't really all that bad today (or at least not as busy as I was expecting). I'm guessing football might be keeping a few people home today and tomorrow. Until thanksgiving, every day is going to be busier than the last. And to be honest, I don't think Costco is going to have a slow day until January.

This time of the year, I do not enjoy working at one of the busiest Costcos in the state, and also being one of the people responsible for getting the place stocked up. We are being so overworked right now and thankfully tomorrow I have the rare opportunity to come in an hour early to get a head start on things.

But still, PBUC, especially on Sundays when they pay me time and a half.

Jingleheimer
Mar 30, 2006

Spinster posted:

Thanks for the reply. I can't start applying until January, too much money to be made where I'm at the rest of the year. But then I have to make applying a part time job, my workplace is getting weird, I can feel it.

It definitely helps to know someone to get your foot in the door, otherwise you pretty much just have to be lucky. The first time I applied I didn't hear anything, but I got called for an interview when I applied again a year later. Since they'll be keeping a handful of their seasonal hires they might not do another round of hiring until March or April. And if you do get yourself an interview, one thing that can make you stand out from all the others who applied is if you did some research on Costco beforehand and learn about such things like how Costco was founded, their mission statement, and everything little thing about the executive membership (there's a bunch of stuff you get with executive that most people don't know about).

My warehouse manager likes to ask one or two curveball questions about the company to potential new hires during an interview, and while not knowing the answer to probably wouldn't count against you, I guarantee you that you will get hired over someone else if you knew their mission statement without even being an employee.

Jingleheimer
Mar 30, 2006

Chinatown posted:

Small but important haul today. Went with a fresh and hot slice of pep with a soda afterwards along with some high quality gasoline.



That reminds me of what happened today. Not sure exactly what the reason was, probably a receiving error, but we thought we had more rotisserie chickens than we did and only had enough to last maybe an hour this morning. I was out of there right when we opened so I don't know how it turned out, but they were taking about getting a rush shipment from our distribution center which fortunately is only like 10 miles away. I can't imagine what it would have been like if we ran out of chickens. I'm so glad that it wasn't my problem.

Jingleheimer
Mar 30, 2006

Chinatown posted:

Oh poo poo I forgot about this. I didnt buy it but I am tempted to get a few for presents:



I bought one like a month ago and already drank it all. It's a good idea but honestly I was only impressed with a few of the beers, most of them aren't very good. I don't think it was worth the money and I would have been better off just buying the Sam Adams variety pack or something.

Jingleheimer
Mar 30, 2006
If you have the big bag of frozen meatballs, do yourself a favor and heat them up in a crock pot with some sweet baby rays. It's so simple and it tastes so delicious.

Jingleheimer
Mar 30, 2006
The best time to get Costco gas is in the morning before they open if you're out and about that early, gas station opens up at like 6am. I hate waiting in line for gas so it's super convenient for me to get gas at around 7 when I take my lunch break. It also helps when your car is parked like 200 feet from the gas pumps.

Jingleheimer
Mar 30, 2006

Im Ready for DEATH posted:

Yes they just did this to me as well last week.

I think it is foolish because I will show the lady my card, go in to get my dog, then leave to get a cart, and come back in and show the lady my card.

I'm going to get double counted, 'Co. Is that what you want? An incorrect count?

PBUC

Well to be honest, a double count couldn't hurt this time of year. When their door counts are on average 400+ per half hour and as high as 800 at my Costco, they're going to miss a few people. I'm actually surprised none of the door people has had their thumb fall off with all the clicking they do all day.

Jingleheimer
Mar 30, 2006

FogHelmut posted:

Does the credit card send a check for cash back at the end of the year? My cash back balance dropped to $58.

The checks get sent out with the February statement. You can redeem it at Costco by giving it to the cashier, and you can just get cash for it or buy a bunch of stuff and pay for it with that (and if the check is for more than the total of stuff you buy you'll get the difference back in cash). The only time a cashier won't cash your check is if they don't have enough money in the register to cover it, but if it's under $100 it shouldn't be a problem.

If it's a big enough check (usually at least $500), then talk to a supervisor or manager and they can convert it into a check that you can take to the bank.

Jingleheimer
Mar 30, 2006

Meydey posted:

Bad thing about this. If the tire shop is even moderately busy, don't expect to walk in and get a rotation or whatever in under 2 hours. Or even that day if the schedule is full.

This is especially true in the winter time. If your Costco is anything like mine, then you need to get there a half hour before they open, otherwise you'll have a double digit number of cars ahead of you and if you're lucky they may mostly be rotations, since they don't take as long as someone getting a new set of tires put on.

And while we're talking about the tire shop I'll add this. It may be incredibly convenient to have them check your tire pressure, but it is the exact opposite for the employees. They aren't allowed to just let you do it, so every time someone comes up needing a pressure check they have to drop what their doing and take care of it, which really sucks when you get a long line of people wanting to check their tire pressures. It ends up making each car in the shop take longer to get done. Sometimes they're lucky enough to not be so short staffed that they can have someone just stand there and do pressure checks but it doesn't always work out that way.

They trained me to work in the tire shop years ago and I hated it, so when the time came for me to update my tire shop certification I refused to do it so they would stop sending me out there.

Jingleheimer
Mar 30, 2006

FogHelmut posted:

Can I get a free rotation as a member even if I didn't buy tires there?

No, you have to purchase the tires from Costco to get the free rotation.

Jingleheimer
Mar 30, 2006

I would blow Dane Cook posted:

Kirkland is a real place???? is it like heaven?

I'm pretty sure that's how the Kirkland Signature got it's name. I heard the story a long time ago so I might slightly off, but I believe Kirkland was the location of Costco's first headquarters, and when they were trying to come up with a name for their brand someone Jim Sinegal was talking to said something along the lines of "dude, why don't you just call it Kirkland?"

And as for milk chat, those jugs are terrible. And it's not just the members that hate them, it's a pain for the employees as well. My Costco refuses to accept a couple pallets of milk every week because of leaking jugs. They check every single pallet that comes in and Costco's policy is that if they see a pallet with leakers in it they give the delivery driver the option to restack the pallet and take out the leaking ones, and if he doesn't want to do it they make him take it back.

You really have to be sure to keep those milk jugs upright. The most common reason for them to leak is if they're kept on their side for even a littlle bit.

Jingleheimer
Mar 30, 2006
Any price that ends in a 7 (usually .97 or .67) is a corporate markdown, so most if not all stores will have that price. Prices that end in .00 are store specific markdowns, and they usually only do that with items that are the last ones or if the packaging is damaged, pretty much anything they're trying to get rid of.

Jingleheimer
Mar 30, 2006
It's separate, you get the 2% check from the executive membership about 6 weeks before your membership expires.

Jingleheimer
Mar 30, 2006

Mo_Steel posted:

I got a dog today, it ruled. Also enough hand soap for a small army to wash their hands 20 times / day.

Are you taking about the two jugs of softsoap? I just got done with the first of my two jugs and it took me like two and a half years.

Jingleheimer
Mar 30, 2006

Mo_Steel posted:

I haven't checked the meat section, do they sell packs of the same dogs they make in the food court? I'd be tempted to buy some and a huge pack of buns and then freeze the buns so they last.

The food court used to use the same ones they sell, but Costco is so committed to keeping the dog price at $1.50 that a few years back they opened up their own hot dog factory to keep costs down and that's what the food court uses now.

They also did the same thing with their chickens, they opened up one or two of their own chicken farms and that's where they get their eggs and rotisserie chickens from now. Why buy stuff from other people when you can just make the poo poo yourself.

Jingleheimer
Mar 30, 2006

Pennywise the Frown posted:

I didn't get a letter in the mail but an email for my cash back reward. My printer isn't working. :mad:

You don't need to print out the email. Just go in there and show them the email on your phone, they can just scan the barcode on it and cash it for you. If the rebate is for more than $500 there is a good chance they will have to write you a check for the amount that you can take to the bank.

Jingleheimer
Mar 30, 2006
I just found out that Kirkland golf balls are available on Costco.com right now. They have two different kinds, limit 2 per membership. They'll probably sell out quickly but I ordered myself 2 of each one.

Jingleheimer
Mar 30, 2006

EAT FASTER!!!!!! posted:

Does the Costco Visa have an annual cash back limit?

I think they do, but its significantly higher than the executive rebate limit. The highest one I've personally seen someone have was a little over $8,000.

Jingleheimer
Mar 30, 2006

Nfcknblvbl posted:

I feel like they would cut you a check instead of handing you cash if your cash back reward goes over a certain amount.

They do, but it depends on how much cash the store has. Usually if it's more than like $500 they'll write you a check. It is kinda dumb that you would have to take your rebate into a Costco so they can write you a check, rather than just mail you a check if it's over a certain amount.

Jingleheimer
Mar 30, 2006
I'll have to give Kirkland light another try, but when I had it before I remember saying to myself that it is the one and only Kirkland product that I straight up don't like. Still, $21.99 or whatever is a very good price for a 48 pack of beer.

Jingleheimer
Mar 30, 2006
All of the top people at Costco are in my area this week to celebrate the 20th anniversary of opening stores in the midwest. Everyone including CEO Craig Jelinek and I heard Jim Sinegal is tagging along with them too. I won't be there the rest of the week to see them, but I'm sure they're all going to be at my store either today or tomorrow since the building is currently being remodeled and they'll want to see how it's going.

It's always hectic when they are in town because every manager is freaking out and making sure everything is as close to perfect as possible.

Jingleheimer
Mar 30, 2006

belt posted:

so it was really warm in my house last night and I didn't want to turn on the A/C, so I went onto my porch and slept on my new Costco folding hammock and it was pretty awesome. not comfortable enough to do it every night but every now and then I can see myself passing out under the stars on that thing.

I was hammocking today too! I absolutely would have slept on it outside if there wasnt rain in the forecast.

Jingleheimer
Mar 30, 2006

Peachfart posted:

This usually happens because either people aren't buying it frequently enough, it is a repackaged namebrand that is raising prices higher than Costco will pay, or they are slightly modifying it and it will be back within a few weeks(possibly as a seasonal item). If they are truly getting rid of it, use the suggestion box at the front of the store and complain, and they might listen.

Edit: Or listen to the guy above me since he works there.

Yes, I can confirm that everything from the suggestion box that isn't nonsense gets sent directly to the buyers. It would probably take more than one person for them to do something about it though. Also, just because one Costco doesn't have something it doesn't mean that another one won't. Ask them to check if they have it at other nearby locations if possible. And if that fails, Costco is trying to push their online sales in an attempt to compete with Amazon, so there is a good chance you might be able to get it from Costco.com.

Jingleheimer
Mar 30, 2006
After years of eating the food court food multiple times a week, all that stuff destroys my digestive system, even the chicken salad. Maybe not the hot dog so much, but tasting it with every burp for 3 days after eating it is almost worse. But still, sometimes I'll get a pepperoni slice knowing that I'll be on the toilet 45 minutes later. Sometimes it's worth it, sometimes it isn't.

Also, my Costco is currently remodeling, and it's been a huge clusterfuck with everything moving around. Starting next week, the bakery will be closed for 5 weeks while the contractors work on that area. Some of the bakery employees will be going to the Costco a few miles down the road to make some stuff and bring it back to my store to sell. So there will be stuff like muffins, cookies, and croissants, no bread though.

It's all a huge pain in the rear end, but I guess it'll all be worth it when it's done, since my Costco will be going from the smallest in the state to the largest.

Jingleheimer
Mar 30, 2006
I was at an Aldi's the other day, saw a cart in the parking lot and I was like "Hey, free quarter!" Whoever came up with that idea is a drat genius.

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Jingleheimer
Mar 30, 2006
My Costco got the Sherpa throws in today. I can't wait to buy another one.

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