Have you noticed any of these behaviors at Costco?

Costco is one of our favorite places to shop for quality products and fantastic deals. But according to this warehouse club’s employees, their jobs can be difficult sometimes, especially when dealing with demanding members and annoying habits.

Some customers are rude, while others have habits that are just quietly aggravating. Blocking the front entrance, leaving perishables around the store, and trying to start altercations over warehouse policies are all sure to annoy Costco employees.

From ditching your cart to putting hot rotisserie chicken in plastic bags, there are many things you may be doing at Costco that you should stop immediately.

A  study found that the promise of deals can lead consumers away from fully acknowledging the human qualities of employees. Are you guilty of doing these things?

Costco employees have talked about all the frustrating things customers do in the store regularly, and yikes… it sounds like we’re doing these 7 things completely wrong!

Complaining about employees checking your card

It may annoy you whenever you need to present your membership card at the entrance. But employees want to remind you that it could save you time in the end.

The point of them checking your Costco card is for them to also make sure you have it when you get to the checkout line because the only way the cashier can start a transaction is by scanning your membership card.

And while it’s true that it can be looked up, that would involve a supervisor taking your ID to their computer and running back to checkout. This would all hold up the line and makes everyone cranky.

Shopping off the rack

Costco employees say that you should NEVER touch the deli racks. Instead, grab the products you need from the counters only! Here’s how it works: They bring out racks of food from the deli to stock the counters.

But most people think it’s just easier to grab whatever they need off the rack, so they don’t mess up the display. This is a bad idea, though, because they could actually be taking out the product or re-pricing it. You never really know.

So while you may think that you can simply grab and take, you’re really just creating more work for them. Also, sometimes products with upcoming expiry dates end up on the rack as well when employees are moving them.

So it’s a risky move to take products from there. We suggest you just stick to the counters.

Ripping Off The Saran Wrap

This might sound obvious, but you shouldn’t try to rip off any plastic wrap in the store! You don’t have to rip the saran to try and get that one box of whatever you need. It’s already on the store floor. Instead, employees urge customers to find an employee to help.

They’ll be happy to assist by directing you to where your product is in the store. Even if you’re almost certain the product you want is unavailable, check with staff members to be sure. An employee revealed that Costco would not put it up in the steel if it’s not on the floor.

What makes matters worse is that if you were to rip the saran and try to grab whatever you needed, it could cause a domino effect. You don’t know what else is on that pallet. And you’d obviously be upset if something were to hit you.

Expecting premium service at a warehouse store

Remember, Costco is a warehouse store with constantly changing inventory and may differ in all their locations. But apparently, that doesn’t sit well with certain types of customers.

You might be used to having windshield washing fluid and squeegees at the gas pumps you usually go to and not at others. Just because they have them in Montana doesn’t mean they’ll have them in Washington.

Others may complain that their regular location has sliced bread, and others don’t. The end result? Customers tend to take out their frustrations on the employees. We must remember that they’re getting paid to do a job and are doing their best.

The types of products in the store, or lack there of, are not up to them.

Miscalculating your shopping list

Misjudging your Costco shopping list is also a big no-no if you want to avoid causing more work for the employees in the store.

It’s frustrating for them because customers frequently refuse a cart or box, only to pick up more things than they can carry and drop their stuff all over the floor.

They might have their arms full, walking up to the front and putting the eggs or a laundry detergent on top of everything they’re walking with. And then, of course, everything falls off, and they end up making a huge mess.

There’s a reason why employees suggest grabbing a free box from the produce section to help carry your things. And they do have lots of boxes for you to use. If you do happen to have an accident, though, you should ask a staff member for help immediately.

Pro Tip: Are you moving and in need of boxes to pack everything up? Go to Costco in the morning at the front of the registers. That’s the best time to find the good boxes. Just grab however many you need and go. They’re free!

Opening products

Ok shoppers, this is one of the worst things you could do at Costco! While shopping, some customers like to open products that they have no intention of buying. Or, sometimes, they’ll open one product to test it and then buy another that hasn’t been opened.

Customers have a terrible habit of doing this all the time. For instance, they’ll open a packet of tights to see what they look like. And if they’re satisfied, they’ll take a different pack to purchase.

This means that an employee now has to have a full roster of rewrapping, all of those tights, underwear, and so on. Honestly, it’s the worst, especially for clothing. Nine times out of ten, there’s usually a sample or something. Just ask somebody who works there.

Let them properly take it out, and then you can get the size you need.

Placing hot food in plastic bags

This last one is pretty specific. But it’s well worth knowing if you buy hot products from Costco. Employees have explained that when customers put their hot rotisserie chicken in the store’s plastic bags, it causes a real issue for the people who work there.

When you put your hot chicken in those bags, the bag begins to melt, and then it takes employees a lot of time to scrape it off the shopping carts.

Using a plastic bag won’t even help prevent the chicken juice mess because a hole will melt through the plastic, and you’ll still have a potential mess on your hands. So why not use a box instead?

We hope you enjoyed reading this article. As a final note, remember to always put your cart back after you’ve loaded your car. Think about how unhappy you’d be if you came out to discover a wayward cart had nicked the paint job on your car.

And if you found this post interesting, we also recommend reading: The 7 Most Expensive Grocery Stores in the US