Food and Beverage Assistant | Aberdeen | 14 Oct 2018
something else
I started costco at a delicate time in my life and i have to give them credit that costco helped me develop and growth and helping give me the time to find myself and become the hard work and confident worker i am today. The pay and the pay rises are amazing once your past the three month probation period. The holiday pay and benefits and pension plan are very generous compared to most companies with entry level basic jobs like this but honestly there was so drama.
The store i worked at everyone was shady and rumors spread like wildfire it wasn't even funny. so many people were trying to throw others under the bus professionally and socially. Literally the department managers are trying to screw the others over with the warehouse managers and it's like whats wrong with you. I was lucky to have a manager i did for the last year at costco cause she made things so much better for a lot of us and we honest about what was going on and how she hated the changes that were forced on us which were the worst thing. The management and how they handled doing new things. Like for example they would get an email saying we couldn't do something 'give cups for the drinking fountain' or be something equally stupid and if you forget and did it cause you were off the day they started the new thing you'd get into trouble or yelled at just cause. There were also certain time we were put on the line of health and safety. Like I almost emailed HR because our warehouse manager wanted me to do so
ProsFree membership, great benefits, great pay, flexible hours
Consfixed 5 day week, poor management, shady coworkers, negative workplace
Working at COSTCO's cafe ranges from surprisingly laid back to incredibility stressful, but it makes sense for the amount of pay. However, slow days are few and far between since the store is very busy throughout the day. At lunchtime on weekends and practically the entire day around Christmas, lines will stretch all the way to the entrance. Due to this, while on till you must be as fast and efficient as possible, sometimes taking multiple orders at once. The cafe is usually understaffed for the amount of people who are waiting to order and many jobs have to bet done at once i.e. counting stock, checking temperatures, refilling and cleaning machines, cleaning tables/floor, not to mention needing to prepare new food for the next day or when stock inevitably runs out for the day. And finally at the end of the day taking all the rubbish and waste, which there is always a lot of. The general environment in the cafe is what you'd expect, it's always very hot and humid thanks to the steamers and ovens or to cold thanks to the amount of freezers you must jump in and out of. Also the coats and hair nets generally feel awful to wear especially if you have a disposable one. Also for whatever reason, Costco will attract less than desirable customers who will find any reason to complain about the quality of the food there despite them still eating there every week. The best thing I can say about Costco is the people who work their and the management, they can be strict with company poli
ProsGood Pay, Great Social Environment, Work Benefits, Decent hours
ConsIncredible work Load at times, Understaffed, Kitchen environment is less than desirable
Friendly and productive workplace, but can be incredibly demanding at times
All the staff that worked at Costco Wholesale were generally very warm and welcoming to all new members of staff. I never felt antagonized by my fellow coworkers/supervisors and generally had a lovely time working there.
The only thing stopping me from giving it five stars reviews all around is due to a lack of communication between upper management could sometimes lead to frustrating situations for me as an employee that can make you feel unappreciated. Here's an example:
I spent a lot of the time on the trolleys as I have moderate social anxiety and was generally trusted to work hard consistently without being checked up on. My shift ended at 10PM (The store had shut at 9) and at half 9 a supervisors comes out and pleads with me to come in early the following day (6AM) as there's a corporate visit the following day.
Despite the fact I was under no obligation to take this shift by law or in the Costco employee handbook being under 11 hours rest between 8 and a half hour shifts also keeping in mind it took me around an hour to an hour and a half to travel each way to and from work as well. I decided to take it to help them anyway as I was supposed to be receiving 1.5x pay for that subsequent shift. When I didn't receive my 1.5x pay for that shift come payroll, I went to the office to ask and they flat out denied that under any circumstance I should be getting paid 1.5x for that shift despite it clearly being stated within the handbook and being guaranteed it by oth
ProsFriendly staff, enjoyable work environment, easy to stay engaged with work at hand.
good pay, but you’re used , don’t join them at Christmas
Costco on a whole is a good company for customers but not staff.
I was hired from the end of October as part time 24 hours contract what’s they fail to tell you and everyone is they are giving you a probation period of three months where they can end your contract at anytime for any reason
(basically they hire you as a 3month Christmas temp) and say because of cut backs and the payroll constraints we can’t keep you on
I couldn’t believe it until I remembered my induction day where a lady’s who got the jobs son and friend were told the exact same thing after three months in January when the store isn’t busy anymore
Your daily duties are always random never the same
80% of the time they threw me out on trolleys in the pouring rain and wind when it was 1 degrees
Then the other 10% was doing your actual job of assisting on tills or cashier
And the last 10% would be go backs placing items back where they belong and folding clothing for 8 hours
The best thing about Costco was the money and few staff members who were nice but would also use you if you were new by asking you to take the bins out or fetch them some bags because they were lazy to move
the manger pretends to be friendly when your helping him but when it’s not going his way he is rude towards staff
I missed one day because I got the rota‘s wrong because they keep changing them constantly without notice he then Interrogated me on the shop floor in front of everyone asked to check my
ProsGood money, paid 15minute breaks
ConsPoor management who are bias, forced to do horrible jobs if not liked by management
Do not work here for you’re own good, the management is poorly, there’s no organisation, rota changes every second. There’s no benefits in working here unless you stay for a year max! Instead you can work somewhere else and move up within the time, they always tell you it is possible to move but it’s not. In terms of the way everything is run I would not recommend eating anything except the bakery products from the cafe because the hygiene standards are way off the grid! It is not washed or maintained to the correct standards. THEY WASH AND MIX THE NON VEG WITH THE MEAT CONTAINERS! This is a huge and disappointing fact to the vegetarian and halal members. I have to personally say that is not right for their own beliefs
And on top of this the staff are not to be blamed for any of this because the time limit for the tasks to be done is not enough it is mainly due to the manager that has organised and planned the days schedule. In relation to the morning shifts when the manager arrives she clearly doesn’t notice the pieces of pizza and cheese stuck to the tongs. It lacks her visual representation of being able to see the errors and faults in her line of work, as this should be corrected immediately. They just really want to use you and keep you, also the management aren’t helpful at all the staff were the only people who are friendly to make you want to stay. As of this you feel more confident and able to tackle whatever comes you’re way. But even when you try to mind you’re
I was employed to start at 6am and finish at 2pm this quickly disappeared and was replaced with daily shift changes ranging from 10pm to 8am starts, no daily shift was the same.
Example
Mon start 4am finish 12
Tues start 2am finish 10
Wed start 8am finish 2pm
During busy periods you will be asked to come back in the same day for your next shift (finish one shift at 10am and then be asked to return at 10pm the same day) It will play havoc with your body.
Although these were not mandatory is was made clear that you would be expected to meet the companies needs by lower management in order to be considered for promotion or continuation of employment.
My role itself was simply stock replenishment to be completed before the store opened along with any relevent merchandising required. Workers in this section of the store are pushed hard which doesn't match the starting wage offered. (Lowest in the store - standing at a checkout paid more).
After a 3 or 4years continuous service you will earn a decent wage IF you manage to last that long due to the constant change of shifts which never gave a good home/work balance.
If you do join Costco, my advice is to either get a role on the front desk, butcher's or a day shift shop floor role as you'll earn more for a easier role!
I'd happily go back to Costco in a different role, despite the hours/shifts involved I enjoyed the role.
ProsDecent wage after 5 years (34k in 2014)
ConsDaily shift changes ranging from 10pm to 8am
3.0
Member Services Representative | Derby | 23 Jun 2020
Good for the short term or whilst you study, but not much else.
It's hard to summarise working for Costco as you will have a different experience to others depending on which department you work for.
For most, the departments are difficult to work in because of similar reoccurring problems such as short staff and reduced hours which leads to low employee morale.
There are many managers in each warehouse and whilst not all of them are 'bad', there certainly are a lot that lack in basic people skills and some are often promoted into management just because of out-of-work relationships etc.
If you choose to work there whilst you study, or just for 1-2 years then your experience will be okay, depending on the dept. However if you join wanting to progress and make a career, you should note that most are promoted through 2 ways: Working in every department (Especially the shop floor) and/or becoming friends with one or more of the managers.
When joining the best advice would be to keep hold of your Employee handbook and study it carefully, and make sure it applies to employment law.
Management can use the book against you for whatever reason and having knowledge of the handbook and basic employment law can help defend yourself.
Hardest part of the job is simply this:
People can be very difficult and incredibly stupid.
ProsHourly pay rate, staff members
ConsBleak working conditions, management behaviour and conduct, difficult customers
For the short time that i was working at haydock costco i had problems.
With pay ie; not getting payed on time, not getting pay slips.
work hours ie; Not nowing when i was working from one day to the other and been told on a sunday that all your doing the following week is just sat,sunday.
Far to many managers working at that site (Haydock)
Stuff beed put in the dustbin that could have gone to the homeless food,toys,colthing,bottled and can drinks.
I was Shocked by what i was seeing and the way the management would treat there staff as it seems as as long as the work is carred out does it matter who does it as long as the sales are up at the end of the day.
Two week before the vist by the top boss, and ive seen this at other sites they do what they can to make it as clean as possable from cleaning the staff cantien from top to bottom and all so the shop floor and i think this does not give a true Value of how the business is working at that site. And after the vist it all goes back to how it was before the vist why do management do this.
A'm lost for words.
I Ended up leaving costco because the hours that i was told at the the beginning of my contract would be more that what i was doing with my old job 16hrs ended up been less alot less.
It Comes across as as a very lovely company to work for after walking round shopping there BUTwas i wrong Yes and i was Shocked.
ProsFree Lunches ( No ) Free Any Think Still ( no)
Consfar to many manages
3.0
Technical Support Specialist | Chester | 25 Jun 2014
Fast paced busy work environment
As a part time merchandiser at Costco, the work usually starts mid afternoon and finishes at around 9pm over a period of 4 to 7 days (Part time hours). The
The first task would be to report to the supervisor to find out the plan for the day. Depending on what part of merchandising each employee manages, they will usually stay on a specific section and keep it tidy, safe, restocked etc. Some Costco stores are regularly short staffed so merchandisers rarely stay on a specific sections.
The typical Costco warehouse is in constant change, stock turnover is very high and products are always changing places to make way for new merchandise, or monthly special offers. Most co workers are very easy to get along with and everyone has a laugh. The management are also very easy to get long with but its dependent on what warehouse you're working in.
Overall its a good company to work for, you have a minimum of 24 working hours per week, the pay goes up with the amount of hours worked, good benefits package, and there is room to progress if you decide to make a career out of Costco.
I don’t have bad days at work, I go in with a happy positive attitude.
Its a shame that the staff that want more hours don’t get them and the ones that just want the 24 hours get made to do hours that they don’t want to do.
I got on with all the managers, they would all talk and have a laugh with me, saying hello/good morning/goodbye, just recently we have had a few managers leave and new ones take over, I have not had much interaction with the new managers.
Depending on what department you are working on? but I have worked on a few areas and have found that you can learn lots of new things, which makes the job very interesting, which is what I like.
Costco is a very diverse place to work and the staff very friendly towards me, which I like
ProsWages, friendly staff, Benefits of a optical voucher after your first year and every year after that, second year you get dental treatment NHS or PRIVATE and then every year after that too, Pay in to a pension which Costco pay in to also, Membership is free
ConsHigh turnover of staff, Training could be a lot better, On your feet all day, Never enough staff working, lots of sickness, Not enough contracted full time staff, Part time staff just given days/shifts on rota with out being asked first
2.0
Ingeniero/a en prevención de riesgos | Chihuahua, Chih. | 28 Mar 2018
Pésimo, área de Gerencia con empleados que dan mala reputación a la empresa.
Administración que no toma en cuenta tus aptitudes para ofrecer puestos.
Panaderos sin poder explotar sus talentos siendo desperdiciados en otras áreas.
Todos los trabajadores tienen que doblar ropa por varias horas de su turno sin excepción a pesar de que tienen trabajo pendiente que no pueden dejar incompleto y tienen que hacer horas extra sin paga ya que le dan mas prioridad al aspecto de la tienda que a cosas más importantes.
Aunque el empleado necesite o su Gerente de área le pida quedarse tiempo extra, Recursos Humanos niega el pago de las horas extras trabajadas, aun así cuando el Gerente de la tienda haya autorizado tales horas, o en algunas ocasiones el pago de tales hora/s termina siendo pagado meses después.
Preferencia por el área de panadería siendo la única área a la que aprueban horas extras sin excepción y pasan por alto el robo de producto, la producción y el consumo de la merma.
Gerentes, usualmente mujeres, son ascendidos principalmente por su trato interesado con otras personas y/o relaciones sentimentales con otras empleadas/os y no por su desempeño, nunca dan el puesto a quien se lo merece por su puntualidad y excelente desempeño en su área ya que no se asocia con los de gerencia haciendo favores fuera de su área.
Recursos Humanos pasa por alto muchas cosas y cuando ya no te necesitan hacen hasta lo imposible para correrte de la empresa, por ejemplo, un gerente ofreciéndole un bocado de pan a un empleado general de la tienda para ser captado por l
ProsOfrecen caja de ahorro, fondo de ahorro, servicio de gastos médicos menores y mayores.
Costco starts off their employees at $11.00 and your pay moves up from there based on hours worked. Even part time employees can get full benefits and the benefits are some of the best in the industry. I pay $32/month for pretty much everything and it's not skimpy coverage. Wisdom teeth surgery was paid in full and most prescription co-pays come out to 10 cents per pill. The main reason I took off a star for compensation is that they make it very difficult to get a full-time position, and employees with more seniority will almost always be given preference. It doesn't matter what your education level is or how well you perform. I often find myself giving pointers to supervisors who are promoted over me because of their seniority. This is counter-intuitive and unfair to the most competent employees. One more thing: tips are not allowed. If they catch you accepting a tip from a member, even if the member insists, they can fire you over it.
I had to take a star off Culture/Values for the same reason. They take customer service very seriously and maintain a serious code of ethics. The shady stuff that other retail jobs have tried to pull on me will never fly in Costco. Even if they don't treat you great, they definitely treat most people fairly and stick to their principles. The only flaw in their values is that they do not value education and merit as much as they should. They definitely benefit from it, but don't reward the best employees accordingly.
You will not find a more
The co-workers here are really incredible. Everyone is so easy to talk to and always willing to help. Especially the supervisors, they do care about you and want you to succeed and they always give insight and tips & tricks so you can perform better. Unfortunately, the small things throughout the day that are out of your control, can really be demoralizing and just ruin the experience.
For example, when you are done picking and have a wrapped pallet, your scanner might say fluid load, Route 20, Stop 3, position RIGHT. So you go to the loading area and look for Route 20. The problem is, your scanner is not synced correctly to the written map they have next to the truck. So, if you don't go into the trailer and check the ordering first, you are screwed. This eats up a lot of your time, which overtime, will diminish your pick rate. Not only that, but a supervisor or one of the loaders will see what you are doing and be like "what's it telling you to do?", you say "to load", but they don't realize you need to double check the ordering. This gives off the illusion you are not working / doing it correctly, when you are. It's hard to explain, but it doesn't feel good.
I've mentioned this to my supervisor and they have told me it's fine, always make sure you double check the ordering, they will give you time (to help with your pick rate). Which is nice!
Another issue is there are several wireless dead zones in aisles. A lot of co-workers experience this as well. This hap
Truth about Costco, the reviews below sound fake ;)
Gday from Australia we have know 3 Costco warehouses, heaps of burnt out overworked employees and are managed by a few NOT all idiots that just got the promotions because either they are american, kiss behinds very well or they have personal relationships outside of work (everyone knows whats going on outside work fellas ;))
We all seen the induction video, we promote from within.
Employees will be promoted within 6 months to a year.
Not a good idea telling this to 480 newly hired employees.
Which after 2 years are still being harassed by management for not clocking on time for lunch, or being tormented for not being as fast as superman.
I love it when jobs are posted on the notice board, because it makes me feel like I have a equal chance like anyone else. WRONG they already know who they are going to promote (the behind kissers).
We are told everyone should apply to show your interest,
Ahhh...
Mate you gentlemen already know everyone is interested how about this..
Don't post up jobs that you have already filled, it's just playing with the perspective of the employees in Costco. (yea they say things like, I tell everyone the managers are like nazzis, but the company is excellent).
What happened to take care of employees?
Ohh yea that one only applies at the induction, shhh
Funny how it does not say anything about managers on the code of ethics.
It should read: Just do as they say, never answer back, only they know best any new ideas might get you counselled.
Haven't you
Prosgreat video on day 1
Conscan't think of any, it's so great like the roman empire
I left my full time job of 8 years to come here seasonally. Everyone talks such a big game about Costco, “Oh it’s awesome!” , “Oh, it’s worth it!”
I would say the only thing Costco has going for them is their insurance and Benefits. Really cheap and good. But, it comes at a price.
The micromanaging is ridiculous. The superiority complex of the “supervisors” (people holding the clip boards at the front end) was astounding. I haven’t been treated like an incompetent child since I was 16 at my first job. So at 33 with tons of experience in high stress jobs, I was baffled. I was effortlessly doing their work (it’s mindless, you just have to be fast, basically manual labor all day).
But I would occasionally get a supervisor who would come up to me. Point to the ground, as I’m hauling butt boxing groceries. And say, “that piece of paper next to you, it needs to be picked up. Make sure your area is clean.”
Or a day before thanksgiving and the lines are all the way into the clothing section. I had a supervisor come up to me as I’m boxing groceries and say, “I want you to sweep up the picnic area (the red tables where everyone eats their hotdogs and pizza). Although Costco employes someone to go around cleaning all day. I had to stop and do it. So I get it done in 10 minutes (I used to be a housekeeper at a hospital years back, I’m very fast). This seems to irritate the supervisor, and she tells me. “No, I want it done good and points to a couple who just stood up and d
ProsGreat insurance, benefits, retirement, mindless work
ConsNo set schedule, micromanaging to the extreme, physically demanding, demeaning
Costco is what you make of it. I worked there part time for 2 and a half years. Started selling TV’s.. then applied to customer service (Membership) for a dollar raise. After nearly losing my mind in customer service I ran for the hills to the Tire Department. Finished my time there. I eventually left because I was getting burnt out... Since I was the new guy in the tire shop, and since we didn’t always have cars to work on, I would constantly get sent back and forth between the shop and the registers up front to help the cashiers... this is called working “THE FRONT END” Dun dun dun....
For anyone that hasn’t worked the front end of Costco before (packing groceries and cashiering), it can be quite arduous. Sometimes the lines never end. And people will load their cart until they can barely push it. Sometimes they have two carts! So guess what you gotta take all that stuff out, put it onto the belt, and then pack it all back into the cart without squishing or missing anything. On Holidays it can be an introverts worst nightmare. I’m talking lines back to the rotisserie chickens!! I heard a seasonal guy came in and quit on the first day before his shift was over... Oh, and everyone has to help out on the “front end” when it gets really busy. You don’t have a choice. (Unless you work in food) If need be they can and will send you outside in 90 degree weather to push carts. And they don’t discriminate!! If you are new, chances are you will be pushing carts at some point. Front
ProsPaid holidays, Free food during inventory, Benefits are great, Free membership, job security
ConsSchedule is erratic, People can be rude, Takes a toll on your body, Costco becomes intertwined with your very existence
Useful skills are gained but its Not a very Challenging job for a University student- Go in, do your job, and leave
I have been working there for almost 2 years now and though there are some positive aspects to working there like the pay and flexibility with school, my experiences working for Costco have been negative and I'm not impressed with the way the company works. Yes its true that they treat their employees well, but you basically have to work there for years to get what you want. A company like this runs its ideals based on seniority, so the people who have been there the longest tend to get what they want such as vacation, certain days off and so on. The managers can be nice people, but they really need to do a better job in terms of how they run the company and pick favorites which is lame. They help you out and such by letting you know what needs to be done but communication among employees is absolutely terrible. Work life balance for a college student is better when you're going to school because you only work there weekends, but the summer is horrendous for that. I told my manager that I wanted friday, saturdays off till September and she said it was fine, but these past weeks my days off changed which just ruins your week because you have to change your plans and whatnot and I wasn't even told about it.
In my case, I'm in University, so I don't get weekends off unless I book it off in advance due to their policy. Also another issue I've noticed working for this company, especially since I've been there a while is that they like to over-rely on you (students particularly
Prossunday pay, flexible with school, you gain some useful skills on the job (team player, working hard, communication skills)
ConsVery boring and repetitive, You're thrown in any department at times without warning, ridiculously short staffed, Favoritism, Lifers are too comfortable (over-rely on you), they are never happy most of the time which makes going to work bothersome, Management is disorganized, lack of communication, work-life balance isn't that great, company policies are run based on seniority
Great health benefits, but very inefficient management and a constant overburden of work.
My typical day at work begins at 5 a.m. First thing in the morning I key out (remove product from our inventory) products that have either been returned by customers or damaged/expired within the warehouse. Usually takes between 1-2 hours to complete this task. Depending on the day of the week, we will ship salvage or donation items, process RMA paperwork from vendors, and manage inventory of items brought through RTV.
I've learned that through hard work and perseverance at this company, you can move up fairly quick, but there are quite a few politics in play that will keep you from doing so if the time isn't right. Typically when a new job is posted, they will interview all of those applying, but pick someone who is getting paid the least out of the candidates and usually does not have the experience for the applied job. If you're too good or valued in your specific department, very rarely will you be able to move or get promoted out of that department even though you are heavily qualified for the new job posted.
Management at my particular warehouse is very poor. Very focused on payroll and cutting hours/people in order to save the warehouse money. Very poor planning when it comes to department moves or rearrangement, usually we will move a department 4-5 times within several days before it actually stays in that arrangement for a few months at a time. When major moves are planned, there isn't enough manpower to finish it before the store opens (10 a.m. - So roughly 5 hou
Prosmedical, dental, and vision benefits
Consinefficient management, overloaded with jobs/tasks, lack of communication between managers.
It has been awhile since I worked as a cake decorator/Baker for Costco, but it was one of those job experiences you will never forget, and not in a good way.
Working for Costco was the worst job I have ever had.
Truthfully, I don't even know where to begin on why I think this.
Now that I am in a well established job with people working under me, working at Costco taught me how to never treat your employees.
First off I was a very hard worker. I did my job and never complained. My manager noticed and praised me.
In front of everyone.
You probably know where that is going.
Because I was . . . 20? 19? there were a lot of jealous older women who thought I didn't deserve the praise. As a result, I suddenly talked behind my managers back and purposely left messes behind for others to clean -- among other countless flaws, etc.
Because of this, I was also "told on" for "eating" baked goods during work hours and was constantly brought in front of management where I always denied these allegations. I knew who told on me and would tell them fervently that I knew it was this certain someone and that they are lying. Despite everything, I was constantly picked on by management to the point that I was watched religiously for the smallest of mistakes. These mistakes include:
1. Being sick and taking an extra five minutes to go the the bathroom to take care of business and in doing so was told I wasnt allowed to take an extended break and was written up for being
Questions and answers about Costco Wholesale
How does someone get hired at Costco Wholesale? What are the steps along the way?
Asked 3 Aug 2018
Be yourself, be honest
Answered 20 Mar 2021
By going to the website down loading the application and submitting it in.
Answered 10 Feb 2020
On average, how many hours do you work a day at Costco Wholesale?
Asked 5 May 2019
8 hours a day
Answered 29 Dec 2019
8.5 hours a day but they don't give me more than 24 hours a week
Answered 3 Sept 2019
What questions did they ask during your interview at Costco Wholesale?
Asked 16 Mar 2018
Can you tell us about yourself? Previous experience in work? Why did you want to work at Costco? Are you willing to perform jobs that require you to multitask? What days are you most available to work an 8 hour shift?
Answered 18 Aug 2019
My experience about sales in wholesale
Answered 4 Jan 2019
What is the organisational culture at Costco Wholesale?
Asked 4 Aug 2017
Treat employees with zero respect.
Answered 30 Aug 2021
Friends come first
Answered 3 Sept 2019
What should you wear to an interview at Costco Wholesale?
Asked 27 Feb 2017
Smart but casual clothing
Answered 17 Apr 2018
Do not wear a tie as they are banned in the workplace open neck shirt with a collar smart trousers
