Costco Shoppers Complaining About In-Store Perk Going Terribly Wrong
For many Costco shoppers, the free food samples are one of the biggest perks of paying for a membership at the warehouse club. But an increasingly vocal group of shoppers has major complaints about the popular sample kiosks—and some are calling for them to be removed from stores entirely.
Earlier this week, a Costco shopper took to Reddit to praise a worker who was "laying down the law" while distributing free samples to the crowds.
"Told one person they had to wait til the tray was pushed up front. Told another they touched it, so they have to take it. Told others to take from the front of the tray," they wrote. "Must have been a schoolteacher or lunch lady in a previous job. We need more like her to whip people into shape."
The story resonated with fellow Costco shoppers, many of whom complained in the comments section about the chaos and inconsiderate behaviors they have to deal with around the free sample stations. These critics say that other members consistently block aisles, cause congestion, and act overeager when trying to collect free samples.
"I get why they have them but the samples are super annoying. Too many people laser-focused on the food and they don't watch where they are going!!! I just want to get my stuff and get outta there! Drives me nuts," one Redditor commented.
"It's like a circus out there during sampling hours. I get that it's free food, but does it really warrant turning into a mob scene?" another lamented. "Kudos to the sample lady for maintaining some order in the chaos. We need more of that energy in Costco."
Some have even gotten so fed up with the free sample stations that they wish Costco would centralize or eliminate the perk altogether.
"I know this is an unpopular opinion, but I wish there was a dedicated sample section or Costco just got rid of them. The traffic and frustration around those spots [are] the worst," a shopper commented.
This isn't the first time that Costco shoppers' free sample etiquette has come under scrutiny. Earlier this year, one of the workers who distribute free samples at Costco took to Reddit to share a few behavior guidelines for around the stations. They instructed members to refrain from touching anything that isn't on the red tray at the front of the kiosk, stay aware of their surroundings, avoid cutting lines, and remain calm with the sample workers.
"I made the post as a way to both air some grievances in a non-confrontational way and also to inform people of some of the rules, since I find a lot of people don't know how a lot of things go," the worker told Eat This, Not That! at the time.
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