Costco Wholesale Reviews

Pros

The CEO and CFO and there support of the workers, there beleive in compensating and growing the people from within.

Cons

Some of upper management can loose track of the importance of supporting the worker bees.

Advice to Senior Management

Communicate more with the people doing the work when considering a change ask for their advise and really consider it.

Pros

Lots of hours, hard work, pay raises, benefits.

Cons

advancements hard to come by, lots of lay offs.

Advice to Senior Management

Recognize hard workers

Pros

Paid well for being a food service job. It starts at 11 dollars an hour, plus pay increases. Strong management and you can tell that corporate management is incredibly involved. They do a great job creating the supply chains and making things efficient. I respect Costco more than most companies.

Cons

They give promotions based on seniority often. Rarely merit. Also it's really hard to get fired. This was nice in some ways, but I was working with some poor employees that didn't care who were getting paid a lot more than me because they'd been there so long. I didn't like that. I understand the cost of retraining employees is huge, but the cost of employing someone at 18 dollars an hour who isn't worth 10 is huge as well.

Advice to Senior Management

If I were in management and someone isn't doing satisfactory work, I'd talk to them. They persist in their lack of quality, I'd write them up. They persist further I'd work with them to try and help them become better employees. If they persist further I'd write them up again. If it's literally impossible for them to improve I'd fire them, not because it's nice to them but because I'd be looking out for my stores revenues. Every customer is an opportunity to gain 3 more customers or lose 3.

Pros

Great benefits, fun people to work with

Cons

Crazy hours sometimes, no day care.

Advice to Senior Management

Keep doing what you are doing

Pros

Excellent benefits and top industry payscale

Cons

You are on your feet all day long

Advice to Senior Management

Provide positive coaching and mentorship

Pros

Great management, great opportunities to move up the corporate ladder, friendly staff and exciting work that changes every day. Also, they have locations all over the country and is is possible to change work locations.

Cons

Although there are not many downsides to working at Costco, I think one negative aspect could be standing on your feet all day on hard concrete.

Advice to Senior Management

Management in every company of the world can always try to work harder to accomodate people with children and foster a family-friendly environment.

Pros

you'll never get fired (comfortable), boss will not breathe down your neck for delivering because culturally expectations are not high with regard to productivity and IT's eagerness to deliver solution faster and better. people are friendly. Fortune 50 company. Good brand name. great work vs life balance. most people work only 40 hrs a week.

Cons

Not challenging environment, management is poor with developing their employees, not many career opportunities, probably 15-25% underpaid by position compared to market, many lifers simply happy to collect a check (meaning people worked there forever and are not go getters), lacks mentorship programs,

Advice to Senior Management

Develop your employees better, actually invest in them and their desired career paths, mentor them, don't be so complacent, create challenging environments.

Pros

the members the staff the friends you make

Cons

the greedy lying directors and asst directors plain and simple

Advice to Senior Management

follow them with surprise visits

Pros

Benefits are the prime reason someone should work at Costco. The retail atmosphere is no different than one place or the other. Very structured company that is member oriented, which is good since they know where their money comes from.
Excellent pay for most jobs in the company, benefits are at a greatly reduced cost. $41,000 a year for a tenured cashier...not bad at all...Hearing Aid Dispenser on the other hand, $48-60K a year...not so good.

Cons

If you don't have a customer service bone in your body...avoid this place. If you cannot get to work on time or if you can't LEAVE on time...DO NOT WORK HERE! You will get written up or even fired if you cannot work your schedule down to the minute...LITERALLY! I was given a "coaching note" the first time I was three minutes late leaving because a customer held me up. This is not a place for someone who likes to stand around and talk on the clock...you could be easily fired... No play...All work...If this is your work ethic, you will love Costco.

Advice to Senior Management

Pay your ancillary departments competitive wages and you won't lose so many...

Pros

Great pay and benefits, fun work environment, time & a half pay on Sundays, good exercise and friendly co-workers and customers.

Cons

Supervisors and managers not trained to handle conflicts well, poor communication of new policies, schedule can be tough - work all weekend long.

Advice to Senior Management

Spend more time training supervisors and management and don't just promote based on seniority. Also have an open mind when it comes to new ideas.