14 Rudest Things People Do at Costco, According to Employees
Costco workers are juggling a bunch of responsibilities at any given time. And it can sometimes become quite challenging to deal with rude things people do when they’re already dealing with towering carts and shelves stacked high with peanut butter. Many workers have shared the patterns that grind their patience down the fastest.
Staff say these everyday behaviors test their limits, and some have the stories to prove it.
Abandoning Perishables Wherever It’s Convenient
Credit: Reddit
A ribeye next to a pile of beach towels is not unusual. Staff regularly stumble upon half-thawed meat or forgotten seafood abandoned in totally unrelated aisles. These items can’t be reshelved once they’ve warmed up, so they’re tossed. This becomes a routine waste that’s easily avoidable but keeps happening anyway.
Blocking the Aisles Like They’re Personal Waiting Rooms
Credit: Reddit
Costco’s wide aisles are meant for efficient movement, not for indecisive debates about granola bars. Some customers form a post in the middle of the busiest walkways, like they’re settling in for a lunch break. These logjams leave workers zigzagging with pallets and restock carts like an obstacle course.
Treating Stock Carts Like Open Buffets
Credit: Reddit
Some customers hover near restocking carts and pull items directly from them as though they’re special inventory. Employees report customers snatching muffins or fruit off the carts, assuming they’re fresher. That’s not really true. It’s stuff that’s just not shelved yet. This habit slows everything down and annoys just about every worker in sight.
Refusing to Return Carts in the Lot
Credit: Reddit
Costco employees find abandoned carts everywhere — on curbs, grassy strips, or worse, blocking open spots. One Florida worker questioned how a shopper can trek through the massive store but suddenly be too tired to push an empty cart a few more feet to the corral.
Flirting With Employees in Uniform
Credit: Instagram
Several workers have shared stories of customers making inappropriate comments or hitting on them while they’re just doing their jobs. These moments create awkwardness and power imbalances, particularly when the employee has to remain polite under pressure. Many wish people would keep things professional in the store.
Resisting the Membership Rules
Credit: Reddit
There’s always someone who insists the rules don’t apply while refusing to show their membership card, or trying to shop without one entirely. Staff are stuck repeating the same policies while absorbing eye rolls, sighs, and occasional raised voices.
Tearing Into Product Packaging
Credit: Reddit
Despite display samples already set up, some shoppers rip into boxed items on the shelf just to peek inside. Employees say they’ll often find torn packaging left behind, while the same person walks off with an untouched box from the back. Guess who gets to clean it up?
Walking in at Closing Time
Credit: Canva
Five minutes before the doors lock, someone walks in, ready to browse. Staff can’t begin closing procedures until everyone’s out, which means those last-minute shoppers routinely stretch shifts by 30 minutes or more. No one’s mad you want crackers. Just maybe not at 8:58 p.m.
Leaving Trash Inside Carts or Around the Store
Credit: Reddit
Used sample cups, wrappers, and drink lids are routinely tossed into carts or dropped in random aisles. One longtime employee said it’s not rare to find half-eaten food and sticky residue in carts, even though garbage bins are placed generously throughout the store, including near every sample station.
Failing to Separate Orders at Checkout
Credit: Instagram
Bringing multiple orders in one cart — personal, work-related, or for someone else — isn’t the problem. It’s the lack of communication. Employees are often left guessing which item belongs to which order. If nothing’s clearly separated, delays and mistakes happen, which frustrates both staff and the line of waiting shoppers.
Digging Through Produce Like It’s a Gold Mine
Credit: Reddit
Digging through fruit crates and leaving behind squashed or rejected picks can cause headaches. Employees say it turns fresh displays into a mess of bruised apples and scattered greens. Banana hunting shouldn’t feel like a contact sport.
Distracted Phone Use in Checkout Lines
Credit: Canva
Staff say checkout lines slow to a crawl when customers are deep in a call, unaware of what’s happening around them. Not hearing payment questions, ignoring ID checks, and zoning out entirely all add up. Cashiers often have to repeat themselves just to get through a basic transaction.
Abusing the Return Policy With Ridiculous Items
Credit: Reddit
Costco’s generous return policy isn’t an open invitation to bring back decade-old Christmas trees or empty food containers. Workers have reported customers returning meat picked down to the bone, citing “poor quality,” or 13-year-old seafood they “finally got around to trying.” It puts staff in a difficult position where they can’t refuse.
Letting Kids Run Wild Near Machinery
Credit: Getty Images
The warehouse floor isn’t a daycare, but some parents seem to treat it that way. Staff have reported kids darting near forklifts and into restock zones, which makes it not just stressful, but outright dangerous. A few close calls have made workers hyper-aware, but prevention only goes so far without parental backup.
Parking Right in Front of the Entrance
Credit: Reddit
Despite signs and common sense, some shoppers still pull up directly in front of the store to load their car or wait for someone. Workers say it clogs traffic and frustrates others trying to exit. Besides being inconsiderate, it creates a bottleneck that often escalates into horn-blaring standoffs.