I love Costco. Where else can you get a six-pack of chicken broth boxes, a one-year supply of toilet paper, cookbooks for 50% off, bargain-priced electronics, and more?
However, I have to say, a soothing atmosphere is not their strong suit. I have walked out of Costco weeping — true, it was after a very nasty breakup, but I think all the grumpy-faced avid consumers gunning for me with their huge shopping carts (or so it seemed) just confirmed my bleak view of humanity at that moment. Even on a good day, after an hour of playing Demolition Derby, I'm ready to get the hell out of there. Plus you have to bag/box everything yourself, nobody is around to answer your questions, they randomly stop carrying products at the weirdest times (today it was USB thumb drives. Why would they stop carrying USB thumb drives right before Christmas?) and they insist on checking your ID card when you enter the store AND at the register (why not just once?) as well as your receipt when you leave the store (supposedly for your own protection, yeah, right.)
So you can understand that my reaction, when I saw the following promotion on a Costco publication on my way out the door:
"Tech Support — the Costco Way"
was not entirely positive.
Seriously, I have this mental picture of calling Costco Tech Support, and not only being put on hold for hours, but repeatedly being disconnected and bumped back in the answer line by other disgruntled Costco callers, and then talking to someone who asks for my account number before AND after they help me.
But at least they'd also sell me a delicious hot dog for $1.50 while I'm waiting.
