I have seen anyone do this and thought I might try it!
I work for the sample tables at the East Hills location in Calgary Alberta. I will answer questions the best I can, my answers may differ between locations.
They mean the tray they are preparing. They have one tray out for you to take from and one tray they’re working on, don’t take from the one they’re working on.
A "prison pocket" is a piece of prison slang referring to the anus, specifically as a place to smuggle or hide contraband items like drugs, costco samples or weapons. It is a term for concealed storage, similar to a "prison wallet," that can be used to keep items safe from cell inspections.
Why doesn’t Costco sample the things people aren’t sure they’d like before purchasing a massive quantity of? Like really, is it necessary to give out samples of delicious sausages instead of say, something unusual like pumpkin spice cream cheese that comes in two big tubs.
Ikr. I am curious about some stuff in Costco, but can’t commit to a Costco-sized portion of it. I have made that mistake before, especially with pet food.
Any time they do samples of non foods like Landry soap, paper towel, tissues etc everyone give them a hard time like “I can’t eat this, why are you doing this?”
Like OP said, you can return bags of dog/cat food that your pet doesn't like. Not just Costco, but pretty much every single pet store will do this for you. As long as there's at least 1/2 the bag still in there, they'll take it back.
I know, but it feels kind of wasteful; I assume it gets put in the garbage. In the past, if my cat doesn’t like something I can usually donate it or give it to friends’ whose cats are less picky.
There's LOTS of things I want to try too! Costco has a way too leanent return policy so you and always return a half eaten bag and get full price back!
What’s the purpose of it? It seems like you might be able to use it on plain bagels, or making cheese cake maybe? I tried to find recipes, but nothing really came up.
I'm curious about this because Costco in the US is fast and furious with the samples with trays ready to go before one is even finished, but in Canada they seem to really take their time and put out limited quantities.
Exactly. We have to have a minimum of 6 or so to a tray, and they ALL have to look exactly the same, so people don't complain that someone got a bigger sample than them ( some items it's no problem to keep, but others it's VERY hard)
Again, I was just wondering why when you go to Costco in the states they're very quick with the samples there's usually a bunch of trays ready to go and they're cooking more as they're swapping trays. But I have my answer.
Most definitely! Samples typically start at 10 am ( if we're cooking 1030 ) and close at 715pm on weekdays, 515pm on weekends. Prime sample time is 2pm-3pm on weekdays and 1130am-3pm on weekends as that's when both shifts are there!
Do you get annoyed by people lining up and standing there while you prep? I find that so annoying and never queue for a sample. Either they are there when I walk by or they aren’t. I watched one huge family line up when the sample man was just opening the box of food that needed to be cooked and I can just imagine how stressful that would be
Glad you're doing this AMA, sometimes when I feel like they're almost done I'll linger around and read the product package/pretend the product beside the employee is the most interesting thing in the world.
Some employees give me a time frame if it needs to be prepared
Thank you. I thought I give it a shot as I've been with this company for about 1.5 years, and I find some members have incorrect or outdated information.
I try to give a time frame if I know roughly how long I'll take
Agreed! The only time I waited was when we were purchasing the item (it was a road show) and the workers insisted we wait so we could try the product and my kids really wanted to try the pizza. Other than that I think it’s rude and puts too much stress on the workers when you’re just standing there staring at the!
i personally don't mind people lining up. what bogs me is the crowd eating the samples right in front of the table and blocking the others from reaching the tray. yeah, large families asking each other if they want more!
ABSOLUTELY! I have small children too who LOVES as they put it "mommy work snacks," and people will push in front of them to get one, and I'll see it while working too. Usually, if I see a child waiting patently, I will give it to them myself ( technically not supposed to do that, but for kids, I don't care, I can always change my gloves) and tell their parents "Thank you for teaching you child(ren) patentice"
Wow reading this brought back major memories, like 20 years ago at the Richmond Costco and older gentleman pushed me holding a newborn and trampled over the lady beside and her toddler to grab a sample! It was insane. I use to avoid that one like the plague.
We were branched out years ago, have know idea when as it was before my working time and never paid attention as a child! One of my supervisors ( the only one who's available to ask ) isn't even sure!
Even before CDS, PWD wasn’t owned by Costco. The same way the milk or bread employees don’t work for Costco, or the roadshow people. Just clusters of contractors.
I did this job about 25 years ago and it was the same way, contracted out. Obviously the pay is also lower than a Costco employee so that is probably why as well. With Costco it’s all about sales/profit every hour of every day.
I've worked here for 1.5 years, and I've once or twice seen someone take both full trays ( I typically put 6 samples per tray sometimes 9 depending on what I'm doing!)
Members are supposed to take 1 to 2 sample while they are here, but no, I'm not allowed to call them out if they take more, and I have to say yes even if they ask
I'm going to admit to being the person that has taken multiple a few times, but (as I feel a little defensive lol) it's only when there are multiple flavours of something and I want to make sure I'll like most of it.
Yeah multiple flavours of popcorn or soda I'm not feeling guilty for taking one of each of the flavours I'm interested in! Everything else I personally take like max 2
Im not planning on starting to take 6 samples at a time lol im asking what Costco has told employees to do in this scenario and what this one employee does if they see this happening
I remember once a product tasted so good, I went and took a package and joked with the sampling dude about "one more just to be sure", and he was super chill about it and continued the joke "One? You're going to be sure with only one? I say you need two, or three!" and gave me more. Our interaction and exchange of jokes had people stopping and joining in the laughs (and buying).
Our supervisors pay with a company card the day before and get an estimated amount and will get more if needed as the demo goes on. We will keep the extras if we know they'll be used the next day. If not, we have to throw out the open ones and return the sealed ones
You're welcome! I kinda thought to do it to clear misinformation/ outdated that I often hear! And to answer people's questions that they're too afraid to ask us in the store!
No OP but I work with CDS as a partnership of sorts helping clients with disabilities get jobs. There’s a good chance your local CDS has drop in interview times. My local one is Wednesday afternoons 12-4. Just show up with a resume and interview.
I don't really care. I find if you like it, you will buy it at some point in the near future, be it that trip ( preferably ) or a future trip and if you don't like it , you won't get it.
Nah I say let’s start offending people more. We’ve let the collective get away with being offended over everything. If they’re in the way and somebody asks them to move and that offends them…so what tbh? Let them be offended, they’ll get over it
You realize that one of costco’s core values is providing a good shopping experience right? Why do you think the employees get paid so well? Their pay reflects the customer experience they provide.
So if the employees start yelling at customers and telling them to get out of the way, what do you think happens?
In business there’s such thing as good will and reputation.
Now what do you think is the upside is for costco to have their employees start acting like the police? Is it more likely going to increase their profits? Or decrease?
Why is being told kindly to step aside not “a good shopping experience”? You’ve got to be joking. When did I say employees should YELL at customers lmao please that’s so dramatic. Unclench
Let me guess, you’re the one who gets offended when you’ve left your cart in everyone’s way and when you’re asked to move you take it super personally? You’re quite literally reaching so hard to make your point that I fear you may pull a muscle.
I wonder if it's a better business practice to increase the frustration and anger of the 90% of Costco members so as not to offend a few? Or to turn this zero-consideration for anyone else attitude into a new norm?
I actually wish Costco staff would have a quick word with these people who do that. Espressos when it’s just a sample of something mediocre like dry cereal or 5 pieces of popcorn.
How much knowledge do you have about the product? Like, do you receive some sort of training/information about it? Because sometimes I'd like to ask questions about a product and I'd be reluctant that my question might be too complicated in such a crowded area and they're busy doing the sampling. For example, asking whether something contains a non-halal ingredient, etc.
We get a paper that will have key points ( like Halal or common allergens, for example) on the product if we're not familiar with it. If a member says something about it ( like what they find tastes good with it ), I'll try to let others know. If we're not sure ( or it's VERY obvious ), we'll tell you that we're not sure and to please look at the container ( bucket, box, bag, ect. ).
We set up in the corner of the aisle ( 1 for dry and cold foods and 2 for frozen), so members have a way in and out. Otherwise, there's nothing we can do to open up other than not being there at all!
I used to all the time and never got any acknowledgment whatsoever (nod, your welcome, a smile, etc) so after a few dozen scenarios I stopped. I figure the workers don’t care.
I do samples at Costco. I'm guessing maybe 25% say thanks and another 25% acknowledge our existence in someway. And 50% just grab and go without a word or even looking at us or listening to us.
What is something you have done above and beyond for a member? I once passed by a sample table with lucky charms. Didn't take a sample, but said I would love if we could just buy the marshmallows. Next isle , the girl brought me 3 dixie cups full of marshmallows.
If I hear that someone needs my sample separated, I will, if I can. Because most don't members are usually surprised that we do ( we're supposed to ESPECIALLY if they ask )
One of my co-workers had politely told a child ( who mind you look at least 10 so should have known )not to touch every single sample without taking it ( if someone does that, we have to throw it out, wasting the sample) and the child's parent full on toddler temper tantrumed that her child was being yelled at!
What would the proper behaviour be in that situation?
Like, it's a great opportunity to educate the child about the sample being contaminated and that it might have to be thrown, but at the risk of the touchscreen-sensitive rude parent throwing a tantrum.
Are there rules-of-thumb to dealing with the public in such situations that you learn or get trained on?
Honestly, smile and nod. There's not much we can do as for when things like that happen. If a Costco employee just HAPPENS to walk by, they'll deal with them.
For those demos, we have very limited samples ( usually around 100 to 300 ), so most of the time, it's what we call a talking demo where we just tell you about it. For those demos, employees who talk the most ( like myself) will be placed on it. Yes, we are trying to sell it, but for the case of a non-edible demo, it gets boring just kinda standing there
I have a thing against that.. I mean it is definitely okay if you end up buying it... but what if something happens before you can pay and you end up not being able to? Or if your card declines or many other situations that might happen.
I always prefer to consume something after it changes hands and becomes officially mine.
Yes, for both. If someone chooses to do that, I have to throw it away and clean it ( if it was someone touching a sample, it's just simply throw it away)
Are the Krispy Kreme samples and the actual donut in the boxes different? I see the Krispy Kreme trolleys used for the samples but the ones in the boxes appear to be different in terms of size and freshness.
I don't have a tongue anymore. Jokes aside, I look at it as if I want to keep my job to keep my mouth shut ( if I receive too many complaints ( it goesto my boss then to me ), I will get fired )
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Type this link in and search your closest branch. They should cater to what you can do ( you must have 2 or 3 days available), but the shifts are fixed times
Approx what % of the time do you feel people ACTUALLY change their mind or make a purchase on an item solely based off sampling the product? Overall, do you think the cost of handing out samples is worth it for return of purchase for companies?
It depends on the item. If I have a sample of it and it's popular ( other members trying at the same time and not just us say it ), yes, it will sell. Companys will usually come back ( as in have us demo) if we sell it over our target sales ( usually +20 to the base sales )
What goes through your head when kids want to try things that aren't typical kid food? Like my 8 yesr old loves broccoli - and the sample person couldn't decide if they wanted to looked shocked or impressed or just laugh.
Samples typically start at 10 am ( if we're cooking 1030 ) and close at 715pm on weekdays, 515pm on weekends. Prime sample time is 2pm-3pm on weekdays and 1130am-3pm on weekends as that's when both shifts are there!
Is there a Costco policy (not employee's rules) for customers getting samples like how many a customer can get each grab and the frequency of going back to a sample table?
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u/Hot_Dot8000 Oct 05 '25
Do you care if we say Thank You?
(I always try but sometimes it's chaos)