Anyone work at Costco ?

[nike]

Costco is opening a new store near me . I know it is a warehouse setting but does anyone work there ?How is the pay? The pro and cons? Do you get a membership? How are the hours, do you have to stay after it closes and clean up ?

 

[POOHDRMR]

I worked there untill I had my dd and I still have many friends that work there and my brother in law is in the process of being hired as a manager.It is a great place to work in my opinion.The pay is good-it was 11.00 to start a few years ago so I am sure it probably went up by now.There are so many different areas to work in so even if you start as a cashier and don't like it after a certain amount of time you can sign postings that go up for help in different departments.I worked as a cashier,in food service(hated that!)in membership/refunds(loved that) and then I moved to the photo lab which I absolutly loved and stayed untill I left.Depending on the department and if you are working closing you may need to stay to help clean at night but it really depends on your availability and department-for example membership and photo it was only a half hour after closing,but on the front end it could be up to 2 hours.You do get a free membership but no extra discount on merchandise.I really am not so much of a people person so I liked working more behind the scenes in departments that I didn't deal with members as much so that is why I liked doing photo.Entry level managers start by me at 55,000-60,000 depending on the department and there are senior managers and assistant store managers that have higher salary.My BIL was a store manager for rite aid and didn't make as much as entry level department manager.It was hard work-our store was very busy and the holidays are rough but overall I think it is a great job-we had alot of people that finished college and stayed because they were making decent money already and didn't want to take a pay cut to go elsewhere.I worked part time and the hours were good and healthcare was good.I think it is worth trying and see if they have what you are looking for.

 

[holycow]

I was going to mention I overheard a conversation while waiting for my perscription.

The women were talking about finishing up their degrees. The one said that she finished her degree but liked working at Costco so much she never pursued her area of her degree. She just stayed on.

The other one was working at Costco while trying to finish her degree and didn't know what she wanted to do.

Sounded good to me! Good luck whatever you decide.

 

[holycow]

I was going to mention I overheard a conversation while waiting for my perscription.

The women were talking about finishing up their degrees. The one said that she finished her degree but liked working at Costco so much she never pursued her area of her degree. She just stayed on.

The other one was working at Costco while trying to finish her degree and didn't know what she wanted to do.

Sounded good to me! Good luck whatever you decide.

 

[JB2K]

Pros

• Costco's starting pay is much higher than that of other retail (Walmart, Target, Sears/Kmart, Macy's) -- if you can land a full-time position at Costco, you could find youself making more than your neighbors.
  
• They are closed on most U.S. holidays.
  
• They are said to have a good benefits package, if that's something you're looking for...

Cons

• If the store is located on the east or west coasts (former Price Club stores), you would have to pay union dues as those stores are still represented by the Teamsters.
  
• It is a "working warehouse" meaning you may have to wear certain safety gear and quite possibly learn to operate forklifts and other heavy machinery.
  

If you're looking to do "food demos", those are handled by separate contractors (who are not Costco employees).

 

[MickeyDisneyFan]

The majority of Costco locations are not unionized. The non-union locations have revisions to their Costco Employee Agreement every three years concurrent with union contract ratifications in locations with collective bargaining agreements. Similar to a union contract, the Employee Agreement sets forth such things as benefits, compensations, wages, disciplinary procedures, paid holidays, bonuses, and seniority. As of March 2008, non-supervisory hourly wages ranged from $11.00 to $20.50 in the United States, . In the US, eighty-five percent of Costco's workers have health insurance, compared with less than fifty percent at Walmart and Target.

 

[RachaelA]

My brother made time and a half on Sundays at Costco. That might have just been his position though (he cooked the rotisserie chickens).

 

[mommy2allyandaveri]

My brother made time and a half on Sundays at Costco. That might have just been his position though (he cooked the rotisserie chickens).

The 2 people that I know who worked at Costco also made time and a half on Sundays

 

[nike]

Thank you all for your help. I was surprised that so many people talk so highly. I see that Costco closes much earlier than BJ's. BJ's closes at 10pm you don't walk out the door till 11pm

 

[DisneyFan32WI]

Thank you all for your help. I was surprised that so many people talk so highly. I see that Costco closes much earlier than BJ's. BJ's closes at 10pm you don't walk out the door till 11pm

I have a friend who worked at one and it paid $11 an hour.

I personally think the store hours are ridiculous. They are closed by 8:00 on weeknights and 6:00 and 5:00 on the weekend. They don't even open until 10:00 in the morning.

I guess it would be the perfect hours for an employee though!

 

[zscfan]

The starting pay at Costco is $11 per hour--everyone is started as PT. Pay raises are based on hours worked. There is a 90 day probationary period. I got FT after 4 months. The benefits are great, even for PT employees. My location is not unionized.

The downside is that almost everyone is required to work weekends and that in the front-end (which is where most people are initially hired) you will close for probably the first 2 or 3 years. (Closing is working until 10:30PM or 11PM.) People are not usually cashier trained until they have been there for 6 months. Also, in the front end, whether you cashier or "assist" i.e. packing the orders, you must work very quickly.

I like my job and feel very lucky to have it. I make good money, have good benefits and my job is relatively secure. Layoffs are done by senoirity, and there are so many people below me that I am probably safe.

 

[nike]

If they close at 8 pm why do you have to stay until 11pm What do you do for 3 hours after the store closes ?

 

[zscfan]

My store closes at 8:30PM-- but it takes until 11PM (or later) to condense (block down) the boxes on the pallets, fold all of the clothes and do all of the go-backs. It doesn't sound like much, but if we are busy and don't have people on the floor during the day, it is a lot!

 

[nike]

Thanks for all the input. Sounds like a great place to work. I do have cashier experience so I hope that helps. The great thing about this it is a 20 min. bus ride. I just don't know when it is opening in Queens. I did fill out an application online so I am keeping my fingers crossed. I will keep you posted and more info would be great

 

[rparmfamily]

Good luck! I've heard nothing but great things about working at Costco.

While I think their hours stink too (I wish they were open earlier) they are always packed and busy. I think they are one of those companies that still did great during the bad economy.

 

[nike]

Can someone find out when Costco is opening this location. I applied online now just waiting for a phone call but are they opening sooner or later

 

[sticker231]

heard July 8th

 

[Mathew1]

Hi,

I am considering the same thing for the same reasons and have been doing some research. I have been told that Home Depot does not give an employee discount while I know Lowe's and Sears both give a %10 discount on store merchandise.

 

[ilovemonk]

The majority of Costco locations are not unionized. The non-union locations have revisions to their Costco Employee Agreement every three years concurrent with union contract ratifications in locations with collective bargaining agreements. Similar to a union contract, the Employee Agreement sets forth such things as benefits, compensations, wages, disciplinary procedures, paid holidays, bonuses, and seniority. As of March 2008, non-supervisory hourly wages ranged from $11.00 to $20.50 in the United States, . In the US, eighty-five percent of Costco's workers have health insurance, compared with less than fifty percent at Walmart and Target.

Ditto. I have 2 relatives that work in the corporate office. They both started as cashiers and now work in higher paid positions. It's a great place to work with great benefits. They both love their jobs.

 

[nike]

wish me luck I got a call and have an interview next week.