23% Think This Grocery Store Has The Best Customer Service

Customer service is every bit as important as selection and affordability at a grocery store, perhaps even more so. Think about it: You're spending your hard-earned money on the most essential things for you and your family. If you can't find something, if an item is damaged, if you spot a price discrepancy — basically, if there's a hitch in your regular shopping routine, it's vital it gets fixed. And it sure would be nice if it was fixed by a friendly and efficient employee, wouldn't it? 

Especially during the pandemic, supermarket trips can be stressful. There are shortages of certain items, people are more aware of their finances than ever, and everyone's trying to keep a safe distance. Add to those factors that many shoppers found certain stores anxiety-inducing even pre-Covid. A recent Mashed survey found that 22% of respondents won't even go into a Meijer location. Basically, we are all looking for a supermarket that covers all of our needs in a way we can classify as smooth-sailing.

Customer service is an integral piece of that, so we wanted to know: What grocery chain do patrons think has the best overall customer service?

Costco has already long won the favor of many American shoppers with its low prices on bulk items. But now we know there's another element of that magic Costco sauce: great customer service. We polled 603 shoppers to find out what grocery store they thought had the best customer service, and Costco eked out a victory with 23% of the vote.

Trader Joe's was very close behind with 22.7%, but we'll let Costco enjoy the win. Between the prices, the bulk options, the selection, and now this confirmed stellar customer service, Costco is officially a contender for best place to shop. Target was also high up there with 21%; followed by Whole Foods at 15% and Kroger at 14%. Meijer came in dead last with only about 3.5%. Yikes, that's yet another knock against the Meijer shopping experience.

Costco's triumph is backed up by a solid reputation. It also took first place for customer service in a 2019 Newsweek poll, and the American Customer Service Index also names the store a leader (per Cheat Sheet). Easy-to-find customer service on Costco's website, tighter inventories that employees can easily keep track of, transparency, and a lack of pushy sales tactics are just some things people like. Plus, reports in Forbes, USA Today, and Indeed all found that Costco is one of the best places to work in America, with an impressively high level of employee satisfaction. It's no shock that treating your employees well leads to customer service that keeps shoppers coming back.