Why Reddit Is So Emotional Over A Handwritten Costco Letter

Costco tends to inspire loyalty in customers and employees alike and it's not just the delicious desserts. But, looking at the way the wholesaler operates, it's easy to see why many Costco shoppers are happy. Glass Door found that out of thousands of reviews, Costco ranked higher than Sam's Club in every way. The theory is that happy workers create happy customers. Even more importantly, many who wrote reviews on Indeed about working at Costco prized the company's culture. "Costco has great benefits and a well structured business model," writes a staff manager from Garland, TX, adding "The environment is fast pace and with the right attitude and skills you're able to advance within the company."

One of the reasons Costco seems able to prompt such devotion in employees is due to its culture of kindness that began with its founder, James Sinegal. "No one was going to be able to say we're making money off the backs of our employees," said Sinegal, adding "because we were going to pay the highest wages in all of retail," (via MIT).

So far, the theory seems to be working. By creating favorable environments, and offering consistently higher wages, Costco workers are inspired to do their best, and to take extra care of customers. This is what led one Reddit thread to get awfully interested when a Costco employee sent a handwritten letter to a customer.

Ordinarily, a piece of mail from Costco wouldn't contain anything more than a coupon book. However, one Redditor got a lot more when an unexpected refund came in the mail, along with a nice note from a front-end manager at Costco. "Our cashier accidentally charged you for an incorrect item," said the note. "Enclosed is a cash card for the $47.00."

Though it took a few months for this refund to be found by the store, it still shows a dedicated Costco employee wanting to do right by those who shop at their store. This thoughtfulness is not going unnoticed on social media. "I don't know of any other store that will proactively give you money back when you are overcharged for something," said one member of the thread. "What a great company to recognize and correct this error," said another, and "Wow, that is AWESOME!" pretty well summed up how many people felt about Costco taking an extra step to refund the customer's purchase.

However, not every comment was a positive one. Many noticed that receiving a cash card could only be spent at Costco, rather than getting a refund on the card originally used. "This makes it so the money doesn't leave Costco," said one Redditor. "This person has to spend $47 they weren't going to spend at Costco definitely at Costco now. It's kinda stealing tbh," said another.