Calling this number was a fairly simple procedure, although I had to go through a very long wait to get to someone. When I called this number, I was initially told that all Costco locations would be closed on Christmas Day before the automated system moved into its choices. I could either ask for help with an existing order, product information order assistance, get information about a refund or ask questions about my membership.
I opted to get order assistance and product information, and the system told me that I could get product information by going to Costco's website and looking under the photo of the item I was interested in. If I needed more information, I could press 1 and speak to a representative.
I chose to do so, and the system told me to hold while I was connected with a representative. The system warned me that because of the holiday season, Costco was experiencing a higher call volume than usual, and I could expect longer wait times than I might otherwise face. The system further told me that my expected wait was 11 minutes.
The automated system's reminder point seems to be five minutes, as I got two separate reminders that all representatives were busy with other customers, and it might be in my interest to go onto Costco's website to get assistance. I opted to continue to hold, and eventually, I was connected with a representative and asked how she could help me.
I told her that I was looking to place an order on Costco's website, and I wanted to know if it would be faster to pick up an order at my local Costco or if I should have it shipped directly to my door. She said that it would depend on the product, but in most cases, it would take the same amount of time either way. I told her that I wanted to plan ahead because I live in Hawaii; here, it takes a long time for anything to get to me, and she said that in practice, it would be the same amount of time regardless of how I placed the order.
I then asked if there was a way I could check if an item was already in stock at my local Costco when I went online. She said that if I wanted to do that, the best thing to do was find the item online and then call my local Costco to see if they had the item. She said that I wouldn't be able to check the item's status online, so this was the best option. With no other questions, I ended the call, and she thanked me for calling.
Overall, I thought this was a good experience. They can't do anything about a long wait during the holiday system, and once I got through to the representative, I got the help I needed in less than a minute. If I needed help with Costco.com, I'd definitely use this number.