Sam’s Club

Clean, busy and packed full of deals. One thing these guy could learn is customer service, and helping people find things instead of saying over there… which doesnt tell my old ass much.

Though I still keep my Sam’s membership — I sometimes wonder why. I joined Sam’s Club back in 2001 when I owned a B&B in Northern New Mexico. The closest Club was in Farmington, NM and I made the 2 hr drive probably every month for years. I’ve spent thousands of $$$$ with them and it seems they’ve never changed. They carry a decent stock, have decent prices and generally maintain a neat and clean establishment. So why do I give them only 1 star??? It’s that feeling that I get from the employees when I shop there. It’s the «no eye contact» the «weak little voices» like they’re afraid to speak. It’s the «never friendly» — no «Hello» never a «Thank you.» Are they hiring little girls that can only communicate by text? I don’t know what it is but every time it seems the same. Where do they get these people. And obviously they have little training. It took the cashier 10 min to figure out how to take and print my check last time at the S Austin store. If it wasn’t for Costco not having a few items that I need — I would never set foot in this store again. I may have to find someplace else to get them anyway. SAM’s — –your customer service SUCKS !!! And the tire shop is a whole ‘nother rant. I don’t buy tire there anymore.

I do not have a Sam’s Club, but my dad does. He loves Sams and just likes going to shop around, eat the samples they have out and buy cheap jeans or whatever other deal he can get his hands on.
The week before my wedding there was a lot of errands to do here and there and one thing was to go get all the non-​alcoholic drinks for the reception. We decided to stock up here. We had a huge rolling push cart full of a variety of sodas, bottles water and tea. We also purchased all the clear plastic cups for the cocktails and wine too. We got it all for a great price too. It would have been a lot more at a regular party store or grocery store even.
My dad has some sort of rewards or something because of the type of membership he has and he actually got to take $ 20 bucks off the total because of it.
So if you are looking to buy some things in bulk or just like shopping for deals like my dad this might be your spot.

I have been to many Sam’s Clubs. They seem to be all consistent.
I give this location a good rating because the staff was over all friendly.

This is a nice location because it’s close to other convenient stores they I visit often. It is also located right by The Joint Chiropractic Place. The parking spots here are small and it is hard to find a spot up close. Not only do I shop here, but I also get my prescriptions here and the staff is not so kind. The pharmacy is slow and when I go to pick up my prescription they make you feel like you are wasting there time. It’s not always like that, but I’ve experienced a handful of times and enough to give four stars. I wish this location had a drive thru. Other than that, I use the self checkout majority of the time and don’t have much contact with employees other than the greeters at the doors and pharmacy. Great place to buy dog food!

Wow… totally different quality of employees. I like the older gentleman manning the entrance but the cashiers and customer service desk are something else… not in a good way. When my membership renewal came up, I just didnt renew. The place is depressing, dark lightings, terrible customer service line and couldn’t give a rats a** cashier’s attitude. And sams prices arent great either, many items are priced higher than competition. Anyway, Focus here! I’m not at all a high maintenance customer but i do expect a smile, eye contact and a simple thank you for shopping. My usual exit after the purchase is the cashier handing me the receipt while my cashier having a «personal or what i did last night» conversation with the cashier in the next lane. Really, I dont want to hear your personal business while in line to buy my stuff. Just say thank you and get me the he** out of Dodge! Needless to say, my shopping experience is much better now without sams encounter.

I bought a case of wine on special at the Sams Club in Waco, TX. We drank one bottle and it didn’t taste very good at all. The next day I tried to return the unopened bottles of wine to our store in Austin. The manager said he would not take the bottles back because it is against the Texas TABC laws to take wine back. I called the TABC and spoke directly to the Compliance Dept. and they told me there is no such law. The manager said they would NOT take back the unopened bottles of wine. I also called… in front of him… an HEB store and a Costco who said they take any unopened bottles of wine back any time. I WON’T be buyng at Sams Club anymore!

I think you know what you getting before you go .
Ok prices but you have to buy large quantities.

Same as any other Sams. I frequent this one as it’s the closest to home. Minus one star for the stupid receipts checking at the door, I have always thought it is stupid, don’t treat customers like thieves. I get contacts and prescriptions here at a reasonable price.

It’s a $ 200 store. I just went in to buy some dog food.

I love going to Sams for many reasons, today I’m writing about their Optical team. I go to Dr Bruce Kirkland for my eye exams, at Sams. He is very throughout and to the point, love how you can make an appt or walk in. You also don’t need a membership to seem him, it’s $ 55 for a basic appointment.
The Eye Care Specialists inside the store (membership required) are also awesome. I have been using this team for 3 years now and have never had to wait long, always received my glasses less than the time frame specified and have always been very happy.

This Sam’s Club seems to be hell-​bent on frustrating me lately.
The only attraction at this location is their selection of merchandise. They have the loyalty brands and varieties that customers demand and that Costco refuses to carry or no longer carries. That’s what keeps me coming back and my membership active.
A few weeks ago, I had to have one of their 75 month car batteries replaced after only 28 months. Yes, this is Texas and the heat here is harder on batteries than is the cold in Bemidji. That I had to replace the battery didn’t frustrate me nearly as much as the fact that it took two voids and my helping them calculate the pro-​rated refund correctly to get the transaction done.
As if that weren’t bad enough, the auto center staff seemed to be mostly hanging out, but still took an hour to replace a battery. In contrast, San Marcos did it in about 10 minutes, used a CLA adapter to keep settings on the radio, and thought to check the new battery before I left. No CLA backup here, and I had to ask for them to check to be sure I was leaving with a good battery.
Fast forward to this past Saturday night. I was trying to grab a few essentials on the way home, and was mostly successful in my endeavor. Shopping here a couple times a month, I am constantly given the pitch for the «Plus Membership» since I only have a basic membership. I’ve started telling the cashier up front that I know about it, and I don’t want to hear about it, and that’s been good enough, until now. Saturday night’s conversation went something like this.
Cashier: «Did you find everything you were looking for?»
Me: «Yes, I think so. And I don’t want to hear about the plan.»
Cashier: «You mean the Plus Membership where you can save money on every purchase?»
Me: «Yep, that would be it. I already know all about it and I’m not interested.»
Cashier: «Even if you can get 100% back if you’re not satisfied?»
Me: «No, I’m not interested.»
Cashier: «Well, you really should consider it. It’s a really good deal.»
Me: «As I said in the beginning, I have considered it before, and I’m not interested.»
Apparently «no» at Sam’s is «yes». On Sunday, I called and spoke to someone named «Paul» who identified himself as a manager. He empathized and said he’d work on retraining. We’ll see how that turns out.
And, then, as I was leaving Saturday night, I ran into the biggest roadshow con game ever at Sam’s Club. Apparently, this outfit, going by the name of «Jeffrey Earnhardt 10 Minute Windshield Repair» is set up by the exit door, preying on unsuspecting victims, much like barkers at a carnival side show. Yet a different set of vultures with eyes on my wallet.
The company is part of CHIPIO out of Overland Park, Kansas. They promise a free windshield repair (with insurance, $ 40 without). What they don’t tell you is that they’re only fixing surface chips which can’t crack out, according to industry experts. They don’t have the setup to fix combo breaks, bullseyes, star-​breaks or cracks, so they’re running insurance claims (and running up your insurance bill) for what are purely cosmetic issues.
Bentonville is behind this, it seems, so I’ll make a call there this week as well. Jim Sinegal would never have stooped to supporting a deception like this, which is what I have to remind myself of every time Costco disappoints in far less serious ways with product selection and availability.

Always a great place to stack up on a month’s worth of food. They also do a good job of carrying some great products for the fitness junky. I would suggest you look at their shorts and t-​shirts too if you are a football fan. Always clean and easy to find someone to help.

This Sams club is laid out very well. The store is clean and doesn’t have some of the drab cluttered feel that I have seen in other clubs. Like most stores l don’t care for the pushy sample servers. Finally, please stop moving stuff around — I hate having to walk the store to find something I know is there… experiences like this make me leave and go buy at other stores.

Dos and Don’ts of shopping at Sam’s Club:
Do:
They’ve expanded the size of the 1-​liter bottles of Ozarka water so that they’re almost the size of a toddler. To beat this cruel Texas summer, get a whole pack of these (15 bottles in a pack).
You may want to invest in a toilet paper dispenser like the kind you might find at the bathroom facilities in a high school or a convenience store because Sam’s has some good quality 2-​ply jumbo rolls of toilet paper that last longer than regular small rolls. And ladies, it makes for a good upper body workout if you install the dispenser directly in front of the toilet so you don’t have to keep twisting to the side to reach the toilet paper. The name of the TP is Scott. Get it.
Now for the Don’ts:
Do not stop at every food station for a free sample. If enough people do this, then those that just want to shop will have to swerve around the crowds of free-​samplers and nearly collide with others. My mom does this all the time, and I when I used to go shopping with her, I would ask her, «Are you here to shop or eat?» Move on.
Don’t come in the middle of the day. Yes, the store is huge, but that doesn’t prevent us from running into people who just happen to be in the same aisle. Chances are the more people there are, the longer it will take to run your Sam’s Club errands. At least from our experience.
Finally, don’t forget to check your receipt. The cashier occasionally double scans items. I was asleep at the register one day and overlooked a double scan charge that the employee did on toilet paper, and we had to go back to get the money back when I noticed the receipt hours later. However, when it happened a second time, we corrected the cashier on the spot. Like I said, watch out for the trigger fingers on that scanner.
Great water deals — check
Great toilet paper — check
Free sample crowds – avoid like the plaque
Receipt awareness – be on the prowl for double scans.

My opinion of Sam’s has decreased over the years, but I must admit, this particular location gives me a little hope.
I generally stop by this Sam’s to pick up one or two items. The store is clean and people are relatively friendly. Importantly, the checkers are pretty efficient in their process. Because I only have a few items usually, it makes it even more difficult for me to wait in a long line. But at this Sam’s they move their customers quickly. I am often in and out of this Sam’s in 10 min or less.
Of course, now that I have informed the Unilocal community, lines may get longer ;) But truly, if you are looking for a Sam’s that offers quick service, this is the place to go.

Hot Dog.
$ 1.62 for hot dog and large drink, worth every penny!
Hot dog is large (Nathan’s) hot dog. Condiments could use a little work, but the usual — ketchup, mustard, relish, onion.
Good quick, cheap bite to eat!

I’m an addict. There, I said it. I’m addicted to their samples and the cheap hot dogs. I’m also addicted to their electronic section where I bought a 52 inch plasma for $ 700 dollars as well as a kick ass printer/​copier/​fax machine for $ 50.
We entrusted Sams with an Iron Man themed birthday cake for our 8 yr old and they friggin’ OWNED IT! The cake was very tasty and it was cheap. Tasty and Cheap, my two most favorite things in this world all located in one place. My only complaint is that they don’t have an Express Checkout for those picking up under 10 items.
I can suffer for these prices though.

Hey. It’s Sam’s Club. Reasonably priced foods, good meats. fresh flowers, but it just does not have the polish that Costco has. Comparatively, I think the prices are the same at both stores, though.
Here is a tip. If you are looking for ½ price after Xmas ribbon, paper, bows, cards, and other Christbling, they are selling off the last of the lot. Hand crafted cards (25) are 4.00. Huge rolls of ribbon are about $ 5. They also did not sell out of Wii, Xbox, and PlayStation games such as Guitar Hero. Check them out if you are in the market.

Stephanie, Robert, Keven — Thanks for running a tight ship and honestly this may be the best customer service I’ve had all year. maybe 5 years.
My wife called me at work to tell me our LCD TV crapped out. We purchased it from Sam’s the Saturday before the Super Bowl. My wife called the manufacturer and they informed us they couldn’t schedule service calls on the weekend.
I called Sam’s with no receipt in hand and they told me to bring it in. Stephanie fielded my various questions over the phone as I drove the broken TV from Driftwood to South Austin. I made it with 15 minutes to closing time. I even forgot the remote. My wife had invited friends over Sunday to watch the season of Project Runway.
15 minutes later I’m walking out of Sam’s Club with a new 42″ Sharp Aquos and a gift card for the difference in the price. HOLY CRAP! Customer service is alive and well at Sam’s. Thanks again to Stephanie, Robert, and Keven for the help and I will tell you it pays to be a member