No One Should Ever Be Bold Enough To Make This Costco Free Sample Faux Pas

Some aggravating members of the public have nothing if not a full commitment to audacity. When it comes to Costco, there's some basic, unspoken etiquette that we can all follow to ensure everyone stays sane in what can be a hectic environment. If you want to make yourself an ice cream float at the food court, for instance, go ahead — but don't leave a mess for employees to clean up. Bringing your own shopping bags (as per Costco's explicit rules on the matter)? Make sure they are clear of debris and stench. Here's another warehouse "rule" that should be common sense, but evidently is not: don't ask vendors to customize your free samples.

On a Reddit thread on a forum dedicated to Costco, a rant entitled, "No I will not be customizing your FREE SAMPLE." The poster, apparently a Costco-affiliated employee, went on to elaborate: "Where do these members get your nerve? It doesn't happen often to me but often enough that it grinds my gears and makes me find a way to kindly explain why I will not be doing that for them. [...] There's no such thing as modifications or customizations when it comes to free samples. Thank you all for listening."

Snacky little tidbits of gratis food may be a perk of your Costco membership, but they're not a free-for-all. We've previously discussed an etiquette requirement for Costco free samples (throw your debris in the trash, for the love of cheese!), but this one should go without saying. Sample stands are not restaurants, and you are not entitled to specify how your sample is made.

The folks cooking up yummy samples and giving you vital info about new products aren't technically Costco employees — they work for CDS, the chain's event marketing company. The goals of CDS are to promote awareness of growing brands and to get you to purchase certain products being demonstrated. Any restrictions surrounding sample distribution are few and far between for customers (you can even potentially snag more than one sample if you're polite about it!), but CDS employees are governed by certain requirements to do their jobs as specified. 

As per the Reddit thread, samples are meant to be presented a certain way, in a manner that is decided by some combination of Costco leadership and the vendor responsible for the samples. Employees don't have carte blanche to add extra sauce or remove ingredients from your sample, as they are bound by the contractual agreements concerning sample specs. Have enough respect for their jobs to understand that you must either accept the sample as-is or decline to try it.

This is to say nothing about the fact that not hassling sample employees makes life better for everyone. Crowds tend to gather around these stands, especially during busier times of day, and everyone wants to grab their sample, maybe hear the spiel, and move along. Making demands on your specific sample is what the youngins call "pick me" behavior. In other words, it's soliciting special attention in a sea of people, and that's never a good look, especially when it comes to something you are receiving for free!