15 Things Sam's Club Employees Wish Customers Knew

From saving money to staying on top of feeding a large household, there are plenty of reasons why Americans have fallen in love with warehouse clubs. If you're looking for the best deals, you might be wondering if Sam's Club, Costco, or BJ's is the cheapest wholesale club. While there are lots of factors to consider, one shining trait of Sam's Club is the fact that it offers the lowest membership fees.

Whether you're a long-time Sam's Club fan or a new shopper, there are some unspoken rules that you should be aware of before shopping in-store. Employees who work there have countless horror stories to share that not only impact them, but also other shoppers. The last thing you'd want to do is realize that you're part of the problem.

So, what's the lowdown on Sam's Club? Read on to peek behind the curtain and uncover the key things Sam's Club employees wish you knew before you embark upon your next shopping trip.

A huge pet peeve of Sam's Club employees is shoppers who think they can roll up whenever they want to get their curbside groceries. There are reservations for a reason. This means you should never reserve a morning slot if you know you won't be able to get to the store until the afternoon or evening.

The reason why this is so problematic is that there's limited space within the Club Pickup area where employees keep the groceries. There's also a limited number of carts, which impacts the employees' ability to shop for other customers.

On a related note, be mindful of where you park. If you realize you forgot to add an item to your order and want to run inside the store, move your car out of the Club Pickup parking spot so other folks who need to receive their orders have a place.

There are lots of things you should know before buying in bulk. It can definitely save you money in many cases, but it's always good to do your own math if you're unsure. Staying aware of your cart's value as you shop can prevent you from falling into a pit of despair when you see the final bill at checkout.

Sam's Club employees say that shock is a fairly regular occurrence at checkout since buying in bulk comes with a hefty price tag. What crosses into problematic territory is when you refuse to pay the bill until the cashier double-checks every item. Many Sam's Club members know the pain of waiting in long lines since people's carts can be pretty intense, so don't be that person who slows down the flow.

If you want to feel more in control of your spending, download the Scan and Go app that Sam's Club created. It gives members the ability to scan every item, verify the price, and keep a running tally. You can even skip the traditional checkout line by paying on the app. It's the most convenient Sam's Club perk that makes Costco shoppers jealous.

Going to Sam's Club at certain times may mean that there's a line to get inside. This is due to a shortage of shopping carts and employees who bring the carts back from the parking lot. This doesn't happen at every Sam's Club, but it's always a possibility.

If you see a line at the front door, don't try to barrel your way through into the store. Politely get to the back of the line and wait for your turn. Nobody likes waiting in line, but we all need to be fair. Most importantly, you should never take your frustration out on the employees. Try to have some empathy for the folks who are doing the best they can, often with limited resources.

To avoid this debacle, try to plan your visits during slower hours. Weekend afternoons and rush hours during the week are sure to be busy. Going as soon as the store opens or later in the evening should be a calmer experience.

Having an employee look over your cart and receipt before you leave Sam's Club or any other grocery store can be an awkward experience. It makes you feel like you did something wrong, even when you know you're innocent. You just need to remind yourself that Sam's Club has its own policies, and the employee also wants the interaction to be as quick as possible.

Even if you disagree with this policy, you shouldn't be rude to the employee who's checking your items. Some Sam's Club members think it's appropriate to hand over receipts that have been crumpled into a ball. Others hold the receipt in a way that makes it difficult for the employee to use their scanner, so their wrist has to perform circus tricks to gain access. All you need to do is hand the receipt to the employee, let them do a quick check, and then you can be on your merry way.

It's understandable to get overwhelmed in a giant warehouse store like Sam's Club. Not only are the shelves massive, but the store itself packs some impressive square footage. You're not alone if you frequently have to make U-turns because you missed an item.

Even though it's tricky to wrangle a big grocery cart in a crowded store, do your best to stay aware of your surroundings. Not only could you bump into other shoppers, but you could also crash into employees who are trying to get important tasks done.

As a general rule of thumb, keep your cart close to you instead of in the middle of an aisle, and glance around every now and then to make sure no one is waiting for you to move so they can grab something. If you do experience any collisions or close calls, a polite smile and apology can immediately ease the tension.

While Sam's Club employees are always there to help customers, you can save both parties time by not bombarding them with a million questions about a product with which they may not even be familiar. Do a quick online search to gather information about a product and make an educated guess about whether or not it's worth buying. If you get home, unpack it, and realize you hate it for whatever reason, the chances are high that you have a very flexible return window.

Sam's Club has a pretty generous return policy. Most things can be returned at any time, with a few exceptions. For example, electronics should be returned within 90 days. Employees have even shared instances when an item wasn't returned within the allotted window, and they still completed the return. While you can't guarantee that every store will be equally forgiving, a general rule of thumb is that as long as you show up with good energy, you can rest assured that the employee will do whatever they can to get your money back.

One of the coolest secrets about the Sam's Club food court is that you didn't even need a membership to access it in the past. Plenty of locations are still quite lax about this, but things are starting to change. With the rollout of the handy Scan and Go app, one drawback is that the company is now pushing its members to order food from the cafe via the app. Once you're at a Sam's Club, the app will reveal that location's menu and let you place an order.

For some, this could be quite handy. You can order your food when you arrive, do some shopping, then relax with a hot dog or pizza afterward. This push for online ordering makes it impossible to walk up to the cash register without an active Sam's Club membership and use any payment method you want, though.

If you can't tag along with a friend who has a membership, keep your eyes peeled for deals. Sam's Club runs all kinds of specials, with one January 2026 deal inviting new members to join for just $25. You should also be aware of our ranking of every dish at the Sam's Club Food Court so you can get the most out of your order.

There's definitely a line that Sam's Club shoppers can cross when it comes to in-store shenanigans. Everyone makes mistakes sometimes, so you don't need to panic if you commit one faux pas. However, Sam's Club employees do reserve the right to void your membership if you're a repeat offender. One of the quickest ways you could lose your membership is by violating safety rules.

Warehouse clubs can be a mystifying place because there are pallets upon pallets and sky-high shelves. The employees work hard to keep these shelves stocked, and you have to give them space to get the job done safely. For example, one employee on Reddit detailed problematic encounters with a shopper who continued to interfere with the pallets they were trying to unload. Grabbing items that were still on the forklift is a huge safety concern, so the employee shared their concerns with the manager. After the manager tried discussing the issue with the shopper, they became belligerent, which led to the revocation of their membership.

Another safety rule you must remember is to stay away from employee-only areas. Apparently, many shoppers think they can go into the freezer to check for items. Since there's a risk of slipping, Sam's Club does not want its shoppers going back there.

Even if you're not on a tight budget, shopping in bulk can make you question everything about reality. Will you really eat 2.5 pounds of spinach before it wilts? Do you like rice enough to lug a 25-pound bag up a few flights of stairs to your apartment? Is nine muffins the right portion size to purchase if you live alone?

Considering how huge Sam's Club warehouses are, it's no wonder that shoppers often abandon items on random shelves halfway across the store. Not only is this inconsiderate, but it can cause a bigger issue if the item is perishable.

If you're ditching a rotisserie chicken, yogurt, a ready-made meal, or anything else that needs to be temperature-controlled, you're wasting that food. It may be a pain, but you should do the right thing by walking back to that section and returning the food so that someone else can enjoy it.

Lots of folks joke that a job in the service industry should be mandatory for everyone early in life to help teach people empathy. The hope is that it would stop people from yelling at servers, cashiers, and other customer-facing employees about problems outside their control. With that in mind, if you ever visit the Sam's Club Café during a busy time, take a deep breath and remember that the employees are moving as fast as they can.

One Sam's Club employee revealed on Reddit that their food court has an oven that can only cook three pizzas at a time. If one person orders a large batch of pizzas for a party, this can slow down everyone else's order. It's easy for everything to get clogged. That same user shared that because of this chaos, they regularly can't eat, drink, go to the bathroom, or sit down to rest for over six hours during their shifts, so it doesn't help when customers complain about the speed of service. If you think you're hangry because your order isn't instantly ready, imagine how those employees feel when they have to remain polite in those conditions while also being yelled at frequently.

There are plenty of tasty pre-made dishes at Sam's Club. If you're not sure what to get, you can get some inspiration from our ranking of popular pre-made meals at Sam's Club. While we all need easy access to meals that are fresh and ready to eat from time to time, you should be mindful of the conditions in which they are potentially made.

One Reddit user revealed shocking news that their particular Sam's Club location had a massive black mold issue that management didn't want to resolve. The staff also alerted management about some rusty utensils, and they weren't replaced. Another Reddit user claimed that the kitchen was "the dirtiest kitchen I have ever worked in."

Obviously, this isn't the case for every Sam's Club out there. Some managers have higher standards than others, and plenty of Sam's Club employees have praised the conditions of the home meal solutions kitchens in their respective stores. However, it's still something that's worth bearing in mind.

It's true that some self-checkout registers are better than others, but you should typically be able to get through the process as long as you read the instructions carefully. Sam's Club self-checkouts are a bit trickier than those at other grocery stores due to the size of the items when sold in bulk. If you're using the handheld scanner to reach items in your cart instead of taking each item out, you must return the scanner to its rightful home before you can finish checking out. This is a step that makes countless shoppers stop in their tracks despite being told what to do on the screen.

Another employee on Reddit says customers are always asking for help looking up an item or removing something from the bill, even though there are clear buttons on the screen for these issues. If you ever run into a problem, take a moment to thoroughly examine the screen before interrupting an employee for help. The best way to avoid checkout drama is by using the Scan and Go app, which is the easiest and quickest option.

In a Reddit thread that's equally horrifying and hilarious, a Sam's Club employee accuses the members of collectively sharing a single brain cell. What incident caused their breaking point? They had to clean a bathroom stall with fecal matter all over the wall. As if this wasn't bad enough, a member came into the bathroom while their back was turned, used the soiled stall, then came out to complain that it wasn't clean.

Another Sam's Club employee chimed in on that thread and said that they've also experienced fecal matter spread on the walls. Their theory was that members like to overindulge in the cafe's junk food and then go blow up the toilets. Other employees have shared similar sentiments, with one writing on Reddit, "I die inside every day having to use the public restroom there as an employee."

Needless to say, if nature calls, sometimes you have to answer. But if you're ever in a situation where you can hold it, you may save yourself from some trauma by avoiding the Sam's Club bathrooms. Of course, you won't have the same experience at every store. This truly depends on who was in there right before you, and the respective store's cleaning regime. Regardless, you may want to mentally prepare before stepping into any store's bathroom, just in case.

Shopping for clothes can be a bit stressful at times. If you happen to fall in love with a particular piece but can't immediately find it in your size, you may want to tear up the entire department hunting for it. This is a common occurrence at Sam's Club, and the employees despise it.

Sam's Club is unique because there are lots of boxes underneath the clothing displays. These are meant for employees, but customers feel justified rifling through them and leaving clothes in big piles all over the floor. One employee on Reddit said that they've witnessed shoppers cough, sneeze, and even bleed on the clothes. Needless to say, you should always wash new clothing items before you ever wear them.

Instead of ransacking the place, you should either ask for help or embrace the fact that your size is probably sold out and order it online. You may be able to come back a few days later and discover that the stock has been replenished.

Sam's Club isn't a store where you can try things on. There aren't any dressing rooms, and you're not allowed to open up the jewelry to see how you like it in the store. Sam's Club focuses on maintaining a flexible return policy to encourage customers to take chances and come back if they don't like it once they're home. This means you should never ask an employee if they can help you try on any jewelry.

One employee on Reddit revealed that this rule doesn't exist to inconvenience customers. Some merchandise legally can't be sold if it's opened in the store. As per the employee, Apple, in particular, is very strict about opening boxes of its products. One Sam's Club customer created a scene because they weren't able to try on an Apple Watch, but it was entirely out of the employee's hands.