These Are My 3 Favorite Stores for Customer Service

I tend to do a lot of my shopping on Amazon, as opposed to hitting the stores. I'm generally not a fan of navigating crowds and having to deal with actual humans when I'm in a hurry to get things done. I'd usually rather point and click my way to the things I need, enter a credit card number at checkout, and be done with it.

But sometimes, I have no choice but to shop in person. And when I do, I prefer to give my business to stores that offer great customer service. Here are three winners in that category based on my experience.

1. Costco

Groceries are the one thing I really don't like to buy online. So I tend to go to Costco on a weekly basis to stock up on food for my family. And while I don't love the throngs of people at Costco, I do appreciate the fact that the store offers great service.

Costco says on its website, "We guarantee your satisfaction on every product we sell." And every time I've had to take an item back to Costco due to a quality issue, I've gotten a full refund -- no questions asked.

I've even gotten refunded for partially eaten food. What happened was that I'd purchased a two-pack of cheese and one pack grew mold ahead of its expiration date (and before I'd even broken the seal). When I asked for a 50% refund at Costco (logic being that I'd consumed 50% of the cheese), the customer service rep said something like, "Nope, we don't do that. Here's 100% of your money back."

2. Trader Joe's

Being friendly is practically a requirement to work at Trader Joe's. In fact, only two stores beat Trader Joe's in a consumer popularity survey this year.

What I like about Trader Joe's is that not only are the customer service folks friendly, but they're super helpful. A while back, my kids and I discovered that their favorite Trader Joe's granola bar was no longer on the shelves -- or in production. 

The Trader Joe's employee who had to break the news then proceeded to start opening boxes of different granola bars so my kids could sample them and find an alternative they liked. When I offered to pay for those boxes, I was told no.

3. Home Depot

Home Depot isn't a store I visit often. Usually, when there's a home repair to tackle, my husband is the one to take charge. But when it's a design or home improvement project, I'll come along. And I've always been impressed by how helpful Home Depot employees are.

When we were painting our kids' rooms, an employee took the time to walk me through my options for paint finishes. Another time, I was looking at faucets trying to figure out the best choice for our kitchen sink, and an employee was kind enough to open up several boxes for me to get a better look. 

Customer service or a lack thereof can make or break your shopping experience. While I still prefer to shop from the comfort of home whenever possible, I don't dread heading to Costco, Trader Joe's, or Home Depot by any means.