This paper includes a study conducted by my partner Landon Sielaff and I, Chase Nett. We looked into Costco’s food court, specifically how the different workers interact with each other, and if there are any social hierarchies between the different workers. Included is our initial thoughts and the process by which we conducted our research, how the food court is perceived by the customer, how it is perceived by Rich Sagali and “Migel”, both of which work in Costco’s Corporation including if they believe there is any hierarchy in the workplace, and the diversity in which the food court is run and operated
From the start of the day at 10 A.M., to the end of the day, and all times in between, Costco’s food court remains open. Costco, formally…show more content… Frankly a fat person’s fantasy. From the customer’s perspective, the food court is a well-oiled machine that never fails to meet the needs of every customer. As you walk into the food court, the lines look intimidating. These lines shorten very fast, and there is never too long a wait for anything. When you get to the cashier, you are greeted by a friendly, hardworking person ready to take your order. You order, and moving quickly, the cashier grabs your food, then charges you. If you order a pizza, the cashier gets the slice for you, as they keep the pizzas right next to the counter. When ordering anything but a pizza, the cashier will ask one of the workers to get the item requested. After you acquire your food, interaction with workers ends. Now you have your food, and you need to fill your drink. Costco’s drinks are a variety of different PepsiCo and Coca-Cola products like Mtn. Dew, Coke, Barq’s root Beer, and even lemonade. There are two different machines, each with the same options in each. The reason behind the multiple machines seems to be clear, and it seems Costco has adopted this idea of having two different machines for everything. When you have two machines, it doubles the speed of people getting what they need, ultimately making lines less of an issue. Another reason for this is that if one stops working or runs out of ingredients, the customer can still get what they want, without a wait. The two machine method is also used with their lid and straw dispensers, their napkins, and finally their condiment dispensers. This benefited me in my visits as I never had to wait in any line for more than a few seconds, and the machines were always stocked with what I needed. For Landon, the idea of one thing running out but still getting what you want was evident, as he states in his field notes that one of the
