Customers at Costco often complain when they are unhappy with the products they buy. One customer was tired of a product they always bought and sent an email to the President of Costco to tell them about it. They were surprised to get a reply from the President.
The story began when a Costco customer talked about their experience on Reddit. The shopper, known as @thesaxmaniac, said they had been eating a chicken breast every day for almost two years as part of a strict bodybuilding diet.
For the last six months, they had relied exclusively on Costco for their chicken supply, purchasing either Kirkland Signature Fresh Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts or Kirkland Signature Air Chilled Fresh Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts, depending on availability.
Initially, everything was fine. The shopper reported that the chicken was of great quality during the first few months. However, things soon began to change. The customer noticed that some chicken breasts started developing a “woody” texture—tough, fibrous, and slightly crunchy, particularly in the larger pieces of meat. The shopper’s frustration grew as the issue became more frequent, making mealtimes increasingly unpleasant.
In an email to Vachris, @thesaxmaniac vented their frustration, saying the problem had escalated to the point where they dreaded eating any chicken breast over eight ounces in size. The shopper described the texture of these larger breasts as “disgusting” and noted that trying to eat them was a challenge.
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“The amount of jello crunchy woody chicken breasts per package has increased dramatically, to the point where I dread eating any breast over eight ounces,” the shopper wrote in the email.
“The big ones are almost always disgusting at this point. I’m on night shift and eating a 12.7-ounce breast right at this moment, and finishing it is merely an exercise in training myself to ignore my gag reflex.”
The shopper acknowledged that they didn’t have a specific goal in mind with their email but simply wanted to express their disappointment in the decline in quality. They ended the message on a humorous note, saying, “Please pray for me as I attempt to finish this breast now.”
An Issue Beyond One Shopper
Interestingly, this isn’t the first time Costco’s chicken has come under fire. Earlier in 2024, numerous customers voiced similar complaints about chicken breasts’ “woody” texture in a Reddit thread, indicating that the issue was widespread. Despite the volume of complaints, most of those customers didn’t receive any response from the company.
However, @thesaxmaniac’s email made it to the top, and unlike most customer complaints that go unanswered, this one prompted a direct response from CEO Ron Vachris. In his reply, Vachris apologized for the poor quality of the chicken and assured the shopper that Costco would investigate the issue.
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“Thank you for the email. We will look into it right away,” Vachris wrote. “I apologize, and you are entitled to a refund on any below-quality product you purchased.”
A Rare Response From The Top
Most shoppers do not expect to receive a personal response from a company’s top executive, especially when they have a product complaint. Reddit users following the thread quickly commented on the CEO’s unexpected engagement.
“That’s more of a response than expected from most CEOs!” one user remarked.
Another user added, “Thank you for reaching out to Ron and trying to get better product quality for us all!”
While Costco members await any improvements in chicken quality following the shopper’s email exchange, Vachris’s response has sparked hope that the issue will be addressed.
A Broader Issue In The Poultry Industry
It’s worth noting that the “woody” texture is not an isolated issue at Costco. Customers at other retailers and restaurants have also reported it. This phenomenon is often attributed to a condition called “woody breast syndrome,” which affects certain chickens and can cause a tough, fibrous texture in the meat. As larger chicken breasts become more common, consumers have noted the problem more frequently.
While Vachris’ response was a positive step, it remains to be seen if this will lead to long-term improvements in the quality of Costco’s chicken offerings. For now, Costco shoppers can take some comfort in knowing that their complaints are being heard at the highest levels of the company.