Costco's Phone Service Alerts Customers About Recalls

Story Updated: Jan 23, 2009 at 8:43 PM PST
By Matt Markovich Watch the story SEATTLE -- Do you know if you have any recalled products in your pantry? If you're a Costco member, you may already know.

The Issaquah-based megastore chain has implemented a system to notify members who purchased products that have since been recalled.

For the last 18 months, the company has left automated messages on members to alert them of food safety issues. In the wake of the latest salmonella scare and the expanding recall list of products, the system has been especially handy.

I myself received an automated message from Costco this week.

"This is Costco food safety alert," the message said. "Costco's records have indicated you have purchased Clif Bars between July 1, 2008 and Jan. 20, 2009."

How did Costco know? Craig Wilson with the company said it's because Costco, like other membership stores and grocery stores with preferred customer programs, keeps track of everything customers buy.

"We'll pull a complete list of everyone who bought that item number and we have a complete phone list," he said. "And it's so very effective."

Costco hands over that complied list to an outside company that has the capability to make 500,000 automated calls in an hour. The company said it has made 1.5 million calls so far in connection to the latest tainted peanut butter scare, and said more calls are planned.

Costco is the first major manufacturer to implement a high-tech phone tree for food alerts.

The company is still sending out old-fashioned letters to customers who bought any of the recalled products. Costco members who bring the products back to the store will be refunded.

As for me, well, my family and I ate all of those recalled Clif bars and we're still here.