Costco Hot Dogs, a great new American tradition

Ever since we joined our local Costco in 2012, we have always picked up two of their famous $1.50 quarter‑pound hot dog-and-drink combos to take home. Back then, the system was simple and foolproof:

• Go to the central register

• Give the cashier your order

• Pay with cash or card

• Take your receipt

• Wait for your number to be called

• Pick up your order

Later, Costco replaced the cashiers with touchscreen kiosks. Young customers liked the new system, but older people approached the new kiosks with uncertainty.

• Go to the kiosk

• Touch the hot dog combo X times

• Touch PAY FOR ORDER

• Pay with a credit card

• Get a printed receipt with your order number

• Pick up your order

  
  

I was perfectly happy with this setup until one day the touchscreen froze after I ordered two hot dogs, and it wouldn’t let me pay. After cancelling and reordering twice, I finally noticed a tiny dialog box asking if I wanted to add a cookie. You couldn’t proceed without selecting either YES or NO. I muttered something under my breath and touched NO. I was exasperated. The cookie option should have been a separate item in the top menu.

A few months later, while we were checking out, Betty got in line, and I went to grab a couple of hot dogs. But the hot dog icon wasn't where it usually was. Finding was like playing a game of Where's Elmo. By the time I finally spotted it, Betty was already halfway to the register. I quickly tapped the hot dog icon twice and hit PAY FOR ORDER. A new screen popped up with two identical hot dog menu icons, each prompting me to choose between “Fountain Cup” and “Bottled Water.” I chose bottled water for the first one, but the second icon wouldn’t accept either option. I couldn’t move forward, and Betty was already checking out. Frustrated, I canceled everything and ordered just one hot dog with a bottle of water. That worked. I thought about getting a second one, but Betty was already done and looking around for me. I snatched up the single hot dog combo and rushed back to Betty.

On our next visit, I discovered how the new drink-selection system worked. It was a clumsy process because our store didn’t have the latest software installed. To order two hot dog combos, you had to:

• Tap the hot dog icon twice

• Choose a drink for the first combo

• In the dialog box at the bottom of the screen, select YES to DO YOU WANT TO ADD THIS TO YOUR ORDER?

• Move to the second combo and select a drink option

• Pay for your order

• Pick up your food

Thankfully, our Costco has now updated the software. The touchscreen now has two separate hot dog icons—one for bottled water and one for a fountain cup.

Update, Aug 02: There is a new menu with the Hot Dog Combo in a different location again. This time, I selected water with the first hot dog and added it to my order. Then, without letting me select a drink for the second dog, it sent me to pay for my order. When I picked up my two dogs, I had one with water and the other with a fountain cup. None of this is a big deal; I simply don't like being jacked around by a machine. At ninety, I am impatient and resentful of the way technology rules our lives—even the way we order a hot dog.