Ikea employee gives the inside track on queue jumping and whether the meatballs are good value

SHOPPING at Ikea has been known as a serious test for any relationship, with couples arguing over everything from the colour of bedsheets to the number of meatballs to order.

But now a reddit user who claims to be an employee at Ikea might have provided some solutions for distressed customers by revealing a few insider tips about the store.

The user, who calls himself Algren123, says he has been a customer service representative at Ikea UK for nearly two years.

Although the worker did not verify his identity, he shared a picture of his Ikea name tag to boost his credentials.

Posting on an , Algren123, among other things, revealed how to avoid queues at check-outs and get the best food deals at Ikea restaurants.

The best time to shop at Ikea

He said that if you want to avoid waiting at check-outs, showing up early will not help you jump the queues.

"I work at a store in the United Kingdom, and I see a lot of people coming in before the store is open to be first, but the funny part is that they create a rush," he said.

"The best time to go towards the check out for no queue is 30 minutes to an hour after opening," he added.

The redditor also said customers should avoid shopping at Ikea on weekends, which is the busiest time for the store.

Best food deals

Responding to a user that said the food at the store is overpriced, Algren123 shared his tips to get the best value for money at Ikea restaurants.

He wrote: “I don’t know the US prices, but in UK, I always go for the meatballs, 15 meatballs and chips is around £5, which is quite a good offer, as for example, a Big Mac meal in McDonald's is £4.20.”

Missing items

If you are one of the customers who ever had to come back to the store looking for a bag of missing screws, you are not alone.

Algrend123 said this falls under the Spare Parts division of Ikea and customers reach out to the Returns team about it all the time.

“In around 6 hours, we have 8-9 cases, which ranges from 1-3 screws to a whole bag,” he wrote.

Looking for shortcut?

Algren123 said customers do not need to walk through the entire store when returning an item.

"As soon as you go in the store, after the Welcome Host desk (the person that hands out the yellow bags), there is a shortcut that takes you straight to the Customer Returns department," he wrote.

The redditor wrote that he enjoys working at IKEA as the management is very “down to earth” and “understandable”.

“My co-workers are the reason I am so happy with my job.

After these years, my closest 3 friends I currently have, have all worked at Ikea.

In general, I get along with everyone, most of the people are my age (17-18),” he said.

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