Ace Hardware

I want to shop locally. I try my best to stay away from the big box stores so that the money I spend stays local rather than going to a huge corporation somewhere, who knows where, that pays .05% of its employees a 6 figure salary, and everyone else a wage that one can’t even live on. So I have tried at least 4 times to go to this local hardware store when I think they will have what I am looking for. And each and every time I have left there, I wonder how they stay in business. Not only is their selection not very good, but their staff is not very helpful, and often impatient and rude. Today was the last straw. I was looking for a particular item, the worker showed me where it was, and when I asked another question about the product, he impatiently told me «read the can!». Really? Do I need to be talked to like that by anyone? Especially someone that is supposed to be helping the customer? He couldn’t have simply said that he didn’t know the answer without getting such a bad attitude? The whole place is depressing and reminds me of a senior home that has a bunch of cranky old-​timers that seem to resent the public. Bad atmosphere, bad customer service, bad selection. I tried, though, I really did. I am done trying, however, and will save myself the attempt next time, and go straight to Lowes.

Unfortunately, fond memories o
f this store have been shadowed by a recent experience. We just moved back to Hendersonville after being away for 3 years. Gone are some of the lovely things here before, like the coffee shop and a neat store. It seems more crowded and uncared for. Some of the plants in the garden area were actually dying! I did find some nice ceramic pots for my orchids, but, when I took then to the register the very young clerk rang them up and set then on the counter… No bag, no nothing! When I asked him to put them in bags he did, with an attitude. No wrapping. When I asked him to wrap them, he became visibly grumpy and complained that he was almost out of bags. So I proceeded to wrap them myself. He then started to wrap them as there were people lining up behind me. Very sad experience. I was expecting things to be the same. They weren’t. Too bad. It was so nice before.

I had been searching (in vain) for set screws for my 48 year old Singer Touch and Sew machine. I wanted to put it back in the cabinet we bought at the same time we bought the machine. I tried Home Depot – no luck. I tried Lowe’s where one associate was rude and left me to try to figure out the heads and tails of set screws, their sizes, their spirals, etc. by myself. (sorry, buddy, what is clear to you was sounding Greek to me as I tried to comprehend). Another Lowe’s employee was more patient and I purchased a package of screws I hoped were right. WRONG! Then I tried Ace. A very nice young man walked me through the selection process and I purchased two more that I thought were right. WRONG! After two hours searching the net and sending out emails that were never answered by companies that carry machine parts I made another trip to Ace to purchase plain old flat head screws as a last ditch attempt. I was greeted by Dennis who uttered the word ‘metric’ and proceeded to walk me to the metric set screws! Joy of joys! That’s what I needed! My dear Olé Betsy is safe in her cabinet, in a window overlooking the backyard and MY SEARCH is finis! And Ace has a happy customer!

My parents had to pick up something at Ace the other day. It’s a cute little one, and the employees are friendly and helpful. We were in and out in five minutes.