Ace Hardware

Just left this place for the last time. I live in the neighborhood and when I’m in a hurry I will go in here from time to time to grab something. This is the only ace hardware I’ve ever been in where the employees are completely unhelpful. When you go to an ace hardware you know you are going to pay more, but the trade off is the service, not here.
If you know what you need, then maybe go in and get out, but if you need advise or help, don’t bother the help, they will look at you like you are bothering them. Worst ace ever!
To top it off, I took two items up to the register and they tried to over charge me for both. I had to tell the cashier to get up so i could show him the price tags. And not just a little. The price went from over $ 15 to under $ 11.

I can’t beleive this place survives its’ own blatant lack of customer service, overpriced inventory and empty shelf space.
It’s unfortunate, since this would be the closest hardware store to my digs, but every time I’ve come in here to do a last-​minute trip the the hw store for any given DIY project, they either don’t have what I am looking for in stock (with all that empty shelf space glaring at me) or there is nobody available to help (many times I’ve seen the cash register up front unattendended or employees chatting with folks). The added bonus is the hight prices, which wouldn’t be so bad if the people were actually helpful and the shelves stocked.
Your best bet is to haul it up to Home Depot or Lowe’s up on the North Loop (or west of 610 on I-​10) or go down to Southland hardware for more obscure items.

1. Bad Service. The only benefit this place provides is being close by. I have been here twice and both times the kids working the counter (playing on their phones) couldn’t find what i was looking for (both times I found it on my own eventually).
2. Horrible Prices. If you were looking for ‘mom-​and-​pop-​local-​store’ style service, all you will receive here is the extra markup that comes with not shopping at the big box hardware stores.
Spend the extra gas and go to the nearest Home Depot or Lowe’s for a better product, selection, and service.

If you can’t compete with prices or variety, you have to compete with service, and ACE really falls short. These guys don’t know anything about basic wall mounting, and forget about doors and locks. They won’t rekey a lock, which almost all other hardware stores will do if you buy a lock from them.
Well, star up, for letting me park in your lot while I go across the street to work out at Houston Gym.

None of the small stores can compete with the big box Home Despot (deliberate, I look forward to your bleets) style stores, except in the feeling that you are welcome and that everyone in the store depends on you being happy with your experience.
It is not the best stocked, nor the cheapest, but it is a place where people are helpful and glad you came, not just working out the hours until they can go.
The big plus is that it smells right.
Off there again later today to have some glass cut, a thing hard to find in the liability conscious corporate world of Chinese imports.

For all you weekend warriors working on your Honey Do Lists that are backed up from the last 2 years and live in the 77 007 this is your go to hardware store. While I appreciate a Lowe’s and a Home Depot with their massive inventories and all the extra people they have walking around that are supposed to be helpful, I always end up at this hardware store.
When I’m working on a project and I need some last minute supplies, I drive a few blocks to my neighborhood hardware store and they hook me up. The same people have worked here the last 5 years and as soon as I walk in the first thing they ask «is there something I can help you find». I tell them what I’m looking for or working on and they walk me to the item in the store. typically that same person will do your check out.
My only complain is they close at 4pm on the weekends, which forces me to wake up earlier in the day to start my projects, that sucks!