Berkeley Ace Hardware

Reviews 3

BO

Boroka Bo

If you are a woman, looking for any sort of a tool, do yourself a favor and find another hardware store. Here is my cautionary tale: I popped in as they are close to my office, looking for a torque wrench set as I was in the middle of a slight car modification. Safety first, right? I asked one of the multiple sales clerks standing by the door where they were. The person I talked to seemed puzzled, and sent me to Isle 1, which had lots of box wrenches. I needed a European metric based torque wrench. I finally find the wrenches not in isle 1, but in a locked cabinet. Back to the congregating workers again, to get someone to unlock them. Once inside, I notice that most of their European wrench sets are sold out. The woman keeps handing me sets with inches clearly labeled on them, and I keep having to explain that I am looking for millimeters. So, kindly calls their wrench expert person over. I explain what I want and why, but he seems extremely bothered by having to listen/talk to me. I finally locate the correct (and last) 10 piece metric socket set, but need a handle. At this point, he becomes incredibly frustrated, as I kept asking for a torque wrench, but he seemed to be under the impression that I needed a ratchet wrench. For those of you wondering, they are quite similar, though have some important differences - I ended up needing to Google this, as when asked, he literally started YELLING at me that torque wrenches are torque because they are attached to a power cord. I think not. I am puzzled, trying to figure out the differences between all the handles and brands in order to ensure that they actually fit my socket set. As I am asking him specific question about fit, he is becoming more and more aggravated, then finally thrusts a piece of black plastic with a metal bit at the end into my hands. I ask him what that is, and he SCREAMS that it is a LOW QUALITY RATCHET WRENCH. At no point did I say that I wanted a "low quality" anything. So, I am flabbergasted, and ask him if the ratchet will fall apart while I am using it. He reassures me that I will be fine as long as I am ONLY USING IT ONCE, and by reassure, I mean SCREAMS this at my face. So, as I am holding his women-only-low-quality wrench, I locate the one I will likely need. He is beyond aggravated, as I am still staring at the wrenches. Mind you, we are at less than 2 minutes with no customers around, thanks to the lull of a hot Sunday evening. I ask: "This looks like a nice wrench, are these the same? Will this fit the set?" He again finds this insanely irritating, screaming that they are the same except I need the low quality wrench (fill in the blank that as a woman, I am surely buying one to pet and maybe use once). I walk away with what I hope is the right handle to my sockets. At this point, screaming dude wonders into a neighboring isle, occupied with his cell phone. Clearly, he was too busy texting to provide any sort of customer service. At the register, I tell the woman that I just had the worst customer service experience of my life. (The yelling earned the dude this dubious distinction.) She is too busy not paying any attention (no other customers behind me or on the floor I was on.) Instead of listening/asking any sort of a follow up question, asks if I want a bag. Nope. So, before leaving, I inform the manager on duty of all the above. The manager was absolutely apologetic and sweet, though none of that negates the fact that his sales person seems to be under the impression that women need not set foot in hardware stores! If you are lacking an attached penis, stay away from Ace Hardware Berkeley!

ST

Steve J

The woman upstairs in "the office" is totally unprofessional and rude! I understand that most of these people are working class and probably make minimum wage, so I kind of feel sorry for them, but the "lead" woman in the office needs to learn how to treat customers with some respect. I was supposed to have a package delivered to the Berkeley Ace Hardware. I was initially confused because I had received an email confirming that my delivery had already been picked up. So when I went into the store to pick up my package, I asked employees were I was supposed to go. They all said, "the office", as if I worked there and knew where that was. I asked them to clarify and they said, "upstairs. in the office"... So I find "the office" which is a tiny room in the corner upstairs (fyi). When I got there I waited for 5 mins, the lady comes out and was initially friendly, but as soon as she couldnt locate my package she started asking me ridiculous questions. "did you order on the net?" (yes) "did you ask for it to be delivered here or that someone was supposed to grab it from the shelf?" (uhmm, pick it up here) "(aggressively) yes, I understand that, but its not here, so did you ask for someone to grab it from the shelf, or drop it off here??" (uhmm [wtf?], drop it off here.) Then I decided to shut my mouth cause the woman was obviously pissed and annoyed that she couldnt find the package. Finally the manager?? Came up and looked through the files, and found that someone had already rang it up as picked up. wtf. He called some other Ace stores, then after about 10 mins of standing, he says, "youll have to pick it up at the El Cerrito Ace or wait a month." a month, wtf? I asked him why it couldnt be delivered to the Berkeley Ace and he said it was a different store... then I told him that Id paid for shipping. Finally, he said he could get it to me tomorrow... Uhmm.. okay, didnt you just say I had to wait a month?? None of the employees apologized for the mishap or for making me wait - no basic knowledge of customer service at all! Honestly, I hate Amazon, but Ace Hardware is just as equally bad a corporation - fake small town vibe, rude ass workers, most likely theyre underpaid and overworked (customers have to interact with these monsters). Going to Amazon and other small shops from now on.

ST

Steve Puma

Best hobby store around! Ill bet you didnt know that Berkeley Ace is one of the few Hardware stores around that still has a hobby department! I come here mainly because it is one of the only local hobby stores that stocks a decent selection of 1:32 scale slot cars, track, and accessories, but it is also one of the best hobby stores I have ever been to. They have an excellent selection of hobby products, especially model-building supplies and small tools. I have observed that they typically have a much better selection of hobby-sized metals, woods, and plastics, on hand, than most of the other hobby shops or hardware stores, which makes it worth it for me to make the trip here, instead of shopping where I live, in Walnut Creek (a 15-minute drive). Their specialties are plastic models and model trains, and they are extremely well-stocked with both. Their selection of aircraft models is amazing--Ive been told that it is one of the largest in the West--and it includes many obsvure, vintage, and discontinued models. The truly amazing feature of this hobby store is the incredibly knowledgeable staff, which includes a former professional model builder and a model train expert. The store manager is a slot car nut! Everyone is friendly and very helpful. Also, you cant beat having a hobby store inside a hardware store, because youll always be able to find those items that you need, but that hobby stores typically dont carry, such as standard fasteners or lumber (theres always something). I cant say enough good things about Berkeley Ace Hardware. It is definitely my favorite hobby store, and one of my all-around favorite stores, period.