Johnsons Home & Garden — Attraction in Maple Valley

I just popped in to get holiday store hours and decided to check out reviews for this special store. Scrolled down the page to find a very nasty review and felt compulsed to react to it! I've been using this store for approaching 30 years. In all that time my overall experience here has been used as a yardstick for how a "customer oriented" retail floor should be ran. You walk in,walk down an isle....a "Can I help you?" from a full staff is almost always there. You can ask for something that has some specialized need and if it's really unusual (I'm infamous for that!)....they get your "need/use info" from you and work with you to brainstorm a solution. They stock "the little things of life" (that can hold up a project) and you don't have to buy a prepackaged box of "Costco proportions" either. Due to "Grow or be left behind." concerns, they have now moved to a much larger new building (Old one is now being dismantled to put in a Walgreen's). I remember when I learned of this move, I voiced concerns of the new building holding on to the old strengths. I received a truthful reply of that being a concern for them too, and they were working hard to make sure that as much of "the old" was retained as possible while growing into something better.

Several visits later....the store is still showing some diminishing growing pains, but you know what? "Can I help you?" has not changed one bit and even though I'm still learning this "different store", I see progress with each visit towards their goal. Sorry for the long review, I have no association with this store, have no personal friendships with staff....I was just perplexed on the isolated bad review and wanted to stick up for a store (who spent $10.00 worth of time) to make sure my windshield wiper motor was properly fixed for my safety....total purchase 67 cents. Appreciate the box stores for what they are. Appreciate Johnson's for what they have been...and apparently always will be....

I took my lawnmower in to have it tuned up last month. When I got it back not only did it diesel when I would shut it off each time, the clutch was stuck in engaged negating the safety feature when it would disengage the blades if you let go of the clutch lever. When I took it back to Johnsons, both techs there not only said it was working as it should (it was not) and that I was wrong on how that model lawnmower works and said there was nothing to fix. Not only did the manual say it should work as I told them, I have had this same model for 14 years and knew they were wrong but was schooled by them on not knowing how to operate my lawnmower model. The next day at home I discovered that the gas line ALSO has a leak from their work and the tank drained out in my shop floor overnight. I have taken it to a Honda dealer who were shocked at what was done and are fixing the lawnmower (at additional cost to me to fix the damage Johnsons techs did to it). I won't be returning there ever again (was a regular customer until...

I never write reviews but I have to for this one...

I live in the neighboring City and frequently go to Johnson's over Home Depot. The majority of the time the prices are the same or higher than other hardware stores but you can also find really good deals and items that you can't find in other stores.

The best thing about Johnson's is a little gem called Amy! She works in the home and garden area and is the best customer service person I have ever met! Not only does she have outstanding customer service skills, she is very knowledgeable in all things gardening. When I thought taking me to the items I asked about and answering a few questions of mine was enough, Amy took it a step further! She explored ideas with me and spent time looking around at different things that might fit well in the garden I described to her. I probably spent a good 35 minutes talking, walking and going over things. Not only that, she did the heavily lifting and saw me all the way to my truck! It was incredible, the skills and generosity...