Menards — Local services in Columbus

Moved to Reynoldsburg almost a year ago, and was excited to have a Menard's within a few minutes drive. Have been here at least once a week, if not more, to get various item for renovating a home. The quality of the items themselves is fine. The price can be questionable, so be sure you research other big box stores before making purchases.

The reason for my 1 star: The service is at times acceptable, but others it is pretty bad. When you actually need assistance, it's like a signal goes out and every worker scatters into the shadows. I've had several instances when I needed assistance, and have to walk around the store 2 or 3 times before actually finding someone. Then they have to call someone else, then I have to go back to my original location and wait 5-10 minutes before someone shows up.

Or I need someone to simply check the store's inventory because the website says an item is in stock but it's not on the shelf. How irritating it is for them to pull out their phone and use the same app I was just using to say "but it says it's in stock". I know, I checked, but it's not on the shelf, so why do you think I'm talking to you? The store has an inventory system is more detailed in how many items are in stock and where exactly in the store they're located.

The most recent interaction I've had is the very reason I'm actually leaving a review at all and the reason I'll NEVER be returning to a Menard's. I spent over an hour and half wandering around trying to find items that should have been in one spot, but the site says they're in two spots, lets call them A & B. In reality, they were in spots A & C, they were never in spot B to begin with. Spot C (the stockyard) never shows on the site's map, so that itself is pretty frustrating. Then when I finally get to spot C, the item is NOT in stock. I had yet another employee state "but the site says it's in stock". So I just gave up, and said I would be back to get the item. Told the guy at the stockyard exit who scanned my paper that the item wasn't in stock and that I would have to return. I returned a week later, the item appeared to be in stock but on a shelf way out of my reach. So I found an employee who told me he was helping someone else but would send someone over to help. I waited 10 minutes, and no one ever showed up. So I gave up, again. I told the guy at the exit same as before that the item wasn't in stock and I would have to return, and left.

I show up yesterday to try, again, to get the item. The gate won't open. So I push the "call for help" button and give my order number. The lady says the item was picked up on the date I was last there, and I tell her it wasn't that I most definitely haven't picked up this item. But she refused to let me in, told me I would have to go all the way around the store to customer service. By the time I get to customer service, I'm pretty upset. I've spent WAY too much time just trying to get these items together. But the lady who helped me was understanding and refunded the item.

As stated before, I will NEVER shop at...

Where to begin with this one. Let's start with parking our vehicle out front to exchange some chairs that never stop breaking - we ask an associate out front if we can temporarily park our vehicle there to unload the chairs. This question was well above his pay grade and we were told to ask someone inside. This is where it gets fun - we go inside and ask for the hardware manager, who we spoke with 10 minutes prior on the phone, and were told he will meet us up front. After waiting 25 minutes at the front with our newborn, I approach the counter and ask if they can just issue the in store credit. She calls the hardware manager, and he authorizes. Why am I waiting 25 minutes for this result? Manager never came, so we go look at new chairs to take home. We locate some new chairs, and then I wait several minutes for an associate to appear - when I ask for help, he replies - without a word - by just holding up his finger, gesturing me to wait. He was helping someone else, but I mean... use your words? At half the speed of smell, he then walks over to the chairs, doesn't say a word, looks at the tag, then back to the hardware desk. Again, words? Do I follow? Wait? He walks back to me and says the floor model ones are the only one available. Fine, no problem. We ask if someone can help and he tells me there's a flatbed cart around the corner. There wasn't. He doesn't call for help, I then carry 4 chairs individually up front. They THEN double charge us for the chairs because the associate didn't know how to properly check them out. One hour later, we finally get out of Menards. And guess what? I'll be doing this song and dance again because this $400 outdoor bench, advertised as weather resistant, looks like this after one summer - we even took it inside for the winter. I included a new version of it too, so you can see...

The most annoying part about this store (unsure of this is at all locations) is the AT&T/ Direct TV salesmen in the back of the store by the doors and windows section. If I wanted to change my cable service provider, it certainly wouldn't in the interior trim aisle at a home improvement store. This has got to be the most annoying part of the store. I'm usually able to avoid them by doing my shopping in the late evening, but they got me tonight and were trying to get me to switch from AEP to their affiliate for my power service billing.

Additionally, it is very difficult to get help in most areas of the building. It's nice to not be over burdened by the employees at every turn, but they're often no where to be found when you need them. When you do come across one, I feel like they are trained to avoid eye contact.

Lastly, the checkout lines. Holy crap is that a disaster. Unless it's a major holiday, there's usually at most 2 lanes open. The lines are often times both full which fill into the main aisle behind you where you're blocking traffic for those trying to move through the store. I think the major holdup of this is the customers bagging their own product. It seems people aren't coordinated enough to both pay and load items into a plastic bag to keep the lines moving. Rather than the cashier helping the customer get things loaded, they'll just start scanning my products in and feeding them down the belt before the previous customer has had a chance to finish.

The only reason I gave this 3 stars is the fact that I do enjoy the products found in the store. They have a great selection in stock, often times items that must be special ordered in their...