Crosslake Ace Hardware — Local services in Crosslake

This place is operated by a couple who put in honest, hard work every day. They care about the customer experience of shopping in their store. It reminds me of days gone by hardware emporiums that resemble a Norman Rockwell print. They have stuff you just can't find at the Big Box wherehouse. The last time I was in I saw dedicated employees like a young man actually working on stocking and sorting endless pipe fittings. He was respectful, focused, and not on his phone. It made an impression on me. There was also an older gentleman that has done most everything at least once. If you ask he'll share hard earned advice on how it's actually done. The gal in the appliance area knows exactly what she stocks, and what features it has. I asked her if she could find me an under counter refrigerator with drawers so I can add capacity to my kitchen without getting on my knees to see what's in it. Within minutes she had pictures, prices, and a timeline. It's one of those places where you can find so many things to look at you can pleasantly loose track of time. Mark B....

So, updated my review after another trip here. I encountered a second really nasty, rude woman in the grilling section. She wouldn't leave me alone to look for what I needed & when I found it, argued with me that there was no way I could use what I wanted to buy. Iwas fully aware that I would have to make a minor modification to the part, but knew what I was doing. She got so huffy & stomped off telling me it wouldn't work. On the upside, this ACE is well stocked & has a larger selection of hardware, homegoods, barbecue, etc. If you plan to go there, buy the items for pickup on the ACE app first. The prices in the store have the "You're In Crosslake" premium pricing in the store. The items I sent to purchase were 15-20% higher than the price on the app.

While most of the employees were friendly & helpful, one lady was really crabby & nasty. I think she may have been a manager. Sure don't want to bother her with questions on things...

It seems like I practically live at this store. There are many times I go in with a concept of something I want to accomplish in my head, and I usually end up dragging James or Ordell into my twisted thoughts as well. They've come to know that after I explain what I want to accomplish, there will be some head scratching involved while they try to absorb the enormity of what it is I want to do; because getting from point A to point B is hardly ever a straight line with me. After about 30 seconds of aforementioned head scratching 'hmmmm', we very astutely embark on a path of whether or not the part or parts I need to finish my project even exist. A lot of times they don't, but 9 times out of 10, we come up with some kind of solution that works. This is my go to store, because the whole staff looks out for ME, and in this day and age, that is the exception rather than the rule. Keep up the good work, and I'll see you...