E&H Ace Hardware — Local services in Delaware

There are a couple of reasons I gave a low score. It appears inventory tracking is not a priority. More times than I can count I have been disappointed by the lack of very ordinary common everyday hardware items. A good example is 3/4 and 1/2 inch CPVC pipes and fittings. The bins are commonly empty and those items are what is used in most of the houses around here and should be in plentiful supply. This is just one easy example but this happens more often than not on many common everyday items. It has happened enough that I go to another hardware store almost exclusively even though it is much less convenient of a location. There typically appears to be 4-6 employees out on the floor when I've been there. Very rarely does anyone open a second register when there is a line of shoppers waiting. I waited in line almost 30 minutes one day while 2 employees were chatting it up at the paint area and others were walking by the line of customers oblivious.

You got 2 stars instead of one because of your convenient location and the fact that, aside from the register problem, your employees are generally pleasant and helpful.

Update 10/18/19 I am changing my review to 5 stars as there has been a major improvement as of late and I believe in credit where credit is due. Inventory has improved and most of all the staff has been much more observant of the checkout line. Props to the team there for the vast improvement.

Update 08/18/24 This place has been continuing to be disappointing for the last couple of years but today is just the end for me shopping here. On top of the poor inventory keeping so they're out of common items constantly, and having 8 or 10 people working with only 1 register open so you have to wait in line for 20-39 minutes, now they have begun shady promotions. I came in to buy an item that was $70 and had a coupon for $20 off of $100 as long as none of the items you purchased weren't already discounted. So I proceeded to purchase several unnecessary items not marked on sale to bring the total to roughly $120 so I could use the coupon. Upon checking out, I was informed one of the items which was marked 19.99 on the shelf rang up with a $2 discount which meant my total was now just below the $100 necessary for the coupon. How convenient! So I left without purchasing any of the items and ordered the single thing I needed online with free delivery thereby saving me roughly $50 since I didn't have to buy the unnecessary stuff to use a coupon that I was denied anyway. I will not be back to this store for anything ever again. I'm in the market for a new leaf blower too. Not from these shady people though.

P.S. I emailed their "customer service" and was basically told...

I am beyond furious over my interactions with this store over the last week. I went in to get a smart fob duplicated for my Jeep Cherokee because their website claims this is a service Ace does for its customers. I have never had a worse customer service experience!! I had to visit the store 4 times and worked my way up the chain of store managers only for them to leave me empty handed.

My first visit left me hopeful. Worked with an associate who was kind and helped me pick out a key that would work for me. She gave me the price for what it would cost and asked me to come back in next day since management was out and they were required to make a key. This visit was great and I had no issues what so ever.

Visit 2 was terrible! I had two assistant managers trying to figure out how to use the machine. They then took the key I had picked out and told me "This key is not compatible" and claimed I needed to purchase a key $60 more expensive if I wanted it done. Despite me explaining what the first associte had done, they pressed more that I was wrong and that the key I picked out was wrong. I reluctantly agreed and then watched them continue to try and figure out the machine. They then concluded with a "We can't do this for you." I was instructed that I would need to call ahead next day to confirm the manager was in store because only he can make my key.

Today, I visited the store for the 3rd time. Called ahead and was told that the manager was at the store. I showed up 5min later to be told that he was actually out of the store at that time and would be back soon.

Then visit 4... I arrived and met the store manager at the back desk. The store manager proceeded to tell me that they can not create a key for my car since it is a push button start vehicle. Unfortunately, the manager lacked any sort of compassion over what they had put me through. I tried to ask for more info and he told me "You have to go to the dealership and get the key from them." The manager was not very friendly toward me and had decided he was not going to help me. The interaction left me very upset.

I have visited this Ace frequently since I moved to Delaware a few years ago. This is by far the worst customer experience I have...

As I was looking at E-GO electric mowers, chain saws etc., right next to the register I asked an Ace employee , young guy with a beard behind the register if Ace gave military discounts. He says yes, so I asked him to call someone over to talk about a certain mower. I decided to get the mower and a chain saw. They were brought to the counter, where the guy I originally talked to, started to ring my purchases up. I reminded him of the military discount, and he told me he would credit me right before he end of the sale. He continued to ring me up, and even said oh crap once he was finished. He forgot to give me the discount he had already told me twice about , and had the E-GO mower and chain saw brought up to the counter. He then goes on to tell me that they don't give discounts on Ego products. I reminded him that I asked him twice already and that I could go to lowes and get 10% off. He tells me , that I can still go to lowes, after he rang everything up. I ended up returning only the chainsaw and spoke to the manager about their employee, which he didn't care about. Then the manager returned everything on my first purchase which was $1000, then re- charged me $600 for just the mower...I'm still waiting on my $1000 to be returned, it's been 2 days... Its not about being in the military, it's about having a little respect for everyone...and this place doesn't, especially since the manager was a marine veteran...