Great Lakes Ace — Local services in Newport

I purchase hardware from several different places, depending on what I'm doing, but this is the place I go when I need experience and advice. I'm dealing with a 125-year-old house, and little about it is standard and simple to address. Fortunately, it seems the staff members of Ace have seen most everything, and are stymied by nothing. It's a great relief when I'm trying to do something for the first time. I never sense condescension or impatience. In fact, sometimes a staff member will spend so much time with me, trying to figure out the best solution for a problem, that I almost begin to feel a little guilty for tying them up.

UPDATE July 2021: This is no longer the Ace Hardware I praised earlier. It moved to a larger, and nicer, location down the road, and their selection increased substantially. However, the staff is not what it was. Whenever I walked into the old store I would be approached by a staff member trying to assist me. It was the reason I paid the slightly higher prices than I would pay at, say, Home Depot. However, on today's visit the store was staffed with young people who took no interest in me at all. I walked by two teenage employees telling jokes to each other, and neither offered to help me. When I checked out, one of them (Justin) came to the front to joke around with the cashier and find out what his hours were this week. Then he started making fake burping noises, and no regard for the presence of customers nearby.

There is now absolutely no reason to go to Ace instead of Home Depot. Home Depot is less expensive, and I am more likely to get expert help there than from a bunch of uninterested teenagers just killing time while they get paid to do stand around. ...

When it comes to getting a key fob programmed, I would give it zero stars if the option was possible. Called Ace about 3 weeks ago, was told they can program a key fob for my 2019 Sentra, to come on out. I get there, they do not have a fob in stock for my car. The lady quickly assured me that one could be ordered and yes it would start my 2019 Nissan Sentra for a price of $249.00. I ordered the fob, after about 2 weeks I decided to give them a call to see if the key was in. I was told the key would be in on Tuesday. So Tuesday comes, I call. The key is there, but no one is there to program it. I was told to call back after 1pm the next day. Busy with life, I go in on Friday to hear there's no key, it's been lost, they don't even have any paperwork that I ordered a key, but I've got a receipt. They tell us that a new key will be ordered. No manager was available, so I call back the next day and what do you know, the person finds the key! Well, we go out to get the key programmed, a tedious trip turned into a complete nightmare. They cannot program 2019 Nissan Sentra fobs and their system also messed up my original fob. Neither key would start my car! Very nice, professional caring guy did everything he knew to get the key to work, calling his district manager but nothing. Do not buy a programmable key fob from Ace hardware if you have a...

UPDATE! Just had a very nice phone call and solid follow up with the management team for this particular Ace in this matter. After a few minutes of me walking him through the scenario, apologies about the lack of customer service, and assurance that this will be a non-issue going forward, I do feel that Customer Service still is a priority for this local shop. Chris has assured me of that.

I am very pleased to amend my previous review, given this. I will be returning and look forward to working with them on projects going forward! ———————————————————— I am not one to write negative reviews. However, I feel like this is worth escalating to management or the owner because this will impact sales. I went in to this location at about 130 on Sunday. Needed to have some paint mixed up for a huge house renovation that I am in the middle of, and was told that “we are not going to do paint right now“. The reality is that I can certainly take my business elsewhere, but because I live in Newport, would really like the opportunity to support a local business rather than a big box store. That said, I don’t believe I will be coming back here as a return customer for the paint we will be needing for our 2800 square-foot home...