Menards — Local services in Norton Shores

This is my go-to Muskegon-area hardware store. I won't go into much detail regarding the good parts, which I believe are self-explanatory.

This Menards has the largest selection (including groceries and other non-hardware merchandise) in the area, reasonable prices and constant (albeit wasteful) mail-in rebate offers, plentiful one-way parking, decently knowledgeable staff members in many departments, and a clear commitment to public health during a deadly pandemic. Many angry 1-star reviews cite enforcement of proper mask-wearing in the early stages of COVID-19 before vaccines were available; personally, I appreciate Menards' commitment to the health/safety of all customers. In addition, although not particular to this location, the Menards iOS app is AWESOME relative to other brick-and-mortar stores. You can just search for your item, then tap "View in Store"* to find it without having to ask! This is perfect for anti-social people like myself.

There are a few reasons why Menards lost the 5th star. Many angry 1-star reviews also cite poor customer service, including unknowledgeable, unhelpful, and/or rude staff members. These criticisms are mostly valid, although such staff members are in the minority. I've had a few bad experiences: one time, a spectacularly unhelpful, slow-moving, unresponsive staff member who took 20 minutes to fetch my "ready" online order (which was not filled correctly), and another time about 20 minutes before closing, when someone rudely announced (I'm paraphrasing) "you have [X] minutes to move toward the door before we lock it" every few minutes while another employee kept asking how he can "help [us] check out" (we were just looking at carpet, not buying anything), among a few other examples. Keep in mind that I've been to this location more than a few times, and typically employees are friendly and helpful.

Another small contributor to the lost 5th star is the width of some aisles, particularly between the plumbing/paint areas on the North side of the store. Most aisles have plenty of breathing room, but there are some in this area that you can barely fit a single cart through. One in particular (the aisle with curtain rods/curtains) also has a pillar blocking the end, so you can basically fit only one customer, and only from one side of the aisle, forcing you to take turns browsing with other customers and use the same side as an entrance/exit.

Disregarding shortages of some products due to supply chain issues beyond Menards' control, that's the current extent of my gripes with this location. In short, this is my (and my family's) favorite hardware store. It isn't perfect, but it probably has exactly what you're looking for AND what you forgot you needed. I recommend a visit!

One improvement I'd love to see would be more specificity regarding the item's location, e.g., "this half of aisle [#]", or "endcap of aisle [#]". A higher-resolution map of individual aisles would...

Today, I had both a terrible and great experience at Menards. I had recently purchased a canopy back towards the end of July that was around $120.00, which unfortunately got very damage in the wind. I brought it back to Menards for what I was hoping would be an exchange. After talking to the clerks at the service desk, they needed to bring in a manager/lead for approval. Immediately, the manager/lead came to the front and had an attitude at which point she questioned the clerks on why she was even being called up to the front. I explained to her what happened and was hoping for an exchange since I had recently purchased the canopy. This manager/lead did everything she could to not to help me in any way. She was very short with me, showed no sympathy and didn't attempt to offer anything that might ease the pain of losing out on what I paid for. I did have a warranty on the canopy, but she stated it was void due to the wind being the main culprit as to the damage and in her words "I wouldn't get my money back for it". I understand why the warranty was void, but the lack of care, sympathy and attitude she had really left me with reasons to not shop at Menards again. However, the clerk (Rachel) I dealt with at the beginning had caught me at the door just before I was about to leave and had spoken to another manager and took care of me. To her credit, she didn't have to help me or care about me leaving with nothing. I had already been told there's nothing they could do, and it was final. To say the least, I was very upset with spending that much money and now have absolutely nothing to show for it after only having the canopy a little over a month. I really appreciate Rachel taking that extra time and her understanding of the situation, unlike the manager/lead who could care less and showed no concern or professionalism. Had the manager/lead handled the situation more delicately and with less attitude I would've been more understanding as to why they couldn't honor the exchange. Had it not been for Rachel, I wouldn't be shopping at Menards again. It's because of Rachel I will continue...

Be careful... If you know what you need and they have it, you will probably get a good price. But, they will not offer much help otherwise. If you're lucky, they will blame mistakes on suppliers, which are often just another branch of the same company. If you're not lucky, they blame mistakes on you.

Despite all of this, I go back day after day. Last year, I spent more there than all other stores, including groceries, so you would think they would value me as a customer. Nope.

We recently ordered some expensive countertops that needed to be custom made. They acted like they knew more about what was correct than I did, even though I have lots of experience, they never installed any of this kind, and they have never been in my house. After they agree to do them "my way," they arrive six or seven weeks later. Turns out that all my measurements were spot-on, but all four slabs were different thicknesses and one had a chipped corner.

Initially, they said that they could replace the damaged piece, no problem. The next day they call and say they can't guarantee it will fit against the one I am not returning and suggest using a "chip fix" kit on brand new countertops.

I show them a photo of how poorly the pieces they already sold me fit together, and they say that it probably will not be that bad the second time around, but there are no guarantees. They say I will get the replacement in about two weeks because re-makes are a priority. The next day, I get an email saying my estimated ship date is five or six weeks out.

Like I said, you better know what you are doing, because they have no idea. They can't solve problems because they lack the necessary knowledge, yet they can't understand why I...