Ace Hardware - Keene Road — Local services in Richland

I went in today to go grab some new heat lamp bulbs for my bathroom (around 5:20ish), I normally have a general Idea of where I wanna go so I started walking towards the light bulb section and had a couple employees take a look my way, eager to help me find whatever it was that I was looking for.

I grabbed my pack of 2 heat bulbs (very reasonably priced as well) and went to check out. I would like to write my review for the cashier at the front, They were very friendly and asked me if I had found everything I was looking for and proceeded to ask if I had a Ace rewards, I thought I did, so I gave them my phone number, they pulled up the info and I had mentioned my name (being a name I don't really use anymore because I'm Trans) and I think they noticed that then proceeded to ask if I wanted to change it. I was delighted to be asked and to have someone be so upfront and observant to the fact I may have been uncomfortable with that name.

So they proceeded to changed my name on the account and changed my gender. I will continue to be coming to this Ace for all my future tool/home renovation purchases because of the warm, friendly, and most importantly trans accepting cashier. ☺️ (seriously thank you, it made me extremely happy)

TLDR: Cashier was...

I've been shopping at this particular Ace for 8 yrs now. I've always had great service, except the past few months. It seems to be the guys who work there that don't know either were stuff is located or have no clue at all. Example 1. I went in about 3 weeks ago looking for a chicken beer can cooker... the gentleman leaned against the shelving unit and said " um I don't know " okay I said and found a lady employee. She pointed me in the right direction. Example 2. About the same time period I was looking for long haul, older gentleman insisted that triple 16 is the same thing that I needed to buy that. Ugh! No i needed long haul. They're not the same thing. Example 3. Today I went back in looking for another bag of long haul for a later in the yr application. Gentleman told me that they don't carry long haul. I explained that I had already purchased it 2x this yr from them. Yes you have carried it. He proceeded to want me to show him were the product is kept. NOT MY JOB! Example 4. The manager likes to school customs who return items that are broken. Because defects do happen old man. ( I watched the manager talk very rudely to a customer who brought back a fishing pole because it had broke....

Long wait for a place at a check out counter. One customer had a basket full of purchases and no other cashier was available for awhile. Most items are more expensive compared to Lowe's or Home Depot. The convenience of a nearby location is comparable to the higher prices at 'convenience" stores. But the difficulty entering and exiting this store's lot due to high speed traffic rushing around a blind curve only adds to the annoyance I feel shopping here. I seldom shop here.

10 April 2020. Lines at Lowe's are an hour long so I try Ace Hardware. Could not find all I need and prices 50% higher than Lowe's for what I bought. Cashier was chatting with an employee at the register in front of me for about 5 minutes. No big deal until I step up, her smile disappears and I am a waste of her time. She then begins chatting with another cashier while I am being checked out. Then the two joke that they are both the store manager and they are going to close the store...