Menards Maple Grove

I like shopping here much better than Home Depot or Lowe’s. Better prices, better staff. Better overall experience.
Recently needing a ton of stuff for a complete bathroom remodel, I got organized and made a detailed list of everything I needed. I then took my list to both Home Depot and Menard’s to directly price compare. They beat HD on nearly every item and I feel that I get more friendly and knowledgeable customer service here. Trying to find someone to help with anything at HD is like taking a metal detector to the beach; if you are lucky enough to find it, it’s probably worthless.
My favorite here is an older gentleman named Ray that mans the register. He is always there and is one of the nicest and friendliest people I’ve ever met. He is a gem and they should be ecstatic to have him on staff.
Another advantage of Menard’s over HD; a broader selection of goods. I think my last trip saw me walking out with a GFCI outlet, furnace filter, dog treats, a candle, sack of crispy M&Ms, spackle, and a tube of caulking. It’s hard to walk through the store without finding a handful of things you may or may not need but end up buying anyway. A great way to lighten your wallet. The end.

I called Menard’s at 4:11 PM to make sure they had the time-​delay fuse I required. The guy who assisted me was pleasant and helpful. He looked up the part number, went over and insured it was on the shelf and told me the price. I regret not getting his name but that was my error. I also should have asked what department he was in.
I was so excited that the part was in stock that I went right up there. I went to the service counter and asked where this part was located. After a lengthy delay, they came back and told me it was something they would stock. I explained that I already called and was assured they indeed did carry it. They asked around a bit more but I just walked away since they really didn’t know what they were talking about. (This is one of the main reasons I deducted a couple stars).
I walked in until I found another employee and asked about the 20 Amp time-​delay fuse. Mary Connell brought me to the part and helped me find exactly where it was on the shelf. She probed further to make sure we were on the same page and helped me understand more about the unit I needed the fuse for. In fact, I ended up purchasing a different part than the one I originally called about. She told me to check the fuse box in my garage to see if I actually required a 20 or 30 Amp fuse. The guy who came out and serviced my unit last year gave me a 20 Amp fuse. She didn’t think that sounded right and told me how to verify this at home. When I came home and checked. She was right. He provided the wrong fuse and that’s why the fuse kept blowing. The 30 Amp was the proper fuse. I appreciate that she took the time to REALLY help me, by asking the appropriate questions and then teaching me a little something along the way. I give ***** (5 Stars) to Mary.
After that experience I was so happy I needed to make sure Menard’s knew what a valuable employee they had on their hands and called at 6:47 PM. The manager I spoke with sounded unenthusiastic when I told him how pleased I was, so I figured I would write an online review. (Another reason the overall review wasn’t a five star review)
I’ve been there before and I’ll go back again, but employees like Mary are what bring customers like me back to Menard’s instead of the competition.