Westside Hardware

These hardworking Ace employees greet and ask what I am looking for nearly every time within moments of walking in the door. This is my favorite semi-​box hardware store of all time. I cannot account for the bad reviews, this Ace is always helpful for whatever the project I have going.

Ok, I know most of your employees aren’t getting paid enough to care but seriously every time I come to this place it’s the same series of events…
Me: Could I get some help?
Ace: Sure
Me: Basic request/​question/​where can I find…
Ace: Blank look, uhh, (makes a few guesses; «replacement blade for a hand planer? Like a razor blade?»)
Me: (Visibly irritated)
Ace: I don’t know, let me get ‘so and so’ to help you
(employee wanders around the store a bit aimlessly looking for the one competent person working that day) 10 mins later .
Ace employee #2: Uh what do you need? Yeah, no, we don’t carry that.
I HATE this place. I gave them 2 stars instead of 1 because really, shame on me for going back and for the 1 person that has a clue.

I like hardware stores. I like small local hardware stores. I like going into a hardware store, finding what I need, getting my questions answered, paying a reasonable price for the pleasure of not having to drive to the GigantoDepot, and leaving with my stuff.
I don’t like walking into a hardware store, asking what aisle whatever mundane ordinary item I am looking for is on, and being told ‘Oh, We don’t carry that.“
My daughter has just graduated from UCSC. We are getting her packed up. I walked into the store and asked «where can I find the boxes?»
«Oh, we don’t carry that. You can get them at the Soquel store.»
Really? The hardware store in the middle of flipping West Santa Cruz. In June. And you don’t carry boxes and I can drive down to Soquel to get them? «REALLY?»
And all of a sudden I realized that I hardly knew the inside of this store because almost EVERY TIME I have come here I have been stopped at the door with «Oh.»
“Oh? Well I guess if I have to drive all the way to the Soquel store I can go one exit further and go to the HomeSteroids Store and get them there. For half the price.
But thanks. For nothing, as usual.

Nice selection

All four stars for great customer service. Minus one for inflated pricesThey do a fair job at having a little if everything .Sums it up.

Only come here out of desperation. The staff is nice but does not even know what basic items are. I often find basic items to not be carried by them while they carry multiple versions of other items. Weird sense of inventory. They will not cash out of town checks and now several items are under lock and key. You have to beg someone to open a case for you to shop. This is a big contrast to the Ace in Ben Lomond which is firing on all cylinders!

I like this place! Everyone working here actually knows what they’re doing & where everything is, which has actually been a problem for me at other hardware stores. Someone has always asked if I need help as soon as I walked in. Also, they don’t seem to mind when I stroll aimlessly through every aisle just because I like fantasizing about potential apartment-​improvement projects which is a plus.

got me some staples pretty fast, small place but helpful staff. once this girl wasnt so helpful, but then this other guy helped me.
thanks i bought trashcans here once.

I ran in here because I was in the area, even though I know better. I just needed screws, but of course they only had boxes of the painfully cheap Ace brand screws. They didn’t have any with Torx heads, and when I used them the heads stripped out just screwing through plywood.
Irritatingly, they made me leave my PURSE (that small bag that hold my notes, wallet, and water bottle) up at the counter! It’s one thing to ask people to leave backpacks at the counter, and another to make me leave something so small. We could just shop naked; no way to steal things then.
I won’t go again. The service is better, the merchandise high quality, and the selection better at Probuild on River street.

Excellent customer service, always friendly employees, and decent amount of quick supplies. No garden area and things are a bit more pricey than Home Depot.

I never really go here unless I actually need to buy something, usually it’s Drainol haha. But for the two times that I’ve been here, the staff is super friendly and have really good advice for what product is best for your problematic household situation. Thus, my bathtub and sink are now happily unclogged!
They are also good at replicating keys!

I love this Ace Hardware shop! They usually have what I want but I do think compared to other hardware stores in the area, it runs a bit small.
The staff gets an A+ for being incredibly nice and always helpful. The second I walk into the door there is alway someone that asks what I’m looking for. Not to mention they offer good advice, even if it costs less for me. Now that’s helpful!
Overall, convenient and clean hardware with a very friendly staff!

Good selection. Good prices. Great location. Very helpful and friendly staff. Aside from helping you simply find things they are happy to help you problem solve or troubleshoot whatever project you’re working on.

This place is absurd. I have had a bad experience the past two times, but my last trip was the final straw. I picked up a soldering iron from them about 2 hours ago, and when I got home discovered it doesn’t work. I thought I’d call ahead to see what their exchange policy was like just in case, only to be told that they do not accept returns or exchanges of any tool that has been taken out of the box. So I am stuck with a soldering iron that does not heat up and they get to keep my money. I will never return there, or go to any other Ace again.

Very helpful place. The aisles have really cleaned up and ordered neatly since they moved down two stores.
Back in college I had bought a plunger for the toilet, didn’t use it and tried to return it… they laughed and explained to me why it’s just not sanitary to accept a return on that. Really nice about it.
And it makes so much sense now… makes me laugh.
FYI — If you want to copy keys here, it’s $ 2.25 per plain key, and $ 2.95+ for colored or graphic design keys.

The guys who work here are always eager to help me find the one thing I come in for (those little propane tanks). They’re so fast to help I don’t even know where they’re actually located in the store. The most recent time I came here, I asked for two propane canisters. The man helping me grabbed them, but before I could check out another employee came running out of an aisle stopping me because they had a 2-​propane pack that was a better deal. It was so sweet!

What’s a person to do when there are two hardware stores in town? Ace sucks. Aside from directing you to the right isle the employees lack knowledge in what products are used for beyond what’s written on the label or any experience with most products they carry. What else can you say? And unlike another reviewer, I find it to be really pricey.

There’s not too much I can say about this place — it’s a standard hardware /​home improvement store with an emphasis on customer service. It’s not really my favorite place to get DIY supplies but the prices are reasonable and the location is convenient.
PROS:
— Knowledgeable staff
— Occasional coupons available.
NEUTRAL:
— The staff are eager to help… which is nice however it can be a bit strong. As a customer, I’d prefer them to be available when I need them but not asking if I need help every 15 minutes.
— Average prices.
CONS:
— Smaller selection of items.
— They have a section that is blocked off and requires staff escort. I could understand this for high priced items but other stuff in this section includes drillbits and eye protection.
— No lumber sold here (that I could see).
— They don’t take American Express

They have the stuff we need and very helpful staff
— go out of their way to find what you want
It‘s not OSH in terms of selection but they are a cut above most local hardware stores and location is excellent

So, I bought some property recently and it needed a lot of maintenance. I have been super impressed with the service and selection. They have everything that I have needed and helped keep me away from the Home Depot. Its a little store, all packed in there, and it has it all.
I like to support ma and pop businesses, even if they are franchises it feels good to keep money local.