I visited this store a few times over the years, thinking I'd support a local business and I've consistently found the staff to be un-helpful, to the point of rudeness. Perhaps they are only cordial to their regular customers, but with 'strangers' (and potential new customers like me) they either scrutinize them as if they are about to steal something or they are downright curt. Today I needed a mop brush replacement and I asked one of their employees--after already exploring the area of their cleaning products -- whether it was something that was still produced. The woman barely glanced at the sample I had with me, turned her back to me and said : "Look at the cleaning wall!", and then went about her business. Needless to say, if this is the experience you get by patronizing a store, better find your product on Amazon. I won't be back. read more

Akane, the 'lifestyle guru', is exactly that! She was incredible and made my usually uneventful trip to the hardware store feel so....elevated. She is a wealth of knowledge, has the best tips and tricks plus, a great laugh. Can't wait to go back in for more. read more

Damian is the absolute best! I came in today with what was a really weird Nest thermostat problem. He was able to figure out what to do to make it work and now I have heat. Instead of having to buy and install a brand new Nest, he made it operable with just a $7 fix. Thank you, Damian. i will always shop at Cole Hardware because of people like him read more

Akane is the best! went extra mile to help me. great customer service!!

So very thrilled to see Cole here. Not only did this neighborhood desperately need a hardware store, it is now enjoying one that is clean, well-stocked, and full of friendly employees. It's a real blessing. I'm sure that even people who didn't think they needed or wanted a hardware store in the area will suddenly realize they did. Instead of having to plan a trip to one of the other hardware stores (all several miles away), locals can just pop in as they walk by. "Oh yeah, I just remembered, I needed to get one of those thingamabobbers! Oh yeah, and we're out of those doohickies too!" My only concern thus far is the speed of the checkout lines. Some of it may be overwhelming response, and some of it may be poor timing, but each occasion I've bought something here, I've had to wait at least 5-8 minutes *in line* waiting to pay. Yes, I understand (those of you who are thinking, "you impatient imp!") that that may not seem like much as just a number on the screen, but it's a rather long time when you experience it - especially when you're the next person, and a lone cashier is tied up with a transaction. read more

Went in for a knife sharpening and came out with lots of do it your self ideas and projects. Love how friendly the staff was.

When we stay with our daughter, we usually have a need to visit Coles for something! I am just blown away every time by the service, I have always found the staff to be friendly, helpful and SO knowledgeable. Just visited today and as usual they had exactly what we needed - I swear they only employ mind reading staff!! read more

I love this place. The staff are always very friendly and helpful. They offer great DIY advice;I have used there chat service as well. Happy to have them in the neighborhood. Lots of impulse buys! Who knew a hardware store could be so much fun! read more

Damion was super helpful in guiding us through wiring and other things we needed to set up a string of lights across our backyard. We got them up that day. Thanks again! And we'll return to Cole's when other needs arise. read more

What a great store and the employees are so helpful and friendly. Eden helped us find what we needed!

Cole Hardware is not the closest hardware store to our house. It's not even the third closest, but I happily go out of my way to make all of my home improvement purchases here. I've never left without exactly what I needed. From extra long, tiny precision screw drivers, to nursery paint, to a macaron kitchen towel...they have everything. I popped in for a few things today, wandered to the back for fun and stumbled across a lovely rocking chair. Something I've been searching all of Oakland for and was so surprised to find at Cole's. Yay! Their staff is incredibly helpful, knowledgeable and never seem bothered by inquiries large or small. Everything I've purchased has been very reasonably priced and hard to find elsewhere. Thank you Cole Hardware! read more

I feel SO LUCKY to have this store in my neighborhood. Great selection, even better staff. I brought my bike in to replace a missing screw and Damion spent 10 minutes finding the right part, bringing it outside to test it on my bike, AND installing it. All for a 25¢ sale! Phenomenal. read more

Huge shout out for excellent care, guidance and service from Dave and Ryan! I undertook projects which involved installing a new outlet, repairing sheetrock damage and wood floor gouges, and creating and anchoring an anti-tip shelf for a large fridge. Over the course of several visits they answered my many questions and made appropriate suggestions on which materials to use. They both went over and above not just supplying me with items on my DIY shopping list, but also suggesting other items that I didn't even know I needed but that in hindsight were essential to the project (for example, a non-standard bit for driving the larger screws). When screws kept breaking on my project, Ryan saved me at the Nth hour on Christmas Eve even though he was just about to go off shift by diagnosing that I was using an undersized drill and got me set up with the right one for the project, allowing me to reinstall the fridge on Christmas Day --what a save over and above for the Holidays. Thank You! read more

Love this store, good old fashioned hardware store. Employees are incredibly nice. They have just about all your needs packed into a small store. read more

Awesome local hardware store, very helpful and knowledge staff that take time to understand your project and suggest resolutions to best solve to problems read more

I'm always going to this store but today I was in dire need to find my car key copying place. I spoke to Akon (hope I spelled it right) she was diligent in helping me over the phone. Customer Service like her over the phone and I'm sure in person is hard to come by! Thank you so much for helping me with your kindness and your excellent customer service! Made my day! read more

What can I say about Cole Hardware. Just the best most helpful staff. Always willing to take the time to do it the right way! Thanks to Emiel ( I hope I'm spelling his name correctly). Today he took a curbside pickup order for me and it came together with ease! I am grateful to him and the entire team for helping make my project happen. read more

I came into the store the other day to pick up some PH testers for my hot tub. There was this very nice young man, I think his name is Eli, who helped me find exactly what I was looking for and directed me with a smile! Overall a great shopping experience. Highly recommend!! read more

Knowledgeable and they seem to have whatever I need no matter how obscure. Friendly neighborhood store! I will always start here! read more

In times like these it is the service and the people that make the difference while carrying the stuff you need. Cole is Ace'ing it every time! Thanks for being in our community. read more

They have a lot of useful hardware at their store and it's nice to have an alternative to Home Depot but they are certainly not very friendly. I saw the manager yelling at an early morning customer like she was the Soup Nazi for trying to make a small purchase of nuts and bolts with a large bill. "We just opened! You can't buy those with a $100 bill, we don't have change!! He was a Latino workman without a debit card so he had to go somewhere else. read more

This store has everything you could possibly be looking for, it's clean, had lots of helpful workers around to assist you and is a Happy Returns drop off center on top of everything else. However the couponing failed me. I got $5 off $10 for a returning an item. I then proceeded to buy something after the return, I gave my coupon an saw the Happy Returns on the receipt after I left but it said n/a. Nice one. I had to go back to the store to get a return an have the $5 taken off. Unfortunately this is a place where I would need to check my receipt before leaving. read more

Damion in hardware was super helpful. Needed a very specific cut on a closet rod and he was more than happy to help!! Great experience

It is always a joy going here! As someone who has a house built in 1909 and loves to do home improvement projects, I am here at least once a month trying to find some esoteric solution. The whole team is always welcoming and they know me (and my dog!) by sight, but recently, Emil solved a complex construction project, picking out the five key supplies I need, and spending a good half an hour with me. He was a complete lifesaver! read more

Not being a DIY type of gal, I face any repair task with anxiety - another opportunity for failure! This was a seemingly tiny task, but like so many tasks, it was only a small piece of a larger task at hand. Who knew that a dead car battery meant your key fob/alarm system would also be unusable, and in this case, locked out of the car! Since it had been longer than I could remember changing the battery, not only on the car, but the fob as well, I decided not to take any chances and change the fob battery before AAA arrived to help with the car. Fortunately for the help of Mary (not that Mary) Mary the excellent employee at Cole Hardware, Rockridge, she not only showed me what battery I needed, but installed it for me as well...This small task would have taken me an hour just to try to figure out how to open the fob...seriously, not a DIY gal...Mary's professional and caring customer service and the other staff that I have encountered at Cole Hardware Rockridge keep be choosing to shop small as often as I can. Thanks Mary! read more

I frequently shop at Cole Hardware for household needs and the occasional home improvement project. The staff there are great and always so friendly. The other day when I was there, however, I heard something very disturbing. A couple of employees were talking about a sewage leak that had happened the day before, and had yet to be cleaned up. I also noticed a disturbing scent in the back of the store. It seemed like the owners of the store decided to keep it open during what sounded like a huge leak/mess, putting their employees and customers at risk, rather than shuttting down to have it cleaned up. I guess they don't know that COVID-19 can be passed through fecal matter, or don't care about all the health implications of workers/customers being exposed to a sewage leak. I thought that Cole cared about their community, but it seems like they care more about their bottom line. read more

Cole Hardware really puts the bourgeois hipster stamp on College Ave. Who knew shopping for dish soap or a new set of tupperware could be such a pleasurable endeavor? It is here. Sure it's technically a hardware store, but "domestic boutique" is more fitting. The inventory is equal parts functional and fancy. And the staff are much more helpful than the orange-clad folks at Home Depot. Tis pleasant indeed. We bought: some retro alarm clocks, Caldera scented hand soap, and wine glass tags. We were also looking for an ice bucket, but passed on the $49 OXO one they had. Selection is limited but mostly well curated. You'll be hard pressed to escape empty handed. read more

Cole Hardware is the most helpful hardware store that I have ever been to! It is very well organized and clean. Staffs are all very friendly without being chummy and very knowledgeable without being snobby. Big shout out to Patricia who works there! Who was beyond helpful and patient with me in explaining how I should use which pliers for very particular usage (loosening blades from my really old fragile wood carving tool that I have great sentimental value attached to...) and demonstrating it herself and even let me try on myself couple times before I purchased the tool to make sure it was the right tool and that I know how to properly loosen blades without breaking them. I would highly recommend Cole Hardware to anyone! No need to go to Home Depot anymore :D read more

Great selection for a small hardware store. Helpful staff and good bargains if you sign up for the newsletter! I always would rather go to Cole than navigating Home Depot. read more

Amazing service and selection. The employees there went out of there way to help me match paint for my home. This will be my new go to hardware store. read more

I ordered some gear online. I didn't get the notice to pick up before I had to leave town, so I stopped in the store. Ryan and Sash were very helpful. They took time to help me get the gear and get on the road on time. I've been in a lot of hardware stores and many are hard to get service. This was above and beyond. Really pleased with this experience. Very friendly staff and the place had exactly what I needed. A solid 5 stars from me. read more

Cole Hardware - Hidden behind trees. Great place to buy hardware. - Hardware Stores Near Me - Oakland, California

I finally got around to visiting... Walking in the place seems nicely laid out. It is an Ace Hardware, which I happen to love the brand as each store I've been too usually has good selection and helpful staff. The selection here didn't disappoint - but the staff, save for one guy, was rude and seemed annoyed in a most unengaged manner. I wouldn't make this my regular stop - good for emergencies since it's a few blocks away. read more

I've always received excellent service from their crew on site and in the aisles. This past Saturday was no exception. A special shout out to Damion for his personalized care in taking care of me regarding a cylinder lock problem. He was so helpful! I'll keep supporting Cole hardware. Thanks again Damion! read more

The store has great items and is easy for me to get t however the last three times I have visited I have had poor customer service. Going back to Ace Ellis in my old neighborhood where customer service is always a priority. read more

So glad to have Cole Hardware in our neighborhood! The shelves are stacked high and the products they offer a plenty. The customer service is very good and there is someone there to say hello. I also like the opportunity to browse without being bothered. Specific "shout out" to Patricia who is always helpful, patient (I ask numerous questions) and creative. Some products might be less expensive elsewhere, but then I would have to drive, park and not get service when I need it. It is easy to support this local quality business. Easy to become a member and sign up for their emails for the Flash Deals. We purchased a wonderful bbq grill from the Flash Deal and are so pleased with it and the sale price was awesome :-). Thanks for the ice cream treat it was tasty. Wishing you continued success. read more

Just wanted to send out kudos to Sean at Cole Hardware on College Ave in Oakland for helping my getting automatic senior discount on my Cole's card. He accomplished professionally and cheerfully in seconds what Cole's admin/acctg department could not accomplish in 3 weeks: to update my Cole Discount Card. read more

Update: I was contacted by Cole Hardware and they were able to fix the situation. I am very thankful for Tess and Rick for assisting me in getting a new mat for my car. Their service was exceptional. I am very impressed with their response and will continue to buy my paint from this store. I just moved into the neighborhood in July and have used this store for my painting needs. Amazing team! Thanks again. read more

I had an absolute 5-star experience buying my Weber gas grill from Cole Hardware Rockridge. I had a specific grill in mind, but needed it assembled and delivered, so I called around looking for the best and quickest option. Home Depot didn't deliver, Lowe's would have been a longer wait for delivery, Berkeley Ace Hardware didn't deliver, Amazon is all do-it-yourself. When I called Cole Hardware, Jan was wonderful. She informed me that the grill was in-stock and could be assembled (for $40) and delivered that same day, along with a propane tank. Because I'm a Cole Hardware rewards member and I'd happened to call on my birthday, I got 15% off the total (half of my age), which made the charge for assembly no issue. When my grill was delivered, the guys were friendly, they put it exactly where I needed it, and they showed me how to use it (attach gas, turn on, etc.). Best of all, it had three Cole Hardware balloons attached that read "Happy Birthday Lauren" on them. I mean, that's why you shop local. Great people, great grill. read more

Cody took great care of my wants and needs. He deserves a raise! Helped me get what i needed with a kind and positive attitude. Definetely will be back for any more hardware needs. read more

This place is fantastic. What I really enjoy it is they tend to have a lot of support staff working. Specially Ryan has helped me out a couple times when I was in a bind. He is in the downstairs hardware area. He always seems to come up with a solution that gets me to where I want to go without having to spend a lot of extra money. That is a real find in today's disposable/replacement economy. Thank you again! read more