Still our go-to place for diy home repair items. But, now, we found their greeting cards to be quite a find! Great variety of cards. They also have lots of other items (purses, clothes, small home decor, stuffed animals) and snacks. We'll definitely come back and browse/buy, especially since Hallmark closed next door. Prices are slightly higher than HD. But worth it since it's local and convenient. AND Service is always friendly and the a super proactive at helping. We save a lot of time just asking the staff for help. Thanks Ace! read more

I originally went into Ace Hardware to get a flapper for my toilet. I went upstairs and spoke with someone in plumbing who recommended a part. I even said, "This doesn't look big enough," but he assured me it was the correct one. I took it home and unfortunately it wasn't the right size, so I had to run back to the store. The woman who greeted me the first time was incredibly kind and helpful -- she had even helped me load bags of soil into my car earlier. She handled the return for me with no problem at all. Then I went back upstairs where the actual plumbing specialist helped me pick out the correct part. The customer service here is excellent. It's so close to my house that I prefer going there instead of a big store like Home Depot. I may pay a little more sometimes, but the convenience, helpful staff, and friendly service make it worth it. Usually, they're right and very knowledgeable. Highly recommend this store for both customer service and convenience. read more

Very helpful! Employees were friendly and took the time to understand our project in order to know how to best help us. I'll be back!

They are always very nice here and helpful. They leave me (a young female) alone after quick "can I help you look for something" and don't make me feel like they think I can't handle it on my own. Very big store with many options. Pricing seems fair. read more

I understand that Ace Hardware in no way shape or form has the buying power of the big box stores. However, this particular Ace Hardware is definitely price gouging people. I was just in there found a 48 inch section of one by two at any other hardware store should've been maybe 3 to 5 dollars this was a cut piece in their coal pile and the manager told me it was $12.50. This place needs to be boycotted and they need to be more competitive just because they're in a ritzy area doesn't give them the right to rape and pillage their customers. It's unacceptable. These people have more money to spend on stuff. They should be spending it on services not supplies boycott this Ace Hardware. read more

Everyone who works here is incredibly HELPFUL! I recently visited the store seeking a treatment for scratched wood with water spots. They sold me 2 reasonably priced products that did the trick. I highly recommend Griffin Ace Hardware. read more

Excellent service and very helpful staff. I went I. Looking for a few items, both people I talked to were patient and offered assistance along with personal experience. read more

Bob was really nice, he helped cut our pbc pipes, and he listened to our project the whole time. He helped me figure out the measurements, and showed me the cheapest way and most efficient way to do this. Because of people like bob, I had a lot of fun. There was also a really nice lady who helped us find the prices and get bob. Thank you!!! read more

Ok the older gentleman who works here is an absolute treasure! Super knowledgeable- it's like the store is his personal garage- got me everything I needed very efficiently! Excellent service! Sooooooo much better than the big box stores! read more

I live a few miles north of here in Solana, but this is my go-to place for hardware! Considering how far I'd have to drive to find a comparable place, the value is unmatched. And, customer service has always been on-point. read more

Went in yesterday to grab a couple batteries for two car key fobs. Asked the store manager (Jeff, I think) to help my wife open a fob so I could buy the right batteries. I thought he was kidding (good one, Jeff) when he said $5 to install. Took him less than a minute. I was forced to buy six batteries because they only had single packs (expensive) and six-packs of my version. What happened to the "Helpful Hardware Man"? Isn't this kind of service that should be complimentary when I'm buying $16 worth of batteries? Unhappy long-time customer. Not going back. read more

Beautiful and well laid out store. Right now there is a nice holiday section in the front right area. Some really neat items and trees ready to be taken home. Nice staff who helped me quickly find what I needed and even showed me comparative items in case I wanted to try a new product. Lots of parking Great staff Pretty much everything for your hardware and home repair needs. Phenomenal a staff who genuinely appear happy! read more

Service at this store (my neighborhood Ace) is always great, but today was extra special. Kevin helped me talked through defects with a FEIT motion-sensor outdoor light, then went above and beyond to replace with a new unit - to save me the trouble/delay of a warranty claim. The new swap is working perfectly. I'm so grateful to have knowledgeable, caring staff close by - awesome to avoid the gorilla stores when possible. thanks!! Rob W read more

I had a great customer experience today with Bret and Juan! They went above and beyond helping me with my PVC pipe selection and I was impressed with how kind and knowledgeable they were. Also the lady who checked me out (I didn't catch her name) was incredibly kind as well. Customer service at this location is always incredible and today was just another example! read more

Great service and selection. Quite a different feel than the big box stores. Signed up to their loyalty program. read more

Ace Hardware is a compact but generally well-stocked hardware store. A key reason to shop here: the knowledgeable staff members who know where things are located and also provide helpful guidance on repairs, projects, and products. read more

I usually don't shop here but a good friend of mine recommended this place for Key replacements. Thank you to the Key department for assisting me 2 times that I desperately needed for my cars! Save some money and time and come to Ace Hardware instead of wasting your money and at the car dealerships! read more

I would like to start off by thanking the staff today because for the most part; this store is fantastic and my wife and I felt helped by everyone but Lydia. Lydia is the reason we are leaving this poor review. We had the most unpleasant experience with Lydia at our checkout. First off; she was so rude to say the least. Her attitude and tone was so standoffish and judgmental. Then, which is not a big deal because we all make mistakes, but after already making it a horrendous time while my wife and I are trying to pay; Lydia overcharges us and then keeps our items. Lydia took $116 in cash from us that is not reflected in our receipt so we overpaid and we are also missing items from our cart. We are missing the paint we got from the female associate who is fantastic! Horrible customer service from Lydia though. #BOOOLYDIA read more

Griffin Ace Hardware Carmel Valley - Hardware Stores Near Me - San Diego, California

Been coming here for a few years. A true neighborhood store feeling. The moment you walk in there's somebody greeting you and asking if you need help. I've been receiving help from the man in the plumbing department for so long now I feel as if he's my uncle. One of the few stores where I'm willing to pay more (even though I could probably get better prices online or at a big box retailer) for the superior service. read more

Always polite and Helpful folks here... ALWAYS. Kara helped me today way beyond what she had to do. I'm a car guy and she made better choices for me... On my own Benzo! I've come here for years and this store has everything you need, it's amazing. read more

Griffin Ace Hardware Carmel Valley - Rust gone. Great product and great price. I think you can find cheaper prices on Amazon, but support our local businesses. - Hardware Stores Near Me - San Diego, California

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Customer Service = Profit Obtuse Employees = Zero Sales Just needed to use a plug to test a light. Apparently no plugs were available. Wow! Avoid this location unless you want to chit chat and gossip with the employees because it appears that's their focus. Today cashier was useless and unhelpful. Ended up going to HD where they were super helpful and got a 2 better quality bulbs for what one crappy Ace branded bulb cost also spent another $300 for rental property repairs. As a 60 year resident- Ace is not a friendly place. They need to understand a "Yes" and some common courtesy and customer service would create good will and sales. Not a fan! I encourage all the "Locals" to go to Dixiline or HD. read more

Looking for quality service while your looking for tools, paint or random seasonal items, this is definitely the place. From being greeted at the door to finding your item to checking out with the final fairwell, every moment allows you time in a clean helpful place. The small footprint makes it easy to find items... even the rest of your party you were sure you lost. Everything about this location is the best... items and certainly service. read more

Joan and everyone at Griffin Ace Hardware Carmel Valley were so helpful as usual today. I feel like there's no problem they can't solve.

Clean and easy to find what I needed. Employees always there to help. Easy parking. I'm and out. read more

We've been coming here for quite some time when we need last minute items you can't buy at Vons or a Rite Aid. This GAH is located by Souplantation, Spices Thai, Vons, Baskin Robbins. They share a parking lot so parking is easy on non busy days. There are two stories (2nd story is towards the back). I see Griffin as the small cute toddler to Home Depot. They carry a variety of important DIY home items as well as paint, hardware, etc items. They even have gifts, lotions, dog items. Uncle recently tried to help me fix a broken plumbing item so he went to GAH to buy two wrenches. They weren't the right tools and he asked if I could return the items. Returning items was easy with receipt. The store smell of Christmas too so that was fun. I received cash as a refund (as cash was used to pay). Definitely a convenient location with kind staff. read more

Followed up with Thomas (a manager) regarding my prior concern and emphasized how great the other salespeople are and how we all love the store. read more

I went in not entirely sure what I needed and Thomas solved my problem immediately. Excellent service and friendly staff, shout out Thomas

The staff here are always so kind and helpful. They go out of their way to provide amazing customer service.

I'm so disappointed to have to update my review bc I love the employees at Ace hardware bc of their excellent service and i don't mind paying more bc of it! However, I left ace hardware tonight extremely uncomfortable and nearly in tears bc of the way one of the employees made me feel. Without naming any names, he was one of my favorite employees bc hes always so kind, patient and helpful so I was so surprised by his angry reaction when we just had a simple misunderstanding. It was my first time getting paint matched let alone buying paint in general. I brought it back bc it was not an exact match. I was under the impression he was going to fix the original paint I purchased but instead he made an entire new canister of paint and it's my own fault for my lack of understanding that paint cannot be fixed and I explained to him that I didn't want to end up with 2 canisters of paint as it's not cheap. Instead of being understanding as this was no one's fault, he looked very upset and told me he already made it and I have to purchase it and I don't have a choice in this matter. I felt extremely uncomfortable with his reaction so I was quiet so he called the manager over and I explained the situation to him and he said he won't charge me for the new paint but took it with him so In the end i left the store with the original paint they made for me that still did not match!!!! The manager rather throw away the new paint that was correctly matched rather than giving it to me (as I already paid for the canister that didn't match) which would've fixed the problem I originally came in for. Im very surprised and extremely disappointed in how this entire situation was handled. I'm still leaving 3 stars bc maybe the guy who helped me with the paint was just having a bad day which everyone is entitled to and I didn't want this one negative situation to effect my overall rating bc the employees are still amazing. However, bc of the poor decision made to throw away the paint instead of making a repeat customer happy, I will no longer be shopping with this particular Ace hardware store anymore. read more

Griffin Ace Hardware Carmel Valley - Tools that Mark let me borrow - Hardware Stores Near Me - San Diego, California

I've been a fan of Ace Hardware stores for decades and a happy customer at the Griffin stores for some 20 years. This was my regular hardware store when we lived in Del Mar. It's conveniently located in the shopping center on Valley Centre Drive in Carmel Valley, a short hop off CA56. I drop in when I'm in the area, but the 4S Ranch Griffin Ace Hardware is closer to home now. read more

They are so nice at Griffin Ace! So full of help for people who are not handy, or full of supplies for people who are. Nick has helped me twice to change unusual batteries in devices, and he does it lickety split. I need to come back next time for key duplication. My kid agrees - Nick and Ace deserve five stars! read more

I bought a defective power strip from another Ace Hardware. Since I was close to this one I brought it back with a receipt and I selected another more expensive strip to buy. After standing in a seven person line the cashier said they didn't carry the defective brand so she would not accept the return. Just how is a customer to know what each Ace Hardware carries? I noticed at least four "helpful hardware men" standing around as the line got longer and longer. Either this store needs a manager or Ace needs to visit and fix these service issue. Sorely disappointed. read more

When we first moved to this area I was disappointed there wasn't a big box home store near us, but then I discovered Ace! I am always amazed by the selection of top quality brands they pack in their square footage (don't forget about their upstairs!). Regardless, their employees and management make the difference. They go out of their way to help you solve whatever issue you are having even if they don't sell you anything. You might save a teeny bit by driving further away, but there is value in saving time and being treated well. Good luck even getting help at a big box store! Ace Carmel Valley reminds me of customer service the way it used to be-honest, responsive and helpful. Thank goodness they are in our community! read more

This review is long overdue. I have been coming to the store since it opened in 1991. I am amazed by the store and their courtesy and kindness in everything that they do. The Griffin ladies are wonderful as is Leah who's been there as long as I have been coming. Whenever I need anything they'll help me find it at the store or special order it in for me. Try that one at the big box store there's no one to special order and at the big box you'll get the "it's online". There is no "it's online" in the store- it's let us help you find it - personal service all the way! Now of course you could order online from ace.com if you're inclined to, but I come into the store for the experience of dealing with people and the human contact and enjoyment I have and seeing everyone. In particular I want to give a giant shout out to Nick. Every time I come in Nick says "hey Rich how's it going". He finds what I need or he orders it in. He even takes phone calls and gets the merchandise in so I can come in to pick it up because each time I come to the store I'm now coming from the SAN MARCOS area which is quite a distance, but I'll never stop doing business with Ace Carmel Valley. Nick exemplifies personal service 1950s style and the best attitude and kindness I've ever seen of anyone in the home-improvement industry. I hope they can hang onto him. The store will go on no matter what. It's a place that has wonderful traditions and people. I can still remember Ed as the barbecue expert right when they opened who unfortunately later passed away. They still have those people in their hearts at all times. This place really shines around the holidays and the kids love it too. You basically feel like you're part of their family not coming in to a hardware store to make a purchase. I can't really say it any other way. Hats off to the Griffin family, Leah, the wonderful cashier ladies that have worked there for years and years, and my great friend Nick who is always there to support my home-improvement projects! read more

I love this store. Employees are great and the inventory is good. My only complaint is I wish it was open a little bit later.

I got a key made. the key did not work. I drove back 30 mins and reached 5 min before closing. They were closed and guys were walking inside and did not open the door despite the officially the time was not over. They did see me and came to door but did not open the door. Very frustrating to drive 1 hr back and forth with the expectation that the store keeps opening and closing schedule. read more

David, up stairs helped with all my plumbing needs. Didn't have to replace the entire toilet valve, just the washer. He explained, in simple terms, how to do it. ( Koehler are tricky ) AWESOME SERVICE! Love this store!!! Thank you! read more

Customer Service is ( 5 stars) unbeatable! I drove 6+ miles to Home Depot and their busy staff ( helping one customer with 2 waiting in queue) actually told me the wrong info on screws and bolt sizes. We take Ace Griffin for granted, let's see what our comments / quality of life would be like if they moved or quit. Thank you, Ace Griffin. read more

I debated over this review, but after reading another recent review with the same experience, I decided to go forth. This is a small store, very reminiscent of an old neighborhood hardware store where I grew up. They have all the basics you would need for a quick run to the hardware store. It's conveniently located for those quick runs for must have last minute items. But what they seriously lack is the friendliness that comes along with a small local store. I've lived in this area for 25 years and have gone to this store often. But over the years, I've come to realize it's best to know what you want when going in because if you have to ask someone for assistance, you're likely to experience some 'attitude'. It's not that there aren't people there to assist you or they are overwhelmingly busy. It's just the manner in which they treat you. Again, I wasn't going to write this assuming maybe it was just me, but after reading another recent post (Oct 2017) I realized I'm not the only one who experiences this behavior at this store. Yesterday I walked in and knew exactly what I wanted and where to get it. As I walked in, there was a store employee who apparently was greeting and got visibly upset with me because I didn't respond to him. Maybe I'm a bit hard of hearing; maybe I had 1,000 things on my mind; maybe I had an earpiece in and was listening to someone else. Whatever the reason, I didn't hear or see this person until he approached me and made it very clear that he didn't appreciate being ignored. Okay, let's skip the rude behavior of the people who supposedly are there to help. Let's talk prices. I wanted some small terra cotta pots and was shocked at the prices! For a 6" pot - $2.39. To put that into perspective, at Home Depot they are $1.25 each for the same item. Or, you can buy them on Amazon for less and if you have Amazon Prime, you can get it delivered for free and usually next day service. As I said, I have frequented this place over the years but purely out of convenience. But after yesterday, I'll take my hardware purchases to Home Depot or Lowe's or use my Amazon Prime and have it delivered so I don't even need to go to a store saving time and most importantly, money! I don't need to pay "boutique" prices for hardware items. And certainly don't need the rude attitude from the workers. By the way, I am not referring to the people at the checkout counter who are always friendly and nice. It's just the people who walk around with their red vest and ironically, the guy whose job I guess is to "greet" people as they come in and make them feel welcomed(?). read more

SO helpful, congenial, and knowledgeable. At least three different employees there have taken time to teach me about DIY, help me when I've been lost. read more