This happened about three months ago, but I wanted to share my experience getting a spare key made and programmed at this Ace Hardware.
I ordered a spare key online, and within about an hour, I received an email saying that my key was ready for pickup. When I arrived, the employee helping me told me that I needed an appointment to have the key programmed. This was my first time having a key made, so if the website or confirmation email had explained that an appointment was required, I absolutely would have made one ahead of time.
Another employee then came over and, in a rather rude manner, told me to come back the next morning when another employee would be there to help me. Since it seemed that only one employee was trained to make and program keys, as well as handle the paint department, I was a little surprised that there wasn't someone else available, especially on a weekend. However, I was understanding and told them I would return the next morning when they opened.
The next day, I returned and once again explained to a different employee why I was there and what I had been told the day before. Unfortunately, they had no idea what had happened and there seemed to be no communication about the situation.
Fortunately, the employee who was able to make and program the keys was there. After waiting a few minutes, she made the key and was ready to program it--until we discovered that the tablet used for programming had died because it had not been put on the charger overnight.
She told me we could wait for the tablet to charge, and I said that was completely fine. I could also see that customers were waiting for assistance in the paint department, so I didn't want to keep bothering her while she was busy. I ended up waiting for about an hour. At that point, the line of customers needing help in the paint department had grown, so I asked another available associate if they could check whether the tablet had charged. They came back and let me know that the battery level hadn't changed.
At that point, I decided to leave. I had already been there for about an hour and a half, and I asked the associate if they could let the employee know that I would be returning for a THIRD time the following day. I also called a couple of hours later to make sure she knew I would be coming back and thanked her for her help.
When I returned for the third time, the employee made sure the tablet was fully charged that morning and got right to work. She was very kind and apologetic about the fact that this had become my third attempt to get the key programmed. Her attitude was completely different from the other two employees, who seemed frustrated with me for not knowing that an appointment was required.
I want to give the employee who ultimately helped me 5 stars. She was kind, patient, and did everything she could to finally get the job done.
However, based on the overall experience and the lack of clear communication about the appointment requirement, I would give the experience and website communication 2 stars. If the website or confirmation email had clearly explained that an appointment was required, and if there had been better communication between employees, this could have been a much smoother experience. read more