Hillcrest Pro Hardware

One of the «employees» who works there was very rude to my mother. First, she asked him if she could ask him a question about bathtub glaze, to which he replied «yes.» However, when she explained her question, he got mad really fast and suddenly didn’t know anything about bathtub glaze. My mom was wondering if the chemical Methylene Chloride is still used in Canada in bathtub glaze. He then told her to call the landlord-​tenant board, but she explained she didn’t want to file a complaint. She explained that she was simply asking a question because she saw on the CDC website about the chemical being dangerous. He then basically mocked her by saying it’s the government saying that, as if it was all a joke.
Not sure if he was being rude to her because she’s a woman or just because he is just a rude human being, but it’s safe to say we will never be going there and using their services.

First of all I am an extremely easy going person. I’ve had many bad experiences at stores and usually just brush them off. The staff at this store prompted me to create a Unilocal account just to make a negative review.
I called 10 minutes before they closed and the guy told me I could come pick up some paint before they closed. 6 minutes later I show up as he’s closing and as I open the door he looks me in the eyes and says F*%# I HATE PEOPLE. Then proceeds to go get the paint and say it’s now cash only, something he did not previously mention. I said I didn’t have cash and he actually told me to get the F%#* out of his store.
Don’t bother with this place unless you want to be yelled at and sworn at by a 65 year old man who acts like a 4 year old boy.

«Don’t come back here» were the last words I heard from one of the managers when my boyfriend came to return a defective product. The management at this store is incompetent and customer service is non-​existent.
I first came here several years ago when I moved to the neighbourhood. I remember feeling that being a woman disqualified me from entering a hardware store and asking questions about products. Now I realize that being a person in general is sufficient to make you feel unwanted. They don’t like people here and they are not going out of their way to assist you.
There is one nice guy (the young one) but the rest of them are useless and they don’t know how to run a business. They will ignore customers, fire back rude comments, and sit around reading newspapers while patrons look for items in their store.
No more. I have given this place my business for the very last time.

I live in the neighbourhood and have been to this store many times. The guys behind the counter are never friendly, I’ve come to expect and accept that, being this is the only hard wear store close to me.
However, today I was treated with complete disrespect and will not be returning. I bought some brackets to hang a shelf which came to about $ 3.80. I was $ 1 short and had to use Interac. The guy behind the counter actually muttered «using Interac for $ 3.80, f-​ing pisses me off.»
I smiled, thanked him and said I would not be returning.

I gave this place a 1 star because there isn’t a 0 star option! Beware, don’t come to this location. The employees basically don’t give a s*#% about sales or customers. If you ask them a question (especially with one older gentleman) they often look at you like you’re an idiot and sometimes just shake their head no and not verbally respond. I now know why home hardware went downhill and closed a large portion of their stores 20 years ago.

I have been here a couple times, mostly for things I didn’t need help with (bathtub plug, kitchenwares etc.) so I never needed customer service. No one had ever acknowledged me or said hello, but I didn’t need them so who cares. Today I needed help with a shower head plumbing issue. I could have gone to Canadian Tire or Home Depot, but I like to shop local, so I went out of my way to visit this location.
As usual, no one said hello, there were a few customers at the checkout so I stood and waited till he was done so I could ask for help. I explained what my problem was, and what I thought I needed in order to fix it. He looked at me like I had 2 heads, neither of which he thought had a brain in it and told me nothing like that exists. He didn’t even attempt to ask me more questions to figure out if I had the wrong measurements or suggest another solution.
So I walked out and headed all the way to Home Depot at The Stockyards and was able to find, in 2 seconds, a Home Depot expert plumber who took the time to understand my issue and give me a solution. I will not waste my time on this Home Hardware again!

I’ve been shopping at this place since 1980 which is 32 yrs. For what it is and who they are, I couldn’t want better in my neighbourhood. I recommend them highly and their departure would be a great loss to all of us. Never had trouble getting honest advice even when it meant not buying something there.

I live nearby and shop here frequently, spending some not insignificant money at this place because it is convenient, not overpriced and fairly well-​stocked for a hole in the wall.
At a store this small, customer service isn’t a priority. I don’t need a smile or some banter when I’m buying a mop or a shovel or lawn seed. If the guys wanna be cranky or distracted by the Jays game that’s a-​ok. I don’t need a free hug after I buy ant traps.
But a couple of weeks ago I returned an item — totally legit return, not frivolous, not opened, they told me the product did something it didn’t, it was their honest mistake — and they told me that I was wasting their time and costing them money.
I was sworn at and told to take my receipt and get lost.
That’s not acceptable. This place is convenient, but I’m done with them for a while.

When I wrote the previous review, I’d been a customer for a few weeks. Almost two years later, I must lower my rating to the lowest. Here’s why.
If small local businesses are to survive, they should excel at what big ones don’t: customer service. Especially if they know the customer, as I’m sure they know me at Hillcrest Pro Hardware.
Yet these guys seldom say hi, never smile, and can be downright rude if you have a return or walk in 5 minutes before they close, which I did last week because the door was wide open and I missed the sign.
It’s not just me, either: the two guys who work there most of the time only become somewhat animated when buddies drop in. The rest of the time, they suck.
A video store that used be around the corner had the same problem. Now they’re closed. Hillcrest Pro Hardware should take cue.
Meanwhile, I’m taking my money elsewhere.
UPDATE: Someone I’d never met before took the time to email me after reading this review. This person suffered very poor customer service at Hillcrest, where someone apparently gave them attitude because they wanted to return an item, one with a low price tag to boot.