From left, Dave English, Russell Manion, Erika Godbey and Pam Thomas.
Come in, come back: Houska’s Ace Hardware in Arnold puts customers first
Kim Houska said providing service that keeps customers coming back to Houska’s Ace Hardware in Arnold is key to the store’s survival.
So that’s what store employees have been doing, she said, and it’s working out just fine.
“We bend over backwards for our customers,” Houska said. “I think once people who had never been in our store came in, they realized the prices were in line and our customer service is above. I think our future is pretty bright.”
She said the store, 1520 Jeffco Blvd., is following the example set by her father, Tony Mannisi, starting back in the 1970s, when he operated Bargain Barn and Arnold Building Center at the site Ace Hardware now occupies.
The pandemic initially caused a surge in customers in the early days of COVID-19 in mid-March, doubling the traffic the locally owned store had been seeing in January and February.
At times, the pace made it harder to provide the one-on-one attention the store is known for, Houska said. Things are closer to normal now, and so is customer service.
However, Ace Hardware is still doing between 10 to 20 percent more business than in previous years, Houska said.
“I also hired more people. Before in an evening, we would have three people, and now, we have four. We are averaging about 200 people a day. she said.”
Houska said the store offers online ordering and curbside delivery, and that employees sanitize carts and counters every 30 minutes. There is a sign requesting customers to wear masks, and employees wear masks in the store.
“We continue to thank our loyal customers,” Houska said. “We also are seeing a lot of new faces, who are coming back. We appreciate it so much.”