I've been here three times now, this evening being my longest visit, as I had a long shopping list and some DIY projects in the works. I had Googled what I needed to be looking for, roughly, but I was approached very early with an offer to help. Judging by past experiences here, I knew whomever I would be assisted by was going to be knowledgeable, so of course, the recommendation by a real human was going to take precedence over my "homework." Ken walked me through numerous isles, pointing me to the products I needed and also making suggestions.
At one point, I was on my own to decide what color wood stain I wanted, and while I pondered for about a half hour, I am pretty sure I was kindly acknowledged by at least five other employees. At least. And every single one of them greeted me with a smile and a sincere willingness to help. Eventually, I accepted the advice of one other gentleman (whose name I regrettably didn't catch), as I had started to confuse myself in my indecisiveness, and he, too, had a thoughtful answer for every question- and based upon personal experience (not just canned knowledge).
All the way up to the cashier, I did not meet one unfriendly person, or one who wasn't knowledgeable. I don't know why every hardware store isn't like this, considering that it's a skill set that the average person doesn't necessarily have. Regardless, I'm very thankful that there are handy people out there, who know what they're talking about and care enough to help guide others. From both a knowledgeability and customer service standpoint, Paul's Ace Hardware nails it (no pun intended). Thanks, Paul's!