RANT- Alki Lumber

[cjboffoli]

I’ve lived in West Seattle for 2 years and never had a reason to go into Alki Lumber. But after going over last week to have a couple of screens repaired I’ll never go back. The people behind the counter were disinterested and surly. The place was a scrambled mess. And they ended up charging me double what they quoted. $50 for two small screens is a ripoff. I guess I learned my lesson.

Share This

[transplantella]

Sorry to hear that…..but I can suggest a better place.

I needed to buy a wooden screen door. True Value and McClendons don’t handle them. Lowe’s had one that was perfect, for $27 and an 80 DOLLAR delivery fee! Um no.

So I started calling around and ended up getting it at Stewart Lumber and Hardware on Rainier Ave. They were patient and helpful, dragged out all kind of supplier catalogs, and delivered the $27 screen door today…..for 5 bucks.

Yeah, I will absolutely positively do business with them again. Great experience. Good folks. Give a try.

Share This

[cjboffoli]

transplantella: Thanks for the tip!

Share This

[swthistle]

CJ

Alki lumber is for the contractors, and they have great quality wood products well worth the price…if you need screens call White Center Glass they do a great job, and if they aren’t right they will fix the problem. Super nice people!

Share This

[seattlegolfer]

Alki Lumber goes down as the worst maintained business in the Triangle area. Really, if you’re in the construction business couldn’t you fence in the blight, paint your buildings and consistently remove the garbage and wood pallets so people can walk down the sidewalk past your business?

Share This

[mellaw6565]

CJ – as with other posts like this, I always try to encourage people to talk with management before posting; it gives the business a chance to rectify the situation.

Obviously you are under no obligation to do so, but I think it’s only fair before you post the Rant about a business on a public forum. If management doesn’t respond, then by all means…

Share This

[Sue]

I don’t know what type of screens you were having repaired, but we had a window screen done at True Value in the Junction. They did a very good job for a reasonable fee.

Share This

[condodweller]

I agree with wsgolfer about the poor appearance of the Alki Lumber site. While it may be for contractors primarily, it has a front and center location for greeting all newcomers to West Seattle.

A new business of that nature could not get away with the exposed lumber and lack of landscaping, etc. Alki Lumber has been in that location for decades and it seems that if they were inclined to clean up their business, they would have done so long ago.

While I am certain they are grandfathered into the lack of restrictions as to the look of the property, a sense of respect for the surrounding businesses and residences should surely motivate them to provide decent fencing and shields around the unattractive side of their business.

I have only visited there once even though I live nearby. It was so jumbled up and they obviously were targeting contractors. I have not returned.

Share This

[JimmyG]

Alki Lumber is completely contractor-driven.

The individual retail customer doesn’t much matter to their bottom line. 15 plus years ago I tried to order a screen door from them and was treated like crap.

I complained to the manager and he was very up front with me that they aren’t set up to serve small individual orders. He was nice enough about it and from then on I understood their business model and that I wasn’t going to receive great service there.

Share This

[cjboffoli]

mellaw6565: Your suggestion is completely fair and reasonable. However, I had two successive bad experiences, when the screens were dropped off and when they were picked up. So that was two chances for them to treat me fairly and professionally, even if I’m a small potatoes retail customer. And they failed on both occasions. It seems to me that the management of Alki Lumber has already demonstrated to me their level of service and no complaint to their management is going to do me much good at this point.

Share This

[mellaw6565]

Fair enough – I just hate the blanket business bashing that goes on here sometimes without giving the business a chance to fix it. Sorry you had such a bad experience. I’ve never been there – always go to McClendon’s or Dunn Lumber.

Share This

[JoB]

on the other hand.. when i moved here i desperately needed some lathe strips cut to complete making our balcony safe for inquisitive little dogs with no fear.

the fellows at Alki treated me with respect.. stayed late. and cut my strips to length so that all i had to do was go back and tack them up…

i have been back more than once.

Share This

[DavidF]

Alki Lumber is by far the best lumberyard I have dealt with in the last 25 years. It is for Contractors, and the owner and management are wonderful people, who live locally, and add a tremendous amount to our community. I agree that they can be a bit rough at times, but who isn’t? Luckily, there are many oher choices nearby.

Share This

[ellenater]

I actually prefer the surly people…like at Sunfish Cafe.

Share This

[FullTilt]

When not making ice cream, I am a boat builder and wood worker by trade. I have found the folks at Alki nothing but wonderful. They are not a hardware store. I understand it can be frustrating to go into a place and not receive the service that you expected, but imagine their frustration when people walk in expecting a level of service that they do not offer. It would be like going to Costco and wondering why some one is not helping you out with your groceries.

As the far as the charging you double what they quoted you, that is just wrong. I don’t care what you business is, if you give me a quote for something it better end up close there or you better have a good reason why not.

I like that they are a bit rough around the edges. The rest of WS is starting to look a little to Bellevue anyhow.

Share This

[cjboffoli]

Let me just qualify that I did not go in there looking for white glove service. And I can certainly appreciate the potential charm in a bunch of ornery old guys. I’ve been in my fair share of hardware stores and lumber yards. In fact, the disordered jumble of Alki Lumber reminds me of a place called Spag’s Supply that I used to frequent back East. I only went in because my builder told me they repaired/replaced Milgard screens. My problem was the way they ignored me (in favor of watching TV) when I walked in. And then they said they’d call me about the screens and they never did. They quoted me a price on screens and said the frames would be remade. And then when I went back in there to retrieve them I saw that they were the same old frames and they were double the price quoted. I’m happy to hear that others in West Seattle have had good experiences at Alki Lumber. After this experience I’ll be taking my business elsewhere.

Share This

[condodweller]

As far as the rough appearance goes, it would not hurt our gateway to look a little more like Bellevue and a little less like Aurora.

Share This

[JoB]

i have to admit, i kind of like that little scruffy business district where the emphasis is on doing things right and not on appearances. Bellevue appearances have to be paid for… and i would far rather pay for quality work than a shiny showroom.

That said, that area is doomed eventually anyway.. the land is becoming far more useful for development and the businesses that are so conveniently located now will likely move…

i am not sure that is worth having an attractive gateway.

Share This

[JenV]

my neighborhood finally has a name: “The Gateway Neighborhood”… I love it.

Share This

[condodweller]

The unattractive appearance may seem charming passing by, I am not sure why. If you live by it, and experience the murky after-hours activities there, it is quite another matter.

I do not propose we look like Bellevue, but a place should look as though the merchants and residents care enough about the area to maintain it in an orderly manner. It does not take a lot of money, just a caring attitude.

A hardware/construction supplier need not be a blight on the surrounding area, Copeland Lumber in Rainier Vallery is testimony to that.

Share This

[perfessor]

I’ve had great experiences with Alki Lumber–from the first time I stopped by 25 years ago!!

As mentioned, it’s not a general hardware store, but I’ve relied on their assistance for a number of home projects.

The first time I stopped by (25 years ago), I needed some lumber and posts to build a fence for the back yard. I didn’t have a truck, just an old ford falcon. They helped me load up the car with half of the lumber, and then sent me off without paying even one dollar –I was told I could pay for everything “when I got back” for the second load.

Find me anyplace like that and I’ll have a hard time saying anything bad about them!

Share This

[mellaw6565]

That was 25 years ago – I wonder if they would do that today? Nice if they do.

Share This

[JoB]

i don’t know..

they were that good to me just last year.

Share This

[julie s]

I just came across this thread after purchasing most of the materials to build a shed from Alki Lumber, and I want to say that I had an excellent experience. I’m not a contractor and I designed the shed and figured out the quantities myself, having had a small amount of experience with other projects. They were helpful, respectful, they had everything I needed, or ordered it and had it right away. Their lumber is way better than most hardware stores (it is a lumber store after all).

Share This

[KBear]

Um, wouldn’t you be paying them a better compliment by starting a new topic called “RAVE – Alki Lumber!”, rather than drawing attention to a customer service failure that happened over a year ago by resurrecting this old thread?

Share This

[Author]

Posts