Wantagh, NY — From the time the doors open to the time they snap shut in the evening, there's a steady stream of walk-in traffic at Ace Tool Repair, and it's been building for more than 20 years.
"We have good customers buying new tools and dropping off older ones for repair, and some just dropping tools for repair," says company owner Maria Polidoro. "And we realize that as we open the front door to allow new customers to come in, we have to make sure the back door is shut so we're not losing customers we already have."
Getting its start as strictly a repair shop on New York's Long Island, Ace Tool has evolved into a full-service tool store — but the emphasis is still very much on service. "Our guys have taken the concept of routine maintenance and repair to a whole new level," Polidoro explains. "We are constantly striving to be innovative and bring new products to our market. We work hard to make our showroom appealing and informative.
"But, the bottom line for us is service. We teach our customers about a tool before they buy it, and then service that tool for the rest of its life," she adds.
As an authorized service center for more than 50 manufacturers, Ace Tool backs up that commitment with an inventory of more than a quarter of a million different parts. Parts are all logged into the company's computer system for quick, easy identification, and storage bins are number- and letter-coded to dovetail with the database.
The service department is divided into specialty areas under the direction of Ali Berna, who's also the company's gasoline-powered tool specialist. Four additional specialists keep the tide of tools coming in and out flowing through the system smoothly. George Pfaller specializes in pneumatic and powder-actuated tools; Paul Hopke is the cordless nailer and magnetic tool specialist; Erick Puglia takes on electric, hydraulic and specialized tools; Kyle Nonnenmann concentrates on electric and cordless tools.
A part of the group's overall mission is to better educate customers on how to care for their tools so the staff sees them between the sale and a repair order. But, getting contractors to take time for routine maintenance is difficult, at best.
