For thirty years, Charles Masters has worked in the home services industry, twenty of which with Ace Hardware. Being the son of a third-generation plumber and having grown up in Southern California around the family plumbing business, he found home services a great fit professionally. Over the years, he has noticed that more and more customers want help completing projects beyond what store personnel could offer.
“If we look back twenty years ago in a hardware store, for every twenty people that walked in and said, ‘How do I fix this’, you would really only have one person that would say, ‘Do you have someone that can fix it for me?’ Fast forward to a few years ago and that twenty to one became five to one,” explained Charles. “So, in hardware stores, we needed a reliable, trustworthy resource for our customers to do those projects that they were seeking to have done for them. Ace Hardware saw this shift in customer needs and requests and decided to leverage the Ace Hardware brand into home services. They acquired a handyman franchise that they eventually rebranded to Ace Handyman Services.”
In 2020, Charles and his wife, Crystal, opened a Snohomish County branch of the new Ace Handyman Services. As a locally owned and independently run business with the backing of a nationally known and trusted brand, and with the support of local Ace Hardware store owners, they saw it as a perfect opportunity to help people beyond the storefront and in their own homes. This was especially timely with the recent growth in “do it for me” services.
“Boomers are realizing that it’s not smart for them to get on the ladder anymore or they are not able to do the things they used to do,” said Charles. “Millennials are a generation who place a high value on time and instead of spending weekends working on projects, they prefer to go for a hike and hire someone to do it for them.”
As a licensed, bonded, and insured general contractor, Ace Handyman Services assists with a wide variety of projects for private and commercial properties that range from small jobs such as replacing cabinet hardware and mounting TVs to larger jobs such as drywall repair, deck and fence restoration, and bathroom refreshes. With the ability to help with over 1100 types of projects, their experienced craftsmen come equipped with the skills and tools to provide the support customers need.
For Charles and Crystal, however, providing these services is about more than just helping clients knock out their to-do list, it is about building relationships and giving back to the community and to people who have been so impactful in their lives
“People call us to fix random x, y and z, but sometimes we end up knowing them and they are people who had been impactful to us because the world is small,” said Crystal. “We like being able to give back in ways to people who aren't expecting it, even if it is being able to provide them a service with a trusted handyman.”
Recently, Crystal came across a Facebook post asking for referrals for someone to build a deck. When she saw that the person in need was her high school German teacher who had a profound impact on her life, Crystal was excited to be able to give back to her in this special way.
“She has some medical issues right now and we were able to go and build her new decks around her home so that she can go outside and read in the sunshine and do it safely,” Crystal shared. “We were able to provide this service for someone who, even 30 years later, I’m very protective of. So being able to send a team to her house that I was comfortable with means so much.”
Because Crystal was the primary caregiver to her grandparents for ten years, she also understands the stress that comes with having someone unknown come into the home of a family member or friend. Her experiences foster a unique understanding that it is important to be able to trust whoever comes in to do projects and know they will do so with great care.
“I know the anxiety of bringing someone into your home. Having someone come to your house that you feel comfortable with and that you trust to fix a problem is a big deal,” said Crystal. “After my grandpa passed away, it was just my grandma and me. She remained sharp but was physically frail. Even though my grandma knew so many people from being the secretary of the elementary school in Stanwood, there was still that anxiety of having someone around my most precious person without me being there. So, it was important to be able to have craftsmen who had a criminal background check, wore a uniform, and to have a picture of who was going to be arriving at the door.” With this in mind, Ace Handyman Services intentionally focuses on building trust with clients through clear communication and fostering relationships. “Once we have a craftsman who is a good match for a customer, we send that person back again, because it's about relationships and trust,” added Crystal.
Charles and Crystal also feel it is important to take great care of and give back to their employees. They attract high quality craftsmen by ensuring they are paid a living wage plus making sure they have the resources and tools they need to best complete projects. They also offer incentives and recognition for hard work and reward 5-star reviews with bonuses.
“We like having our own team so that we can take care of them in a way that is important to us, including having a family-friendly environment for our employees,” shared Crystal. “I love that our craftsmen will, after they finish a job, pick up their kids and come by the office with them. Or with our customer service ladies, if there is a day when their kids are off from school, the kids will be in the office area. They've got their easel, crayons, and things. To be able to have the flexibility to have that family environment is pretty awesome.”
Through Ace Handyman Services, Charles and Crystal intentionally build a culture of care and service, seeking out employees who share the same philosophy. As locals who are an active part of the community, they want to serve as a trusted resource for their neighbors.
“We find fulfillment in that we offer a white glove service that people appreciate and that we are able to make a difference in the lives of our craftsmen,” said Charles. “We can't change the world, but we can change our little corner of it by being impactful and making a difference.”
For more information on how Ace Handyman Services can help, visit the website and fill out inquiry form at http://www.acehandymanservices.com/office/snoco, or call 425-403-4004
“We like being able to give back in ways to people who aren't expecting it, even if it is being able to provide them a service with a trusted handyman.”
“We like having our own team so that we can take care of them in a way that is important to us, including having a family-friendly environment for our employees,”