Laner Electric Supply

maria a.

Thank you for exchanging a fan for me for the 2nd time. And on top of that telling me I could bring my dog in since I was concerned about the heat. Water and cookies provided.
You might not have made much money of me but maybe an excellent rating is a good thank you. Great customer service.

Steve H.

While my initial experience was unfavorable, I did get a response from Laner (the owners). They were very concerned about making the situation right. I feel they did the right things for me as their customer and trust they will do what they need to internally to make sure my experience in not the norm.

I did get my part. My lights now work. I expect the next time I call Laner the process will be improved.

Glenn C.

I've been in this place three times in the last couple of years and have had a similar experience each time so it's not unique. The first counter guy never seems to know anything about the electrical product your interested in and he says the other guy can help you who is always busy with someone else.

You then proceed to wait for 15-20 minutes while the ""other guy"" shoots the bull with the other customer and intentionally ignores the fact that your waiting for him. Once you get this ""expert"" he generally knows next to nothing on the subject and tries to conceal this fact with arrogance and disinterest.

This last time I went in hoping to buy three monorail lighting systems, not an insignificant purchase, for a remodel I'm doing and got the same run around. Even though the ""expert"" was fully aware of this fact he ignored me and then just disappeared. After 20 minutes waiting I walked out.

I've been in construction 45 years. Have rarely encountered such dysfunctional and careless customer service.

Daan R.

I spend more time in this place than just about anywhere else during my working day and I'm glad it's here. The counter-staff knows their stuff, the lighting consultants are good at steering a project/giving feedback while still listening to concerns and input.

They have a great supply of quality/durable goods most of which tend to last the test of time, and while not always as cheap as ""the cheap"" electrical supply houses in Oakland and SF, they're real competitive, and you don't have to worry about a fitting stripping out or a weather-proof junction box snapping in two as you crank on it with a pair of channel locks.

It pays to check your order, to verify what you convey to the counter-staff is actually what's been pulled from the back. In their defense, half the time I'm speaking in tongues when I ask for things and they need Rosetta stone to translate, but it usually works out well, and when it doesn't I curse the world (but that's not as catastrophic as it once was, when I did the majority of my work in Marin and it would take 40 plus minutes one way to return the wrong item ...that always ended up being mission critical to the overall build of the day)

The long and the short is they know their stuff, have good people on site that can help answer questions when required.

They are most definitely contractor oriented, which means that home owners are welcome, just be prepared to deal with a supply house (they'll answer questions but won't build the project for you, or tell you if it's code compliant etc.) and recognize that the vast majority of their business comes from electrical contractors, so if they come across as short its probably not intended, just comes with territory of mostly dealing with those that know exactly what they want, and are looking to get in and out as fast as they can.

Jon F.

If you want to ask a question, good luck. I found that only ""Bob"" knew anything. Bob is the grumpy store manager that actually does know stuff, but tends to not want to deal with the meddling customers that wander into his store. The other people that work at the store know NOTHING.

I purchased a couple dozen recessed lights (housings) and a few of them had been obviously installed before, as the mounting parts were bent and pieces were actually missing from the unit. I had to take those back and get new ones. Unfortunately I hadn't noticed they had sold me the totally wrong house for one of the directional lights I had ordered. That required ANOTHER trip to this infernal store. But that's not all. They then sold me another housing that was again WRONG and told me I needed another added piece, which ended up being a second housing that I DIDN'T NEED. So trip number FOUR was returning these units to finally get the right one.

However, the fun still hasn't ended. I still have some defective units installed in my ceiling that will need to be cut out of the drywall and returned... trip number FIVE.

If you are looking for lighting, look elsewhere.

Rachel K.

I spent well over $2000 at this company to buy lighting. The customer service was polite- but 90% of the staff had no knowledge of the products they were selling.

At one point- one of the staff members opened a book and said ""pick a trim""- when I replied ""what is the difference between these ten products"", he said ""I don't know"". At which point I asked ""Can you help me find someone who does"". Bob, the manager who I had asked for help from earlier but he wasn't willing to help was called and he was quite helpful in resolving the question.

How can you run a lighting store when you don't know what you are selling????

I would not recommend this store for the consumer interested in buying lighting. Go somewhere else where they are interested in providing you with the help that you need to make the right decisions and NOT need to come back multiple times to fix their mistakes.

Kate S.

These folks are amazing! I searched all the well-known lighting and hardware shops around Berkeley and El Cerrito, and had to explain and re-explain what I needed to meet code in Berkeley with a lighting fixture I needed to retrofit to accept anything but screw-in bulbs. After 30 seconds on the phone with the guy at Laner, he told me he had a couple of options for the socket replacement part I needed. When I went into the store, he checked in his database for the combination of the most economical and the most common LED/CFL bulb for which he had a replacement socket. I walked out the door with exactly what I needed, within three minutes of walking in, and it was painless on my bank account, too! I didn't think this quality of knowledge and efficiency was available these days. This business is really doing a GREAT job - I'll be going there the next time I have any product or advice needs for anything electrical or lighting related.

Kevin M.

I stopped in to pickup an electric ballast for a T12 to T8 fluorescent fixture upgrade. Berkeley Electric Company suggested here as they would have better selection than Berkeley Ace Hardware. I believe him, however when to Laner's and stated exactly what I was looking for (as Eric G. recommends), the Asian woman behind the counter just brought the one ballast from the back. It will do the job, though I'll never know if there were other options that would work better (such as a dimmable ballast).

Parking is a breeze and it's located conveniently off the 580 (just time your trip there around rush hour traffic).

Better for contractors/electricians than DIY'ers, but worth going if you are looking for something special/specific as others have mentioned (otherwise it's a 3 star).

Dave K.

This place can find the hard to get electrical part you need .

The staff is friendly, helpful and courteous. The black guy there is hella cool.

I have an old panel from the 1970's and I went to home depot, ace, osh, and after precious minutes lost from flagging down half-dead employees a kind man recommended this place to find the OLD breaker I needed. They ordered direct from the company and took about 3-5 business days.

Prices are comparable but you can't put a price on customer service sometimes... you get a small town feel in Richmond. It's in a nice industrial area, no worries about parking there is parking right in front.

B.t.w. they sell l.e.d. lighting , breakers, etc. etc. anything to do with electricity.

Wan T.

I had almost given up on finding the part I needed, but then I called Laner. Not only did they have the part, but they had it stock transferred to their San Francisco location by the next morning. It does help to have a clue what you're looking for, but the staff was also able to guide me and suggest alternatives. Very friendly, knowledgeable, & helpful staff. The guys at the San Francisco location are terrific. Laner is my go-to electrical parts store from now on.