Sunshine Skyway Ace Hardware

Sorry to say I must agree with the negative reviews about rude, incompetent employees. To top if off this past
Sunday morning at 9:30 a.m. the «helpful hardware man» was drunk. He couldn’t even help us with our minor problem as it confused him and he smelled strongly of alcohol (and the gum didn’t mask it.)
This store is a lot closer to our house but in the future we will drive to the ACE on MLK north.

While preparing for tropical storm Colin I went to the Sunshine Skyway Ace Hardware on Saturday, June 4 and Sunday, June 5 and purchased several tarps, plastic sheeting, rope, etc., our total spend was just under $ 200.
Yesterday (June 7), my husband and I went back to this establishment to return approximately $ 90 of merchandise that we did not use/​need all unopened/​unused. The woman who processed the return was agitated, rude and down-​right nasty. She did not speak a word to either of us (mind you we are in this store at least three times a month, if not more). She clearly was not happy about providing us with a credit.
We try very hard to support our local businesses and this one happens to be ½ mile from our home. After our dealings yesterday both my husband and I will drive 10+ miles to go to one of the big-​box stores.
Ace is the place for the helpful hardware man (woman)…not.

Nasty, rude, arrogant! My husband rented the rug doctor shampooer for carpets. Although we had paid for 24 hours we were done with it, cleaned the liquid bucket and drove it back to the store only 3 hours later. We stopped and the front counter where Marge Simpson’s cigarette voiced sister snapped, «Take it back to the window where you got it!» — no «please, could you, thanks» just freaking do it. So the husband takes it back to the window where the manager in her vest says «You didn’t clean this. You have to clean it to get your deposit back.»
I hear the husband say, «No one told me to clean it. How would I have known? And it IS clean!» «You know, they told you… etc…we always tell everyone…» she responded. We proceeded to drag it back through the store, preparing to take it home and clean it again… this time getting the filter she’d pointed out…
As we are walking by the snotty cashier I hear her say to a customer «they knew!» Then my husband told her that he didn’t appreciate being called a liar.
We dragged the shampooer to the parking lot and pulled the collected hair and lint off the filter and took it back in where they used a fine tooth comb, literally, to clean anything out of the thin brush on the bottom. The brush was clean… but they made a big show of it.
Through all this the male employee who had rented this to my husband just wandered by a few times but never stepped up to admit to the manager that he’d failed to tell my husband how to clean it.
We’ve always used their store because it’s local… I’d heard them make snarky comments to others but it hadn’t happened to me. We’ll never go back. When they’ve been snotty with everyone in the neighborhood and their business totally fails it will serve them right.

I’ll give them two stars because a couple of there employees have been very nice and helpful (Jeannie, sherry, and Jeff). However, I purchased a wheelbarrow 6 days ago and on the 5^th day, the wheel went flat. I took it to a tire repair shop and they told me there was something wrong with the rim. Took it to ace where I was told no exchanges without a receipt even though one of the women remembered me buying it. The manager was rude and arrogant. Insisted they had no idea what I had put in the wheelbarrow. I said the thing looks brand new! It’s a faulty rim. That night I found my receipt called the store and was told the owner was there but wouldn’t speak with me until he spoke with the rude manager. They are closed now and no phone call. I will never ever shop here again and if I don’t have this issue resolved, I will blanket the neighborhood with this story! Rude, unprofessional and not customer friendly!!!

This is 4 stars because it is mostly what a neighborhood hardware store should be. It is not appropriate to compare it with places like The Home Depot just as its not appropriate to compare a meat market convenience store combo with Publix.
The store seems to have what would be needed for common household repairs. I was greeted almost immediately upon entering and directed to the aisle where the product I needed was located.
Merchandizing and organization isn’t up to big box store standards but hat should not be expected for this kind of store. Employees will help you find what you want.
The Shopping Center is mostly vacant. This store fulfills a need and would do much better with other stores nearby. I hope they hang in there until there are some nearby businesses.

Whenever I can use this Ace, I do. While they might not be as big as the big boxes they have lots of what I need. The staff isn’t a rotation of people you don’t know. I know money I spend there stays local since they’re locally owned.

Had a key made here today and it fit the first time I used it. Not a busy place (the mall looks half-​empty of businesses) so I was helped immediately upon entering. Sometimes folk don’t know how to cut keys correctly but this fellow did!