Took an old beer light to have the old frayed cord replaced. The man did everything he could to talk me out of repairing the light. Told me he would only sell me a cord and told me to replace it myself. Not what I was expecting. The girl that works there was also very rude. She was more concerned about the UPS delivery guy than a paying customer. Guess I should have read further into the reviews before wasting my time. read more

One star is generous for this business. I read the bad reviews, but my family and I always like to support local businesses when we can, and not the big box stores. We were disappointed to see the outrageous price tags on what were lower quality shades and lamps. We now understand the low reviews also after dealing with the owner. He was rude and a know it all, especially dismissive of the women in our group of shoppers. Sorry to say we don't recommend this local business. The owner Tom might want to take a refresher course on quality and gracious customer service. read more

This business was a huge disappointment. Overpriced low quality lamps and shades. The owner was arrogant and unhelpful at answering the most even basic questions. Terrible customer service. Would not recommend. read more

This man is the most arrogant salesperson I have ever dealt with, what a horrible attitude. Will never go there again, decided I would rather have a new lamp. read more

These days there seems to be a store for everything, so I guess I'm not that surprised that there is a store in Symmes Township dedicated to lampshades. A Shade Better, as it is known, also had a location in Northern Kentucky, but that one has closed. My mother has shopped at A Shade Better before because she had some lampshades needing to be replaced, and she said they were extremely helpful in finding the right ones. When you walk in you will notice a TON of lampshades, but actually a lot of lamps too (thousands of shades, hundreds of lamps, according to website). I was impressed with the number of shades because I'd never expect to see that many all in one relatively small store. The lampshades seemed pretty basic, although some were more "distinctive" than others like they say, while on the whole the lamps were unique. My favorite lamp I saw was a Cincinnati Reds lamp, with a Reds helmet serving as the shade. Other than that though, most of the lamps and shades are more or less normal, no matter how unique or exotic they may be. A Shade Better also sells some custom shades, designer finials, and home accessories, while they also offer expert lamp and chandelier repair, preferred customer and interior design programs, and commercial business programs. Bottom line, though, if you are looking for a shade or designer lamp, they have it. They have got to be "a shade better" than any other store around when it comes to selling those two things and, by the way, they are holding a big lampshade sale right now. read more

A Shade Better - Lighting Fixtures & Equipment Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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Tom, the owner, not only is an expert in his business, but he also provides extraordinary customer service. He was willing to take hours, literally, to help me select the perfect shades for six lamps. At the age of 60, I had never purchased a new lampshade. I had no idea what a challenging task this is. I also had a Stiffel lamp that needed repair. Tom has it working like new! There is no place in the greater Cincinnati/northern Kentucky area that will provide you with the counsel and options for your lampshade purchase. Don't waste your time or money going anywhere else!! read more

Received inconsistent, sour service that ended on a disappointing very note. I needed a new lamp shade and excitedly purchased a Groupon. I took my lamp to the store and receive very attentive service. I could not decide which of the narrowed down shaded worked best so I was encouraged to purchase all three and look at them at home. One of the three shades was on clearance, though similarly priced, and would normally be a final sale but they adjusted my receipt to say "final sale - 1 day return." The sales clerk told me to try them each at home and bring the two shades that I did not want back the following day and they would refund all three shades and then ring up the favorite shade with the Groupon specifically applied to it. I chose the clearance shade and returned the next day to return the other two shades and have my Groupon applied. When I returned and asked that the Groupon be applied, I was told it could not be used towards clearance items, which was printed on the Groupon; however, it would have been nice if the sales person the day before had addressed the issue since I specifically told her I would be using it. The owner was very friendly, although unapologetic for the inconvenience. I asked for an additional day to bring the clearance shade back since my whole point of shopping at that store was to use my Groupon. He said I could bring it back the next day. The following day, my husband took the shade back and was greeted by the original saleslady. She refused to take the lampshade back and said their policy was that all sale purchases were final. Which of course does not make sense since she herself recommended that I take all three shades home and try them out and also printed "final sale - 1 day return" on my receipt. She replied in a snide way, "One lamp shade is not worth my job." It's a pity. All she had to say was that she was so sorry, take back our shade, thereby honoring the receipt, and then offer to help us select a new one that would work with our Groupon. Instead, she to me was the epitome of poor customer service, providing inconsistent service and then belittling us with rudeness underneath an insincere smile. read more

We were visiting my mother who lives in a senior care facility in the Cincinnati area. She has a lamp that is quite old and quite important to her, and she has always had it with her wherever she has lived. We discovered that the lamp was not working and needed to be rewired. We discovered this the day before we were set to leave the Cincinnati area and fly home. The desk clerk at our hotel referred us to A Shade Better, and we telephone the store. They said they would repair the lamp for us overnight and have it ready the next morning so we could pick it up before we left. We brought in the lamp, spoke to the man who said he could repair the lamp, and went back to our hotel. The next morning, the lamp was fully repaired as promised.and it looked fantastic. My mother was so happy to have her lamp back and working. This store is wonderful. The people are friendly and helpful, going out of their way to do this job for us. The store itself is lovely and full of beautiful lamps as well as all the accessories needed for lamps. We were so impressed with the caring and competent service we received. read more

This store has overpriced lampshades and the owner has a "know it all" attitude and is not very helpful.

Tom was great. I had six lamps that needed new shades and Tom made the process easy. Bring your lamps to the store and they make choosing a shade fun. I am restoring some antique lamps and Tom took the time to give me some expert advice and had all the parts I needed. You may find something online a little cheaper, but you just can't pick a shade without the lamp. I would have been guessing at what kind of shade to choose and honestly the shades we left with were nothing like what I had in mind. I am glad I stopped in the 'A Shade Better'. read more

I have been a customer of A Shade Better for many years. Tom Driskell- the owner- has rebuilt/rewired numerous lamps for me. Tom has also been helpful in selecting the right shades and finials for many other lamps I have taken in over time. I recently decided to have 2 Chinese porcelain lion statues made into lamps. I took the statues to the store and met with Tom to discuss the various options. He was very patient in helping me to decide what size, color and type of wood bases would be appropriate. He also took the time to draw a few sketches to give me a better idea of what the lamps might look like. When the lamps were done Tom and Sandy worked with me to pick out what type of shade would look the best too. These statues- now turned into lamps- are really unique- and have definitely exceeded my expectations. Tom's commitment to the work he does speaks for itself. The store also has a large inventory of hard to find custom shades and beautiful lamps as well. It's worth checking out A Shade Better for all of your lighting needs. read more

Great customer service, very large selection. I was very impressed with their knowledge, I had 2 mid century modern lamps and the assistant knew exactly what would work with my lamps to make them pop. I would recommend going to this store. read more

I had looked everywhere for a threaded Uno lampshade for my antique pole lamp to no avail. I was very pleased that this store not only has them, but has a nice assortment as well. So glad the long search is done. Will definitely go back when I need a truly unique "standard" lampshade. read more

My husband and I went to try and find a replacement shade for a floor lamp. The salesman was arrogant and not friendly at all. I would never return here nor recommend the place. I would rather do without a shade. read more

The store is welcoming, it has many great selections and it has a very knowledgeable staff. I recently brought 2 vintage porcelain lamps in to be rewired with a new harp assembly installed. Excellent workmanship! Also purchased the proper size, shape, and color shade for each lamp toped off with a perfect finial for each. It was a very positive experience. read more