4/5/2012 The only reason that I am giving 2 stars is because the gentleman on the phone on Wed night was so nice. Thursday,I go into the store to pick up the 34 frames that I am purchasing.The employee behind the counter was on a business call and never even acknowledged me.Then the employee upstairs decides to mosey on down see if perhaps I need help,duh. Woman gets off phone and still doesn't acknowledge me.Really?? CUSTOMER SERVICE IS HORRIBLE AND I WONT GO BACK AND THEY HAVE THE NERVE TO HAVE A YELP SIGN ON THE COUNTER,HAHAHHAHAHAHHAHA I am resubmitting this post.People need to know read more

I have always found this place useful. They will make me a plastic coffin when i die out of 1/2 clear plex so i can see out and you can see in what fun! read more

Tap's annoying radio jingle had buried itself in my brain like a long-dormant alien fighting machine burrowed deep in the earth to sleep for centuries and then rear up and kill us all at an opportune moment. "Tap! Tap Plastics! The fantastic plastic place!" So when I finally needed some specialized plastic, in this case a piece of foamcore suitable for mounting an oversize antique travel poster without selling my left kidney to pay for it, I naturally followed the instructions of this earworm and tootled over to Tap to see what they had. One rack of foamcore, all the same size, not nearly big enough. Yes, you can order all manner of other plastic goods, like inserts for light fixtures, plastic lettering, sheets of plexi in every color of the rainbow, tubing, plastic boxes to store crap, etc. But Tap, when I really needed you, you let me down. Just like the aliens who succumbed to germs, it was a little thing that brung you down. read more

Diego, the Assistant Manager, is awesome and superb customer service! Highly recommend this store as a result of their impeccable customer service and experience. I bought a clear plastic sheet at Home Depot but they didn't have the size we needed ( 24x24"). The customer service person at Home Depot who helped me told me to by the 48x54" He said they could not cut it but it was simple, to cut it with a tool they sold as well. Well that tool Was awful and we followed the instructions to perfection, even watching YouTube videos. No such luck and almost damaged the piece which was $65 and the tool another $7. Frustrated by our experience, my husband decided to go to TAP plastics thinking he'd have to buy a new piece and they could help. He bought along the piece we bought at Home Desperate Just in case TAP could cut it. Diego was super helpful. He said he could cut it to the size we needed for a few bucks. Well he not only cut in within like two minutes, he also didn't charge us! Fantastic customer service and experience. Next time we need anything plastic, we will visit Diego and TAP!! Not the chain rip-off stores who sell you things that don't work unless your a Licensed contractor! Thank you Diego and TAP Plastics! We will be back!!!! I read more

I'm behind the 8ball on a project. Go to TAP plastics on Friday morning. Give them the project and it's complications (demands). At first they were a bit apprehensive due to the specificity of my item. We talked a bit and they said they'd do their best. Didn't expect to see the finished item until Monday or Tuesday. Well, Saturday at 4:00pm they call and told me my project was completed! I arrived shortly before 5:00pm and was greeted warmly. My project was done. Job completed EARLY and UNDER the quoted price. Brian (Trainee) and John the fabricator did a great job. The store manager was there overseeing the project. I must give compliments where they are due and they really exceeded my expectations. They even talked me into taking the left over parts and directing me to their website to create some of my own stuff. Again, Great Job. read more

I have been going here many years and the last time, about a week ago, I was blown away by the customer service. I needed to get a piece of plastic to fit over a corner cupboard top so I could set things on it. I brought in the one shelf and tried to explain that I needed it 3 inches more on just 3 of the sides. Vicky, took my piece of wood, sketched a pattern then gave me a price. Which was about $60.00. (lots of angles) She must have seen the look on my face, so she said she could sell me thinner plastic and I could cut it myself....for $6.00 (which I did, and it turned out fantastic!) This is the difference between a good store and a great store. read more

TAP Plastics employees totally understand safe shopping during the Pandemic. I went to the front door, read the sign, only 1 customer is permitted at a time, an employee will come to front door to let me in when appropriate. Not one, but two employees acknowledged my arrival and told me it would just be a few minutes (which it was). When one returned to allow my entrance I showed them a picture of what I had in mind , they found it for me, opened the door, asked me if I would like some hand sanitizer (sure!) , I took a quick look at what they selected, it was correct, I paid and was out in about 5 minutes. Love them! read more

Thanks to Becky, I was in and out with beautiful work and education. Thank you Becky.. great customer service and very professional

Website says "Visit your local TAP Plastics store where cut-to-size orders often take less than five minutes, start to finish." ... so I waste 30 minutes to go there and the friendly person at the counter says that customer orders take about THREE WEEKS to finish. What a waste of time! read more

Diego was very helpful and gave me a nice bonus on my purchase! He definitely made the experience well and I'm sure to come back! Good luck Diego. read more

I've been here twice in the past 3 weeks and both times have had fantastic service. Bummer for the other folks that haven't experienced what some of us have so far. Prices are great and I discovered that the expensive stuff you find at OD or Stpls is MUCH more affordable here (business card holders, displays, etc). Great find for me and my practice! Anything I needed cut to order was done immediately and quickly. No complaints here! read more

Thank you all so much for the help in getting the samples I needed. Double thank you to Grace for her exceptional help in pointing out not only what I needed, but options I didn't even consider. Thank you again! read more

I needed a plastic piece to go over a vanity and after having looked online and decided I didn't want to pay over $50 for shipping I was happy to find TAP Plastics here in San Mateo who gave me exactly what I needed. They have tons of options which sometimes is not the greatest thing for me because it took me a little while to decide what exactly I wanted, but once I did, I gave them the measurements and they had it ready within 3 hours. I took 1 star off for friendliness of the counter person but they were definitely efficient at what they do. read more

This was our first visit to TAP Plastics. We needed a last-minute, customized, award-type stand for a small telescope, and they did an amazing job with the design, construction, and polishing. Then when we couldn't find an engraver to put Hindi on the attached plaque, we went back to TAP and they digitized it and dyed everything onto the plaque in about three hours. The plaque looked great! Originally, I was expecting the plaque to be engraved, but they suggested dying the message to save time and money That method wound up being a better choice aesthetically, because it looked more modern than traditional engraving. Thank you!!! read more

Always a great place to come for creative plastic solutions. Today I just needed a simple piece of clear plexi cut to a certain size, and it was done in minutes. read more

As always, they had a great selection, both of regular stock and remnants when I visited today. But what really stood out was how super helpful staff was, somehow managing to be friendly and eager to help while also paying meticulous attention to virus precautions. They get an enthusiastic 5-stars from me! read more

My Dad used to go to this store when I was young. Last week I went to TAP Plastics because I needed a case for the bottom of my Kookoo Clock. They were able to make me a custom plastic box that went around the weights of the Kookoo clock, thereby protecting it from small children that visit my home. Everyone was really helpful, from getting my custom order down on paper to producing exactly what I had envisioned. It was ready for pick-up on schedule! Thank you TAP Plastics my new Kookoo clock protector works great and I can't wait for my little visitors to come over to see it!!! read more

TAP Plastics - Kookoo Clock weight protector. Custom made by TAP Plastics! - Hobby Shops Near Me - San Mateo, California

I been coming here for a while and always Got basic service, but this time I had an exceptional service from Becky. She was nice, organized, and very detailed oriented. She went aboce and beyond to help me. I am definitely coming back specially after the treatment I got from Becky. Thank you so much for having great, nice and very professional employees like her. read more

So I originally wanted to rate this place higher because while I was in the store everyone was very nice to me and very helpful. But then I got home with my purchase. I had two posters I wanted to build frames for. The first was a huge 54"x38" monstrosity and the other a more manageable 25"x24". Basically I'd sandwich both between two pieces of 1/16" acrylic and use endcaps to frame them. Seems easy enough, right? The smaller poster had text on the edges so I needed the acrylic to be 3/4" longer on all sides. The sheets were cut fine but two of the four endcaps were cut to the wrong size and I didn't notice it until I got home and tried to set my frame up. The large poster's end caps were cut to the correct size. Sort of. Either the tolerances of their equipment must not be very good, or they measured wrong, or they just made poor cuts, but two of the four endcaps were too short by just under 1/4". If you have a huge poster like I had and you want to get a cheap plastic frame (a wooden one was quoted to me at $500. I think I payed $100 for the plastic) here's my advice: Get two pieces of acrylic sheets, both slightly bigger than the poster. One of them should be black (or whatever color you want the "frame to be." Use double sided tape to stick the poster to the black sheet and use some kind of double sided adhesive to stick the clear acrylic to the black acrylic where the "frame" is (since both pieces are bigger than the poster). Voila, you have a black border around your poster. It won't have much depth, but you weren't gonna get much depth with the plastic frame anyhow. If you want you can try your luck with the endcaps, but just make sure that you are aware of the tolerance limitations of their equipment, and double check to make sure that it all fits snugly. Four or five stars for the customer service, 2.5 or three stars for the product. read more

Horrible customer service!!! I called and Don answered the phone. I only asked for a quote for a simple piece of plastic... Instead all I got was attitude, BAD ATTITUDE!! Stay away!!' read more

Wow. I figured based on their little radio jingles that I could have any plastic need met. Not only was the lady behind the counter incredibly rude and unwelcoming, she looked at me like I had horns coming out of my head when I asked if they could mold plastic into a semi-circle. Not being a handyman, I just assumed this was a basic request. She said the only tools they have in the store are routers and jigsaws. Geez. For a "fantastic plastic place" I would really think they could do more than cut a straight line. I was delighted to leave and take my business elsewhere. Likewise, the fumes emitted from that place cannot be good for anyone looking to avoid cancer in this lifetime. Steer clear!! read more

I've been working with TAP for 12+ years. They have always gone the extra mile to help me out. From odd shaped plexi to business card holders, to custom counter covers, and plastic enclosures. On top of that they have just about everything you will need for your kids science fair project. Awesome materials from plastic rod, to sheets, to rubber tubes, etc. Everything you just can't find at Michael's art supply. :) The service has always been good if you treat them with respect. They are busy. They work hard. But they take their time with each customer. You can't expect them to just drop everything and spend an hour cutting out your plast piece. Call ahead, send them your drawing (even if it is hand drawing) and they will have it ready for you. I usually come by, talk about what I need, pick out the material, then come back later that day or the next and pick up. Don't listen to a lot of the complainers on Yelp. Its not Starbucks people. Its an industrial business that can solve a heck of a lot of your problems if you give them the time and respect. read more

I do a fair bit of marine fiberglass work. As in, I build wood core sailboat rudders and cover them with fiberglass and epoxy for both strength and water resistance. I've found that TAP resin and catalyst are very easy to work with and not "picky" about the exact ratios. I eyeball the ratios and have never had an issue with things not setting up within the usual time, and getting good results in 12-24 hours. As with all epoxies, if the weather is really cold, then more time is needed. read more

I broke an antler off of a delicate reindeer display made of acrylic and needless to say an irreplaceable item. I tried all different types of glue from home depot and Amazon but none worked. Finally, I thought of TAP Plastics and went in with my broken reindeer and met Diego at the counter. I showed him my broken reindeer and he immediately knew what glue would work. Diego was nice enough to glue it and held it together until the antler stayed in place. Now that is what I call great customer service. I will remember this place and will recommend my friends there going forward, all because of the help I got from this customer rep. Thank you Diego, you really saved the day! read more

Very disappointed in the service. I need a plastic cover made for an kitchen island. After reading the reviews I thought they may be able to complete the cover in a few business days. The answer was "No way." read more

Had need for custom made cases and stands. Super helpful staff, provided all the instructions needed and the custom cut was made quickly with good quality. Highly recommend this place for custom plastic needs. read more

Super nice staff totally saved the day this weekend just two hours before we were having 20 friends over for dinner.

I never knew this place existed until I went there with a coworker. The have all sorts of cool containers, and stuff that I dont even know what its for, but it looks cool! They do custom work too! I purchased a bunch of POS displays and business card holders. read more

Years ago I went to this place and had the worst experience. The woman who waited on me was rude and unhelpful. After that, I wrote the worst review I could. I Hadn't been back until yesterday and that was because it was the only place that had what I needed. WELL, what a difference!!!!! Two ladies helped me out with my little project, they were fun and happy, they knew their business. The price was way better than I expected and I will go back there in a second. They have a lot of fun things there. Glad I sucked it up and went. GREAT service!! read more

Great place for picking up plastics for hobby or home needs. They had a great (and dirt cheap) scrap bin for a middle school project, as well as all sorts of materials for higher-end projects: both plastics and the adhesives and tools to work with them. read more

Technical/crafts personnel have limited skills and are limited to cutting straight and circle cuts. If you bring in a piece of Plexiglass to use as a template from previous work that they have done before, they claim it cannot be reproduced. Could not offer alternate shops or other Tap Plastic outlets who may provide the requested service. Went to the SF Tap Plastic store on South Van Ness, friendly staff provided usefull technical support and job was done in 2 hours. Too bad, I used to like the San Mateo outlet place. read more

Diego was extremely helpful and knowledgeable about the products. I got all my questions answered for the right product I need.

Vickie is seriously the best!!! I work for a contractor, and we needed a part that Tap Plastics is a vendor for... Vickie was always available for my phone calls, if not, she called me back promptly. She went above and beyond to ensure that our material was delivered to specifications and on time... even calling the supplier back twice to confirm delivery date (I was a little panicky) .. so all in all for me, it was a great experience and I was very appreciative of Vickie and her awesomeness!! Thanks again. read more

This TAP Plastics did a fine job of satisfying my plastics needs. I needed to have a relatively thick piece of polycarbonate bent for a project. I went in with drawings, and Vickie gave me prompt, courteous service at the sales desk. She wrote me a quote, I approved it, and I was told it would be ready in about a day and a half. Unfortunately, there was a bit of a mix-up (the finished dimensions were a little off), so I had to make an extra trip there, but in the end my piece of polycarb was bent to my specifications. Great result and good people, but minus a star for the mix-up. read more

I went in because I bought new wood furniture I wanted to protect. Six peaces total, AMAZING they are just perfect. I was treated with great customer service, and pieces were finished as promised. I would recommend this place! read more

Fantastic, speedy service! Not only does this place have so many products that are useful for professional and home needs (travel size toiletry bottles, picture frames, and containers of all sizes for all needs), the people on staff are wonderful. I went in to buy an anti-glare piece of plexiglass to replace the glass that had broken in a picture frame. They took the measurement, showed me samples, and cut the plexiglass to size on-the-spot. I waited maybe two minutes for them to finish. They made sure it fit the picture frame perfectly and explained how to remove the protective film and which side was anti-glare. Bryan was especially kind and helpful, being very gracious and understanding. I was impressed with the staff's efficiency, expertise and kindness. read more

I've called them several times this last week, and their phone is always off. Considering their business model is based around fulfilling orders, this makes absolutely no sense to me. Why in God's name would they keep their phone off? All I get is their annoying voicemail, informing me of store hours, as if I'm calling when the store is closed. Turn on your phone! read more

First i made i phone call for some tips. And person name Chris picked up took his time to break down all the different plastics. So then i go in there and i asked for Him, He stop what he was doing came to the front of the store helped me out on my project and with his help he made it better. Ive been in this store before but, i didn't get the same help that what i got from him. Thanks TAP plastic for hiring a person like Chris, because of him i got a good grade on my school project read more

I must say that the Tap Plastics store in San Mateo has a step up in my book! In the past when I have used them I wasn't very impressed with their customer service! The material was always good, but just some of their attitudes didn't set well with me. But today I have a changed opinion, working with a guy named Chris, he was a as helpful as could be and directed me perfectly with all his expertise and I was impressed. Thanks Chris for your help today read more

I needed a couple of frosted plastic panels for a skylight. Went to a big box home improvement and the salesman had a hard time finding the skimpy supply of plastic they had in stock. Who knows how I would cut it? Then tried Tap Plastics in San Mateo. They had lots to select from. Even gave me free samples to take home so I could see what pattern looked best. For about the same price as the big box I got two panels that look great and fit perfectly. Fairly simple job but I'm very happy with it. read more