Ignorance and Arrogance are NOT the norm!

When we get a tattoo it is something that will be on our bodies for life.  Every time you see it, a wide range of memories are triggered.  Most people will remember why they got it, where they got it, who did it and whether it was a positive experience or not.  The staff of the shop you choose will ultimately control whether you have positive or negative memories when you look at your tattoo and reminisce.  There are several negative personality traits that are commonly attributed to tattoo artists and shop staff  in general, that are accepted as the norm.

You pull up to the tattoo shop and walk through the door.  The way you are greeted may be the first indication of whether you have made a good choice or not.  Do you get a friendly hello, be right with you, a nod or just get ignored for a few minutes?  It is important to be verbally acknowledged when you walk in the door.  Whether the staff is tattooing, piercing, assisting other customers or just sitting around, there is no excuse not to take two seconds of their time to say something and make you feel welcome.  You are just as important as any other person in the building.

It is very common for people to go to several shops to decide where to have their tattoo done.  Most will gladly give you a price estimate and refer you to the artist's portfolio so that you can judge for yourself if the work they do meets your expectations.  Unfortunately there are many who will begin talking trash on other shops and artists in the area as soon as they realize you are looking at other places before making your final decision.  There are also those who will drop the price when the find out you are considering going elsewhere, if this occurs you need to turn around and walk out!  You need to ask yourself why is this person trying to prevent me from looking elsewhere, and do I really want to support someone who feels the need to use negativity as way to gain new customers.

There is a fine line between stating facts and talking trash, and many times it can be difficult to tell the difference between the two.  If the person is stating facts, they will have no problem with you going somewhere else so you can see with your own eyes that what they are telling you is indeed true.  Someone that is just running their mouth and blatantly lying will do everything they can to prevent you from going elsewhere.  Regardless of the reasoning behind what is being said, this should send up a warning signal.

A truly great artist will not have to tell you they are great, as you will already know.  One of the biggest plagues in the world of tattooing is the overwhelming number of egomaniacs.  If you go to a shop and the immediately start telling you how awesome they are, you have to wonder why they need to make themselves feel better than everyone else.  Someone that needs to boost themselves up in this manner is typically trying to draw your attention away from something negative.