artists girlfriend working at shop

[Twiz]

Hey, I was just at a shop just looking. The studio was not a bad studio at all and the tattoos that I saw from the portfolios looked well done. But I guess the shop manager and counter girl was the owners girlfriend. And did not know a single thing about tattoos it seemed like. I asked her really simple questions and all of her answers were I dont know. I was about to buy some jewerly(plugs) from the shop and she tried to sell me a smaller size, and I was the one who spotted it out. She had no tattoos and really did not seem into tattoos at all. Just seemed like the shop owner wanted his girlfriend around or just gave her a job when the job could of gone to a person who knows at least a little something about tattoos and all that. I dont know maybe im just bickering. I of course didnt say anything to anyone in the shop because its really not my place. But the shops girlfriend there "working" really put a bad taste in my mouth for some reason. Am I wrong to think this? what are your views on this?

[Dan S]

Hey, I was just at a shop just looking. The studio was not a bad studio at all and the tattoos that I saw from the portfolios looked well done. But I guess the shop manager and counter girl was the owners girlfriend. And did not know a single thing about tattoos it seemed like. I asked her really simple questions and all of her answers were I dont know. I was about to buy some jewerly(plugs) from the shop and she tried to sell me a smaller size, and I was the one who spotted it out. She had no tattoos and really did not seem into tattoos at all. Just seemed like the shop owner wanted his girlfriend around or just gave her a job when the job could of gone to a person who knows at least a little something about tattoos and all that. I dont know maybe im just bickering. I of course didnt say anything to anyone in the shop because its really not my place. But the shops girlfriend there "working" really put a bad taste in my mouth for some reason. Am I wrong to think this? what are your views on this?

If a shop-owner wants their squeeze to work there, and they aren't "into" the whole culture, then let 'em answer the phone, or run for coffee, or just sit and look pretty in the lobby and schmooze people. If they can't talk intelligently about the bidness, they're a liablility.

.02

[irezumi]

I've worked at places where it was best that the shop help didnt get involved in what the customer wants/what the artist will be doing and at places where the shop help did get involved and made it more convoluted. It could go either way.

Most of the time I dont want the counter to tell a client what can or cant be done, what something will cost, etc. Leave that up to me. Girlfriend or whatever it's mostly a receptionist's job. Greet people warmly, answer phones, sign them up, tell them an artist will be with them shortly and ring up what I tell them to ring up. One of the best counter help I've worked with is a dude that works the front at Bolder Ink. He's been doing that job for over 5 years and does exactly those things (also gets tipped out more if we ask him to scrub tubes).

The way I see it they get paid by the hour to sit there and do those things. If I want coffee I can walk down the street and get it myself. We aren't rock stars.