A Customers PErspective of Some Pet Peeves

[David Flores]

@Dan S if I ever find myself on vacation in Chicago, at least I know when i get out, I'm not far from Hot Doug's.

[Dan S]

@Dan S if I ever find myself on vacation in Chicago, at least I know when i get out, I'm not far from Hot Doug's.

There ya go...a little too tony for me, but I hear tell it's good. Personally, I'd stick with Manny's-best bang for the buck in the Chi.

[David Flores]

There ya go...a little too tony for me, but I hear tell it's good. Personally, I'd stick with Manny's-best bang for the buck in the Chi.

Yeah Manny's is great, love that place. The only thing is I got the Hot Doug's logo tattooed on me so I can get free hot dogs for life, so it's a shame not to cash that in the couple times a year I am in town.

[JeffK]

Hot Doug's is cool and fun. I mean most natives don't go all that often because the hours and lines and prices (unless they're yuppies and hipsters with the cash and time.)

For regular, classic dogs, nothing fancy, there's a ton of hole-in-the-wall grease pits I love.

[Dan S]

Yeah Manny's is great, love that place. The only thing is I got the Hot Doug's logo tattooed on me so I can get free hot dogs for life, so it's a shame not to cash that in the couple times a year I am in town.

Oh hell yes! Free grub, how can you refuse!!!

[David Flores]

Franks 'n Dawgs - home I wanted to try this place the last couple times I have been, If I recall it's near the Lincoln Park Area of town. They have a scallop dog, with shark bacon. But for the most part I usually just like to hit the whole in the wall joints all over town. I found a good Colombian Place and a great Lebanese Place last time I visited.

[Dan S]

I got a regular circuit, depending on what I feel like, but mostly I stcik with either Manny's or pho, or if I wanna get radical, I'll go down to Taylor Street for Guinea.

[KYboy]

But that just adds to the reason I hate phone calls

I hate e-mails (and probably typing in a forum haha) I always feel like an asshole or something, I'm pretty sarcastic in real life and typically cuss like a sailor (my moms fault) and when I type something I always feel like a tool.. idk why. but anyway I just got tattooed at CTC and the dude on the phone was super helpful and when I e-mailed Nick about the tattoo he was super cool and helpful. When I got tattooed there my wife, her sister, and my good friend were with me (sightseeing Chi town) they wanted to come in and see the place and were going to grab a beer while I was getting tattooed. Without even asking him Nick right away said "bring your wife back we can get her a chair" They had left for the bar already but I thought was cool and nobody seemed to give a shit about it, even on a super busy Saturday.

[JeffK]

I am always cool to stop in or call BUT I need to know when the artist I wanna talk to is there if I'm looking to set something up with someone specific. THAT'S when email is super helpful. I'll email and see if they're free in the time frame I'm looking and when I can find them at the shop so I can roll in. After I know I don't mind. I don't want to be a pest/stalker though and just call and miss and call and miss and come in and they're in the middle of a job etc.

I have a weird schedule though w/work and school so it's not like I'm just gonna luck out and run into the artist. So email's my friend for setting up even a quick consult.

[fuckhead]

When I walk into a shop and someone behind the counter asks, "can I help you?" "I want to get tattooed." What the fuck kind of dumb question is that?

[smiling.politely]

When I walk into a shop and someone behind the counter asks, "can I help you?" "I want to get tattooed." What the fuck kind of dumb question is that?

someone could be coming in to just get an estimate, actually get tattooed, see about an appointment, take walk in time, buy a t-shirt, (depending on the shop) get a piercing, or in some cases be asking for directions or to use a bathroom. they may even be trying to sell you a product of some kind (some guy came in where i work selling some next level Windex stuff recently). plus, some variant on "can i help you?" is about the best way to start off a customer service conversation, which is what the counter person's job boils down to.

i'd much rather have that than be ignored or treated poorly, which has happened at shops i've gone into.

[Lori Todd]

(some guy came in where i work selling some next level Windex stuff recently).

Was it the Best Salesman Ever?

http://youtu.be/14LpxQWDlAg

[Brock Varty]

Was it the Best Salesman Ever?

http://youtu.be/14LpxQWDlAg

I would buy anything he is selling. It could be a turd covered in burnt hair and I would buy it.

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When I walk into a shop and someone behind the counter asks, "can I help you?" "I want to get tattooed." What the fuck kind of dumb question is that?

What would you prefer they say?

[gougetheeyes]

When I walk into a shop and someone behind the counter asks, "can I help you?" "I want to get tattooed." What the fuck kind of dumb question is that?

Yeah I hate helpful people, too..

[donbcivil]

Most people get it bring your kids in set up an appointment and leave them at home for the tattoo or maybe bring them and let them watch for a little bit if they want and have other parent take em out for ice cream before they start to get bored. I bring my son to the tattoo shop at least once a week, but not on the days I am trying to get work done, it would be too hard to concentrate.

Needless to say we don't have one of those signs in the shop, but i get why people do.

I was wondering about the parameters for this.

My daughter asked if she could come when I get a Firefly tattoo started and watch part of it. But she's nearly 19 and is thinking about getting one herself some day. She is also interesting in drawing graphic novels and is curious what the tattoo art process is like...

[jitterbug]

Where I go they don't allow anyone but the customer into the actual studio area. I'm happy with that because I don't want a bunch of strangers watching me get tattooed.

I will admit that I watch my artist preparing and stuff though. Not because I aspire to be a tattoo artist but because I'm an operating room nurse. I want to make sure they use sterile technique because I'm so careful about it myself at work and its kind of ingrained.

[David Flores]

I was wondering about the parameters for this.

My daughter asked if she could come when I get a Firefly tattoo started and watch part of it. But she's nearly 19 and is thinking about getting one herself some day. She is also interesting in drawing graphic novels and is curious what the tattoo art process is like...

I usually think of kids as children below high school age. I usually say is it safe to bring one extra person along with you, but leave the entourage at home, but again there are times when Mom and Dad and Uncle, and Grandma, all stroll in with someone on their 18th birthday video camera in tow, and we don't kick them out, we just make fun of them later after they leave.

[MGblues]

@David Flores Awesome!!!

[donbcivil]

I usually think of kids as children below high school age. I usually say is it safe to bring one extra person along with you, but leave the entourage at home, but again there are times when Mom and Dad and Uncle, and Grandma, all stroll in with someone on their 18th birthday video camera in tow, and we don't kick them out, we just make fun of them later after they leave.

Great info, than you David.

[Eskimette]

When a shop has a sign that says "No Kids" it's because people don't use common sense on when to bring kids to a tattoo shop. If your kid is old enough to get what is going on and behave themselves i don't think most people would have a problem. That sign is not for them. It's for the people who bring their two year olds with them to get tattooed and they scream for an hour because there is nothing for them to do in a tattoo shop and I won't let them use the artists portfolio as a coloring book, then I spend the next three hours trying make the place not smell like piss and cheetos. That would be too wordy.

Most people get it bring your kids in set up an appointment and leave them at home for the tattoo or maybe bring them and let them watch for a little bit if they want and have other parent take em out for ice cream before they start to get bored. I bring my son to the tattoo shop at least once a week, but not on the days I am trying to get work done, it would be too hard to concentrate.

Needless to say we don't have one of those signs in the shop, but i get why people do.

We often have people come with toddlers and infants and expect to just leave them in the waiting area and it is not safe... We can't control what our clients say/ profanity/ the kids could run into someone and cause an endangerment to themselves and to us... so we strongly discourage folks from bringing YOUNG children to a shop.. we are not babysitters.

on the same note however if you have a well behaved child who is old enough to understand what is going on and behave it is no issue whatsoever. We have no sign - we just think of safety first.. strictly safety.

When I am on the client end, my biggest pet peeve is people having huge conversations on my dime then clocking it on the time, or acting like they are god and i am oh-so-fortunate to be getting a tattoo from them.

nomatter what your talent level, you are paying your bills because of your clients, and there has to be some mutual respect.

[KegRN]

Where I go they don't allow anyone but the customer into the actual studio area. I'm happy with that because I don't want a bunch of strangers watching me get tattooed.

I will admit that I watch my artist preparing and stuff though. Not because I aspire to be a tattoo artist but because I'm an operating room nurse. I want to make sure they use sterile technique because I'm so careful about it myself at work and its kind of ingrained.

YES! I am a nurse too and thought the very same thing about the pet peeve of people watching you set up. You are putting that needle under MY skin and could potentially infect me with who knows what. Sorry if I can't give a stranger the benefit of the doubt when it comes to my health.

[KegRN]

If I'm not mistaken, as a tattooer, you're supposed to open everything, needles, tube bags and disposable tubes, all in front of the client... In NYC, it's one of the things they stress at the board of Health, when getting you're tattoo license.

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I didn't know that, but it makes sense. And I guess the guy who didn't like people following him around during set up did say they were following him to the copier... That's a bit excessive

[David Flores]

If I'm not mistaken, as a tattooer, you're supposed to open everything, needles, tube bags and disposable tubes, all in front of the client... In NYC, it's one of the things they stress at the board of Health, when getting you're tattoo license.

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I hate those guys that show up 8 deep.

Usually, we let only one person, in the back while the tattoo is being done. Either the rest get restless and leave, look at the books or just fucking lounge around the front like they own the place. Rarely, do we get one out of the group that decides that he/she wants to get something cool put on them, while they wait.

I honestly don't get it.

I'm 38 years old. I started getting tattoed when I was 21. I went with one other guy, to Mackenzie's Custom Tattoo in Lake Carmel, because he was getting tattooed too. It was almost like a right of passage.

Now, it's a TV show.

I also don't like when people walk in the shop and shove their cell phone in my face, asking how much? I usually try to steer them in a better direction, but they usually want the same shit everyone else has (I don't think I need to explain).

I'm not new to getting tattooed, but I am new to being a tattooer, so I really can't complain too much about lame people, because I haven't been doing it too long. I'm not sure if this has been covered else where, but the mystique and magic is gone. It's been gone for some time I guess. I kind of miss when people were a little apprehensive about walking into a shop. I know I was.

I got my first tattoo in 1999, lived behind a tattoo shop in a basement apartment. You used to walk in there and you had to wait in line, you didn't come back a month later to get a consult, and you couldn't even book an appointment, you waited till your name was called in a sea of people and if you didn't pick something off the wall, it better be something the tattooer wanted to do, or the tattooer would move on to the next person and you waited for nothing.

I feel like my version of "tattooing" is different than is portrayed on tv or even some degree on this site at times, although there is a lot of good on here and I enjoy the discussion and the people here. We don't just get to see the cool parts and get the gratification of a new tattoo. Hanging out all day waiting for someone to walk in the door that isn't going to waste your time and possibly spend money. Knowing that 99% of tattooers are just trying to make a living and deal with whatever walks in the door that day and don't have a tv show or a year long wait list.

[Delicious]

Idk, I've always been allowed to bring one friend with me back there for every tattoo I've ever gotten. I dont come rolling deep, but I think one friend is totally acceptable. I've also been the one friend for others.

Not saying it should be the general rule, considering that some shops are really small, and others have too many artists trying to work for someone to come join you. It was a nice allowance on their part

It was nice though. I'd never roll through hella deep. Why do hella people need to come see you get a tattoo?

[cltattooing]

Was it the Best Salesman Ever?

http://youtu.be/14LpxQWDlAg

whoa!!! I've met a different dude selling the same thing with the same pitch, that's nuts!!!