Guest Blog: Tattoo Coupons – Bad For Business

Posted by Guest Blogger on January 26th, 2012

Editor’s Note: We have another guest blog today from Shawn Hebrank (Tattoo Coupons – No Big Deal) to explore the other side of things. I encourage you to read both posts before firing off  in the comments.

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First, a bit of background: Last month Tattoo Snob reposted an ad for a tattoo shop/artist. He was advertising a coupon for a two hour tattoo session for $99 – a great bargain… according to him.

Now, I know that times have been a bit tight for everyone out there and tattooing seems to have screamed into the mainstream of life, but Hell, a freaking coupon?! What have we come to?!?! Are we going to start giving “point incentives” to clients?

Where I come from that’s an understanding between tattooer and client. It’s usually unspoken and understood – not something that needs to be advertised like a sale at Wal*mart.

Tattoo Snob asked me to write this while I was in Miami promoting Nichole East’s “Quick & Painful” art show. The same show that we were doing $40 flash tattoos. The idea of cheap promotional tattoos has always been around and seemed to have its place. You’ve got the Friday the 13th special, Halloween, grand openings, and such. It saddens me a bit that because there are so many shops today, and so many tattooists taking part in all of these speciality events, that clients only want to get tattooed at these events now. It also seems so many tattooists today are so desperate to get folks in the chair that they’re literally bringing the rest of us down. I have many friends the world over who suffer from some shit heel scratcher shop up the road doing cheap ass tattoos just to get the business, or worse- tattoos in trade.

Bring the douche a case of beer, and he’ll sleeve ya, or some such shit. We’ve all heard the stories.

But I digress. Where is all this cut throat BS getting us as a business? Nowhere, thats where. It’s my belief that the client is being taught that not only is it possible to get a cheap tattoo, but that it should be common practice for a client to price shop, and not artist shop. And like I’ve said many time in the past with the problems and issues in our trade, “It’s our own friggin fault”.

Too many young tattooers, too many bullshit tattoo shops, too many individuals brought into this trade with no one there to tell them, “NO, you don’t do that!” It’ll just hurt all of us in the future. I’m very passionate about this, and many other issues in our trade, mainly because while I may not get hurt by some of this BS I have many talented friends whose businesses are suffering greatly from the ignorance of all of us.

I know that everyone wants too work and make a buck. I realize that this is just one, of many issues amongst us as a trade. But F%#K there is really just so much information out there on the web to inform these knuckle heads of the rights and wrongs of how to do business. Even when common sense seems to falter, just turn on your freaking computer!

Hell this is just my opinion, I’m certain you all have your own…

 

–Guest blog by Joe Capobianco

**** We’re looking for quality guest blogs from tattooers & enthusiasts–shoot us an email.

Other posts on TattooSnob you may enjoy:

  1. Guest Blog: Tattoo Coupons – No Big Deal

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This entry was posted on Thursday, January 26th, 2012 at 2:00 pm and is filed under Guest Blog, Opinion. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

  • jesa

    No truer today than before, like you said there are just more shops today. There are exasperatingly long ‘wait lists’ for the most talented (& well known) artists.

  • Adam Kamphaus

    Wait lists that are totally worth it. I’d definitely rather make an appointment for a great tattoo a year in advance, then get a tattoo done right now that I’d regret.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/GiantJapanese-MonsterBad/100002325734929 GiantJapanese MonsterBad

    If only it were a year in some cases, or some artists who have gotten too big to even issue form letters in response to inquires.  I understand some people have beyond enough clients, but it doesn’t help to turn off potential cash in your future by being rude or just horrible at running a business, which lets face it, big name tattooing is.

  • http://tattoosnob.com Julene

    I think you’re not taking into account that unlike a business, a tattooer is a person. And I can think f a handful that are in a position to have an assistant – but beyond that, not every tattoo is one they want to do–or have time for, or you love close enough to have worked on semi-regularly, or is something they thing their stylistic approach is best suited to. It’s the luxury/burden of being in high demand, I think.
    * Sent from my iPhone

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/GiantJapanese-MonsterBad/100002325734929 GiantJapanese MonsterBad

    I was actually thinking of a few I’ve had contact with with their assistants.  I understand that they are a person, but when you get to some of the huge names, they have become a business and/or a brand.  Especially when you are dealing with 250+ an hour artists.

  • http://www.kristynmichelebat.com Kristyn Bat

    What are we, tradition Nazis? Everyone has to do the same thing the same way forever until the end of time? I think that some tattooers sometimes forget that what we do IS a business, and that the bottom line is professionalism and what’s appropriate for your clients, in your city and your little nook of the industry. 

    Lay off the young people! For every “young person” acting like an inexperienced asshole, I’ve seen just as many old timers in street shops that have been there forever doing shady business and crappy biker tattoos. It’s not about age or experience if you never bother to learn basic work ethic, customer service and yes, a little bit of marketing strategy, because you think you’re above it.