Took our daughter in to get her ears pierced. The associate told us to pick from a selection of ear rings for her. 6 days later, one of the came out at some point during the night. We called and explained what happened and they told us to come back right away. We came back and they charged us full price again, now $145 total. Different associate second time around recommended a locking back piercing to keep it in place. WHY was this not recommended this first time?! Very disappointed with their service and management seems to be in disarray. Not much to show for professionalism and making up for their mistakes. Wish they'd take more ownership for their work. Highly unrecommended. read more

I and my boyfriend have used this place for other piercing, While i have my faith in the piercer, there's one downfall.. I called on monday around 2pm give or take 30mins And had Questions about navel piercing... Being am a big girl and feeling less sure about it i had a few questions? Well after getting of the phone with this one girl i felt 'Wow' She didn't or couldn't answer any of my Questions and i didn't have that many! She kept telling me Anyone can get it done? (not true but glad i found out) I did however get it done but elsewhere.... For me the person who answers the phone and greets you is your representative, I felt even more uncertain about it after talking her!! read more

Too many characters to fully explain but my short story is that I received a totally different piercing than I had specifically asked for by saying I wanted a philtrum/medusa and pointing to the area I wanted pierced. The employee I spoke to ended up telling the piercer I wanted a frenulum piercing as they apparently werent familiar with the words philtrum or medusa. I had never heard the term frenulum and figured that must be a synonymous word for a philtrum piercing. Not hip on the lingo. Realized when the needle went through that they didn't at all listen to me or pay attention when I pointed to the area. The piercer was nice and did a good job of piercing but it wasnt the piercing I asked for. I ended up speaking to the owner about this and asked for a refund since I did not get the service I wanted. Short story is he was incredibly rude, condescending, blamed me, talked over me, and refused to take any responsibility. His staff told him I never even mentioned the words philtrum or medusa. He refused to provide a refund and really no customer service whatsoever. It was terrible. Ended up going elsewhere and that shop agreed I should have received a refund or at the very least an apology. I'm super disappointed about my experience here. read more

I got my nose pierced here in 2009 as a walk-in and the guy was nonchalant, but this is the only place that accommodates my need for custom bending of nose rings. (Skin Candy Tatto in Oak Creek refuses to accommodate me.) They were also most helpful in guiding me in belly ring sizes. read more

Easy to make an appointment - they are on time and work very hard. The three ladies working the day I went were all very helpful and courteous. I got my lobes pierced again and cartilage. Sterile instruments were used and I have not had any problems or infections. read more

Disappointed. The place was clean but the sales girl was a bit rude and clearly didn't know what she was talking about. I just needed new jewelry because I had lost mine but when I asked the piercer to custom bend me a nose screw he said no and treated me like a moron. Umm no I just know I need a smaller post. I bought it out of pure necessity and he put it in for me. It obviously didn't fit but he refused to fix it. I got home and bent it myself but come on. Way to not know what you are doing. read more

I went here to get my nose pierced and i think it was one of the cleanest piecing places I've ever been to. The guy that did it was really sweet and pretty funny so it relieved the stress. it was fast and painless and i haven't had any problems with it after almost a year. read more

I got a nose piercing done here about a year ago. It didn't hurt at all when i got it done and it was super fast! It has never got infected or had any pain at all.They gave a information handout for how to take care of your piercing. I'm going back soon to get a belly button piercing! :) read more

I don't usually do this, but they pierced my three month old's ears and one was crooked . It was fixed when a I asked them to. I was recommended one of the best earring neo steel, my total was 110$. I was told that these are backless earrings better for healing and almost impossible to fall off. It hasn't even been a week and one fell off already. I called them and they were very rude to me. They said I must of yanked it real hard in order for it to fall off. And they will not replace the earring... Where am I gonna go to buy one of these special earring? They were so rude that I will not be coming back here . read more

I got my septum pierced here back in 2010 and it was a relatively pleasant and low-pain experience. The piercer knew what he was doing and it was quick. I have sensitive skin and had no problems with the piercing healing. Also, I really liked how clean and sterile everything looked, and felt. That feeling of ease is extremely important to me in a piercing facility. I went back last year to buy some surgical steel tunnels- they were very reasonably priced and they offered to have the piercer put them in for me. Clearly that wasn't necessary since I'd had my ears stretched to that gauge for 4 years but I figured since they were offering, why not? I thought that that was a courteous and professional gesture. I will continue to go back there. read more

I was very nervous before getting my nipple pierced (it took more than a year to work up the nerve to actually get it done) and after a lot of research, I decided to go with Avant Garde. From the start, the staff was super professional and helped ease my anxiety. Jenniffer was my piercer, and she was so sweet that I was a lot less nervous by the time I was actually getting pierced. Although it hurt some, the piercing wasn't nearly as painful as I thought it would be. She is super skilled and made me feel comfortable in a situation ~way~ out of my normal comfort zone. I have gone to other places in milwaukee for less adventurous piercings and this experience was so much better that I would definitely only recommend Avant Garde for any piercing in the milwaukee area! read more

I got a VCH piercing here. I was very nervous and kind of embarrassed. They were very professional, very clean, quick, and the piercing was placed perfectly. The price was better than I expected. I was in and out in about 15 minutes. I chose them because they ONLY do piercings, they aren't a tattoo shop that does piercings on the side. They had a great selection of jewelry, whether you want to pay little or a lot. I personally needed 14kt gold because I'm allergic to other metals, they had the perfect piece for me. Everyone was friendly and helpful, starting with the girl at the front desk, who helped me pick the correct jewelry according to my needs, to the piercer who was very chill, professional, and clearly skilled! I will definitely go back there for any other piercings. read more

I've been here 2x now and each time the piercer was very nice. I like that the shop is clean and neat, I've been to one other place that was kind of a dive and the piercer wasn't pleasant. If it wasn't for the young lady at the front desk this would be a five star review. If I get another piercing I will be going here. read more

I'm giving it 2 stars. One star for being able to accommodate walk-ins, and one for sterile handling of materials. I went in to have a 30 year old nose piercing reopened. I told them I was able to get a stud in most of the way, but the inside had closed. I was told they would reopen it with a gauge, not a re-pierce. So they inserted a long metal pin-type devise, it was not pointy, but blunt on the end. It had to be "forced" thru the closed end of my nostril. Unable to stretch the hole open the piercer pushed it thru at a different angle and literally made a new hole. She then put the jewelry piece in...or tried. She kept twisting it and called the owner over stating she could not get it thru, it was "splitting the tissue"! I believe she meant the end was now embedded in the wall of the nostril instead of emerging out the hole she made. Mind you this was all VERY uncomfortable! The owner (or manager, not sure) looked at my nose, twisted and messed with it for a bit then he took the jewelry out and shoved the long "gauge" needle back in....making another hole! I swear I felt it hit the bone...ouch! Yes, there are now 2 holes and he could not insert the nose piece in either one. They blamed the previous piercer from 30 years ago! They said "that piercer" is who made my nose a mess, that there is scar tissue all over in my nose! I never had one problem previously, ever! I wore a nose piece for 15 years with no problems ever! There is no way the original piercing was bad! At home I tried to place the stud in at the proper angle and I can feel it exactly in the same spot. This is why I believe the 2 holes they made are at bad angles. It is simply unbelievable this was so difficult to get done. I used q-tips to dab the blood on the inside of my nose, that is how I found the 2 holes. When I left I asked if I needed to clean the spot (as I am dabbing blood from my nose), I was told "No, there's nothing you need to do"! Really? It was a very painful episode resulting in nothing but grief! I went there because it was recommended by a friend. She had a great experience. I cannot say the same. read more

Just got my nose pierced here yesterday. Had an excellent experience. Very friendly people from the counter to the piercer. It was my first piercing other then my ears and I mentioned I was a bit nervous but they relaxed me. Very clean and sanitized piercing area, almost like a small doctors office. Piercer was very knowledgeable and friendly. It was a bit more painful then I was ready for but she did a good job of keeping it to a minimum. Answered all of my questions about after care and what to do if it became infected. All in all, I was in and out within 20 minutes! Very happy with my piercing too! Would definitely recommend to friends and family! read more

I just went in today to get a cartilage piercing/a triple piercing on both ear lobes and I couldn't be happier! I didn't make an appointment but I only had to wait about 25 minutes (although we had gotten there earlier in the day). The piercing was a very reasonable price. Brent talked me through the entire process/aftercare and the piercing itself was virtually painless. I'll definitely be back here for future piercings!! read more

Terrible selection. Very little selection/stock. Service was terrible. Naomi (employee) started helping me but every phone call she took versus placing the caller on hold until she finished with me. Then other people walked in and she helped them while I stood waiting for her to finish up my transaction first. Then, the she had issues making copies of everyone's ID's. Mine was done first and instead of moving me along so I could get out right away, she trouble shooted the machine and kept answering calls. HORRIBLE service! I could have been in and out in probably 10 minutes or less but I was there 30 minutes. Would never go back or recommend. The one and only positive I have is the piercer (male) was friendly, fast, and polite. Thank goodness for that! read more

Made getting my nose pierced such a great experience! The blond girl working was super personable. Made me relaxed and everything was super easy and painless! She talked me through it all and helped me pick out jewelry. Gave me some tips and tricks for after care. I would definitely go back!! read more

Had my daughters ears pierced there and one of the earrings fell out about two weeks later. Maybe it was just bad luck, but I think the earring was put in incorrectly. I paid extra to get flat back earrings that, according to the person working the counter, "would stay in forever" and one fell out. It created a huge problem for us as we had to figure out what to do to keep the hole from closing. read more

I went and got my nose pierced the other day.... I got it pierced. Great! Okay, that hurt a bit, but I'm fine. The piercer who happens to be the owner says, "You're not going to like me, the stud I pierced you with does not have a stud on it." So, they had to go and take the one they just put in and take it out. Then replace it with another in the same hole. I was screaming in agony, the entire store heard me. Talk about embarrassment. My other thought was this stud was in the hands of 3 employees and no one noticed? By the way, the customer service there is awful, they're rude and could care less about their jobs. I did, however, like the owner who pierced me attitude. But, he refused to give me any kind of sympathy or discount for that brutal mistake. I would NOT recommend. I don't want that to happen to anyone else ever again. That pain was pure agony. read more

Ok the piercings done here are well done and they show you preventative measures from infection. I will definitely come back for more because everywhere in MKE is sketch, but honestly fuck y'alls attitudes. Why are y'all being sassy when I ask simple questions. All of the workers seem to act like they hate their job. Calm down and stop being rude. read more

DO NOT GET YOUR INFANTS EARS PIERCED HERE! Let me start by saying we spent $150+ on piercing and earrings. We paid extra to get our daughters ears pierced at the same time by two piercers, only for one of the piercers to mess up and one side needing to get pierced again! Then within a month I was back there getting her earring stem adjusted because it kept falling out and we were losing it. Finally after less than two months of having her ears pierced that same earring was lost and we are out $50 and that was on just ONE earring. This earring was defective as we had no issues with the other one. When I contacted the store for customer service, the manager was a complete jerk and was yelling at me. This is definitely not a place that cares about its customers or providing customer service of any kind. Please save yourself the headache and money. Find somewhere else to go that will treat its customers well and with respect! read more

Got my belly button and nose pierced from here and the customer service from the front desk employees is terrible. They rush you, and are incredibly rude in person and on the phone. My naval barbell is to small for my belly button and is beginning to sink into my skin, and in order for them to look at it, I need to pay $20+ dollars for them to even help me, even though they told me not to worry. I had to go to another shop to get it looked at, and they helped me more then they people at the front desk. Go somewhere else, you'll probably get treated better. read more

Worst. Customer-service experience. EVER! I got my lip pierced a few weeks ago. My stud broke and fell out 2 weeks before it was fully healed, so I went back the next day to get it fixed, fearful that it was going to close up. Turns out the stud hadn't actually broken but had fallen apart, because apparently I was supposed to tighten the pieces every couple days - although NO ONE told me that the stud was put together this way and that this was something I needed to do. Rather than make their wrong right, the "manager" argued incessantly with me about how I was wrong, and started talking about kicking me out of the store - just because I was expressing to him my dissatisfaction and feeling that I shouldn't have to pay for a new piece of jewelry that fell apart because they didn't explain to me how to properly maintain it. They made me pay for a new piece of jewelry, which I wouldn't have done if I hadn't been so concerned that the piercing was going to close up if I didn't take care of it right away. Additionally, the piercer missed the original piercing hole and gave me an entirely new hole! I.e., additional pain, swelling, scarring - and a brand-new six-week healing time... I will NEVER go back to this establishment and caution anyone from patronizing them in the first place. read more

Piercers and counter staff are friendly and professional. Some of the best customer service I have ever received. My piercings look great!

I got my lip pierced at Body Ritual (best place in Milwaukee for piercing btw) and when it finally heeled, I obviously wanted a smaller bar since now it was healed and the original bar was now too long, I could tell due to the constant accidental biting on the bar when chewing food and rubbing on the gumline which I told Avant Garde about. I went to Avant Garde because its literally 2 blocks from my house and Body Ritual is about 7-10 miles. The first time I went in was 2 months later, they measured me and said I wasnt fully healed so they couldnt replace the bar yet, which by 2 months, I was fully healed. They recommended I come back 2 weeks later, I then come back in the new girl working the counter measured and still said they couldnt replace it. I insisted she get me an experienced piercer to look at it. She did but the guy said he was too busy to spend 30 seconds with me and I ended up leaving. Today, I just went back to Body Ritual, they looked at it, gave me the proper sized bar and I was on my way. I have no clue what was so hard about this....apparently it was for Avant Garde don't waste your time, they have no clue what they are doing. GO TO BODY RITUAL. read more

I was soooo nervous to get my naval pierced, but the receptionist was very welcoming and helpful with calming my nerves. As for the piercer, Brent, he was awesome! He did see the blonde in me and poked fun at my nerves. But he did an amazing job! It is perfect! I got it pierced about a week and a half ago, and I have yet to have ANY issues, not even much redness! Very pleased, and will recommend Avant Garde to anyone who wants a piercing! :) Thank you! read more

every time I have went there they do not have what I came looking for, which is usually something pretty simple (small silver nose hoop, just to give an example.) and whenever I have had a question about a piercing I was never fully helped, when you have something pierced there you are just escorted in, have it done quick and out, it would be nice to be walked through it to make sure you are getting exactly what you want. I have never left there happy. read more

NO GO!! Got a nose piercing and it was not a favorable impression of the place. The jewelry was modified from the original state by the piercer, and it got lodged into my skin on the same day, so I go back in to get it corrected, since they still had my identification from the day before, only for them to try and re-charge me for their screw-up!! The nerve... So I am four in the wait, before an employee comes, in to skipped all of us!! NEVER GO THERE AGAIN, the reviews are hit or miss, but I am certain that this is not a professional establishment... SMH read more

I went to Avant Garde to get my tounge pierced, and it sucked! I was telling him I wasn't ready and he did it anyway. Not only did he put it in crooked, it was too far in the back of my mouth. He tried to tell me that MY tounge was crooked. BULLS#@! Even if that is the case with some people, a piercers jobs is to PIERCE accurately! He was an A*$HOLE and he was in a rush. If you want my opinion....F*CK Avant Garde they're amatures!!!! read more

I have brought my 16 year old daughter here a few times and had no problems until recently. I brought her in to get a piercing and the piercer came on to her. She's 16 and this guy had to be in his late 20's. I'm sorry that's just sick! Needless to say we won't be going back there . read more

It has been a while since i went back to this place, and for good reasons. It was about march or April when i was last there. The girl at the front desk was very sweet, but seemed very shy. She received a call on the phone (apparently it was her mother who was ill) and started silently crying. She tried to go home but the owner wouldn't let her. I know, a job is a job, but making someone stay there when there is a family member who is sick or possibly hurt, they should've let her go. I went back a few weeks later to get some jewelry changed and the same girl was there again. But she seemed really down. When the owner came downstairs he called her to the back and I've heard everything he said to that poor girl! He yelled at her, telling her that he would 'Fire her Ass right on the spot' if she didn't get something done. You don't say that to someone even with a store full of people! Even when i went back there, he was being a 'smart ass' talking down to me like i didn't know what i was talking about or how to change the jewelry. I will never go back there. Ive also overheard that there are cameras in the piercing area. This place is somewhere i would never go again. I dont even recommend it to my friends anymore. read more

Daughter is a repeat customer . Brent seems professional until something he does or promotes as good goes bad, then he becomes very unprofessional. Daughter has had belly piercing for a year and a half, she came in for a 2nd belly piercing. Brent told her a 2nd piercing would not would for her and told her she needed a different belly ring, the one she had in was causing pulling ( he sold her this belly ring by the way hmmm) . He sold her a $80 belly ring stating it was the best and would be better for her. In less than a month the ring was working its way through her skin, it was hanging there by a thread of skin.When we went in to show Brent he was very indifferent and uncaring simply said " yep its rejecting", never once said sorry this has happened or offering to take it out without charge.. We were charged, and its not about the money its his attitude..he said I have to charge need to pay for my gloves ( What ?) . Then he told my daughter it should heal but maybe see a doctor, cause that is not his expertise..he knows nothing about healing piecing? maybe he should not be doing them and and suggesting belly rings like he knows what he is doing. So glad Brent showed his true colors before my daughter had any more piercing and or scarring from him. Besides that the staff loves to down grade other Piercing places to customers.. maybe they need to look in their own backyard first. I will never step foot in this place again and encourage others to really think twice..Brent does not stand behind his work or products. read more