So, Bones is amazing. He did my knuckles EXACTLY how I wanted them...exactly! But, I'm going to tell you my experience with this shop.
I walk in and speak to Chapman and tell him that I had called about wanting to get my knuckles done and Angela had told me to come in. The first thing he told me was, "You know it's going to fade right?" Yeah, I'm tracking, I also have my feet done, and some parts have faded, doesn't mean I don't like it, doesn't mean I won't retouch it later. "Good, because I don't do no touchups or nothin." Then he continues on about how getting knuckle tattoos aren't the best. Well, OK, oh well. I asked the price, knowing it'd be a short session and I'd probably pay the hourly rate. He told me that he'd do it for $100 but it'd probably be better to go to Bones, who was the only one in the shop tattooing anyone, would do it for $50. Then, he had to add in the comment, "because I don't really do script because people aren't books." OK, well I have 9 tattoos AND EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM ARE SCRIPT, but thanks for your irrelevant opinion that I never asked for.
Anyways, I'm done talking with this guy at this point, and I turn to Bones, he decides on an even $60. Cool, I said I'd be in tomorrow. Angela tries to get me to pay the $60 up front, I told her I'd pay half at most, nowhere in the world, of all the shops have I been to, have I ever needed to pay more than the 10% or the $20 deposit, or whatever. Paying for the whole tattoo up front? Then give this guy the opportunity to just dip out and I lose $60? Not gonna happen, honey. But I'd pay half, she then says they only take cash, and it becomes a back and forth because I had left my debit card at home, along with my wallet, and only had a credit card and my Military ID (I was on crutches and carrying around a wallet is a lot). I couldn't "just pull money out the ATM" with a credit card... She tells me she'd pay me the $2 fee if I just pulled the money out. I look at her, likely very annoyed, that I'm not trippin about $2, I'm telling you I literally CANNOT pull the money out of the ATM, and I wasn't driving all the way to my house, then to Navy Federal to pull $30 to drive all the way back across town to drop it off. We agreed that I'd just come at noon the next day when they opened.
I was there on time, and I come in and I'm pretty friendly with them all. Chapman immediately when he sees me, tells me that #1 I'm not going to like it in a couple of days, #2 I'm going to regret it, and #3 It's not a smart idea... After the third one, I reply "Well, what do you want me to do? Walk out of here with my money because that's what I can do. You're not even tattooing it, you're not the one being tattooed, thanks." And I was done. I cannot believe this business allows this man to work here, because just after that I was done, I would not do business at this shop ever again.
But it gets worse, we are halfway through, finished with one hand and Bones takes a break. When he comes back, Chapman and Tomas follow and Chapman starts shaking his head. He tells me literally MID TATTOO, you're not going to like it in a couple days, then shows me what looks like a basement tattoo on his knuckles, that I can still clearly read, but yes has faded a little bit, that he said "Three days later fell off." OK, thanks? That's exactly what I want to hear while I'm spending money at your establishment. That's like a waiter telling me, midmeal, "Hey, you may get sick later, I don't think it was a good idea to order the fish." How is this even allowed? I tell him, "Well, it's exactly what I wanted, so I like it and it's on MY hand, so it really doesn't matter if you like it, it doesn't matter if anyone else likes it, it matter if I like it." Just to add a cherry on top, Bones starts on the new hand, and I just remind him to go back to one letter and make it a little thicker. Chapman, who is still hovering for whatever reason, says, "I thought it was exactly what you wanted?" Yeah, this man has HORRIBLE customer service skills and I don't even want to enter the shop if he's in there.
What's crazy is that of the both times I have been inside that shop, Bones has been the only one working the entire time. If he's losing customers because the other artist cannot keep his mouth shut, that's ridiculous. I will be meeting up with Bones again to retouch the tattoo FOR FREE to make sure everything is right and stuck.... But on a day when Chapman is not there, or at another shop, because this establishment has lost me completely. read more