TLDR: Great clean friendly shop with good reviews, but consultation was pointless, artist was…read moreunkempt promoting a bad impression of salon standards.
I recently came to an appointment with a tattoo artist for a consultation.
I'd been trying to get into Red Arbor for a couple years. I was glad when I got a response to my email about getting a sleeve done. I was looking for something to describe my life in travel, accomplishments, and some design background but it was still up in the air.
Red Arbor has a great reputation, great artists, wonderful displayed work, and nothing but rave reviews in my experience.
For the consultation I was bummed. My artist, a female, came in leggings, a wrinkled sweatshirt, very very greasy hair not brushed or combed thrown into a messy situation on her head, with dirty white socks, and Doc Martens boots. The first impression wasn't good.
The actual consultation lead to zero discovery questions. (I've done consultations for 20++ years in my line of work, knowing what to ask is front line understanding of your job imo)
It was us sitting in an office talking in circles for over an hour, with me attempting to direct the conversation toward descriptive words that would spark some kind of understanding for what I was after, and pictures of work I liked, and things I wanted on.
It did not. It lead to a guessing game, and her showing me pictures of Americana tattoo work after stating it is the only kind of art I do not like.
The artist commented that I could stay and we could continue talking bc she didn't have anything else that day, but I had to find excuses to leave, and not book an appointment.
I know that one artist isn't the impression of the entire shop, but I feel like this has been seen and not corrected. First impressions do in fact make or break your business.
I'm looking for somewhere to drop a couple thousand on a sleeve to last me ages, and brag about to everyone I know. I was hoping it would be Red Arbor.
Shop was clean, staff was very friendly and warm, communication with the front desk was direct and prompt, and area appeared sterile and very well maintained.