shitty experience at Laughing Buddha

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misericordia
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Joined: Sat Aug 23, 2008 10:37 pm

Sat Aug 23, 2008 10:40 pm

So in Early August I took a drawing into a tattoo parlor in Seattle renowned for progressive tattoo art. And I will competently say they do awesome artwork. Their artists are all incredible people even the one I’m going to chide in this summary of the “business” I received while attending said tattoo parlor.
A month before my friend Matt showed me this piece he got done at Laughing Buddha tattoo parlor in the Capitol Hill area of Seattle on Broadway in “The Alley”. It was an exposed deltoid tattoo, which was freehanded and perfectly drawn. I asked him who did the artwork, and it was an artist by the name of Nando.
So here I am bringing this drawing an hour north to Seattle of Jesus Christ in a crown of thorns. I got there a half an hour early so I wouldn’t miss my consultation. Tattoo consultations at Laughing Buddha are free by the way. I bring my drawing to Nando and he says confidently he can make my concept for the drawing a realistic tattoo. He draws out some paperwork for me to fill out and I make my appointment for the ink, where the artist is supposed to actually have a drawing beforehand.
Later in August I drive an hour north to the tattoo parlor again. I was warned often that if I didn’t make my appointment my hundred-dollar deposit would be forfeited. So I get there a half an hour early and look at the books of the other artists, letting the girl at the desk know who I was and that I was there to see Nando. He tells me he is just finishing someone’s piece and that he would be back in a bit. I told him I was patient. So then he comes back from doing someone else’s tat. And he tells me that he’s hungry and I wait an hour into my appointment for his food to be picked up and be consumed. Then he told me to come on back. I had my brother and his friend in tow as went into his nook of the tattooing studio. He pulls out the blown up copy of the drawing I did, which compromised quite a bit of the detail and shading. And he begins the drawing he was supposed to have done before I got there. I understand the process is beautiful, but I gave him enough concept and design with my drawing to have his rendering of my drawing done. In other tattoo parlors I’ve visited it was always the drawing was done before the ink appointment, but no I was watching him draw my tattoo out after I’d patiently waited for him to eat.
No ink was done that day, so he set the appointment up for his day off on the following Tuesday. I arrive after calling ahead multiple times to verify that Nando was there at the shop. I fill out some more paperwork and I get the impression from the secretarial staff/artists who answer the phone, that I was excessive in my phone calls. I get to his nook of the studio again with my friend Matt there and we talk while Nando prints the stencil onto my arm and does the other prep work. He inks in most of the tattoo and then because of repeated calls from his girlfriend, he tells me that he needs to go and watch the Mariner’s game. He bandages my arm and I leave.
I make an appointment too early for the healing to be done, and reschedule to Saturday at 4:30. On Saturday I get stuck in traffic on 167 and lose some time. I think I can make it up by speeding, so I speed the remainder of the way on I-5. I didn’t call the studio because I thought I’d made it. A little late I thought, but not late enough for Nando to have started anything. I was at the street corner waiting for the pedestrian light to flash the little blue man, and it was 4:35. (Important information is that I’m handicapped and can’t walk well because of head on collision with a drunk driver). I said shit to my friend Kevin because I’d left my drawing journal in my truck at the parking lot. I started walking back to my truck and got the journal. The red hand of doom came up right as I was approaching the crosswalk. It was 4:47 and the hand was red. I finally got into the studio and the girl at the counter dismissed my appointment, and another artist found Nando. While the other artist was finding Nando, the girl said that he’d started another tattoo. So I realized right then I couldn’t pay him and hope he understood and gave me some leeway on my tat time because I was there I just didn’t make it into the shop. Hope he understood how patient I’d been with the drawing having ate up my ink time, and that I’d been patient when his girlfriend interrupted the tat. I tried to tell him my point of view, but he didn’t care. I said some things I regretted out of anger. I had been patient this entire time and he didn’t cut me any slack. I’d lost my patience and became very angry.
I’d lost my deposit and my appointment in 22 minutes. Now something I know about business is that lost time is lost profit. I will give him that he lost time, but he had another appointment lined up. He’d lost a minimal amount of time at most. And the time he lost I could have easily paid him for…but to forfeit my deposit and appointment with knowledge of my leg injury, which I told him about at the ink appointment. I personally think that is callous if not irresponsible way to do business. Others may not agree, but I’m handicapped. Doesn’t make me special, but I wish that the business of Laughing Buddha, and Nando would’ve had sympathy for my situation. Amazing art, but callous way of doing business.
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imnotatfault
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Sat Aug 23, 2008 10:53 pm

Sorry about your experience.

I don't know anything about the shop or the specifics, but I can say that I have an artist who typically doesn't do prep work before the actual tattoo appointment. I don't think there's anything wrong with him working on it once you arrived, unless he led you to believe otherwise.

I know you're looking for sympathy and being a patron of a business, you expect a certain level of professionalism, but I can really see both sides of it. While calling meant well, the receptionist/shop manager deals with a ton of people every day and it may have rubbed her the wrong way. Should she have been rude? No.

And you were a few minutes late and have a problem walking. Understandable, however you really should have called. And I would say that if you forgot the drawing and were late, that you should have went in (especially if you weren't calling), said you were there, and while he started setting up, walked back and got it.

You were late and forfeited your deposit. Should the shop have worked with you? I think so, but they have rules in place for a reason. Maybe they already made up their mind and weren't changing it, but you insinuated that you were rude/verbally abusive (even if it was out of frustration), which you should know did not help your case at all.

As far as what to do now... Either let some time pass, swallow your pride, call to apologize and put something on the books (you may get your deposit back, but I wouldn't bank on it). If you don't want to go back to the shop, find someone else who will be willing to finish the piece, though you may have to explain why the other artist isn't able to since most guys won't want to jump into someone else's unfinished piece.

Like I said, sorry, but you really didn't handle things the best so as far as assigning blame, it's a wash. I'd just learn from the experience and move on.
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buttwheat
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Sat Aug 23, 2008 11:38 pm

Sorry to hear about your bad experience @ laughing buda Ive heard good things about them. That being said when is traffic in the Seattle area not fucked up? I had a appt. at the tattoo expo the other week and got there 2 1/2 hours just in case.(there was a lot to do to kill the time). You should of left earlier. If you don't feel like going back there you can try Slave to the Needle on 45th http://www.slavetotheneedle.com/
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therookie
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Sat Aug 23, 2008 11:56 pm

God damn! that's a long fucking post.....and i'm too drunk to even read it...sorry
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CxCx
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Sat Aug 23, 2008 11:56 pm

I know a pile of artists that only draw "on the day" that the tattoo is to be done. Not me. If the piece in question is a larger-scale custom, I'll generally draw, and RE-DRAW the piece about a half dozen times or so before I'm 100% happy, and, to be honest, i think it'd be ruse to waste a client's time by making them wait while I drew and re-drew a piece a few times.

Generally, I like to have 2 consultations before the actual tattoo session : The first in which the client tells me what they want and give me whatever reference images they have. The 2nd in which they check out the drawing I've done for them, and to make sure that it's EXACTLY what they want. If they need anything tweaked, I'll do it before the actual session. During that 2nd session is when the client in question will make his/her appointment to get the actual tattoo done.

That said, that's just me. I generally close the shop at 7 ot 8 PM, but I end up doing drawings at home when i can't sleep. A lot of artists I know (my boss included) don't. It all depends on who the artist in question is and how they work.
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MattCrunk
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Sun Aug 24, 2008 12:45 am

CxCx wrote:I know a pile of artists that only draw "on the day" that the tattoo is to be done. Not me. If the piece in question is a larger-scale custom, I'll generally draw, and RE-DRAW the piece about a half dozen times or so before I'm 100% happy, and, to be honest, i think it'd be ruse to waste a client's time by making them wait while I drew and re-drew a piece a few times.
Boy, not me. We require a 20% deposit for appointments, so I'm not about to waste my time on a drawing, which can sometimes consume as much time as the tattoo itself, all for the client to pull a no show, then all I have is the 20%. When the client is in the house and paid in full, then I'll do the drawing. I don't charge for this drawing time, only for the actual time in the chair. So while I'm giving the client my time for free, he can give up some of his time to wait on it.

I had three out of five scheduled appointments pull no-shows today as a matter of fact. That would have wasted half my day if I had drawn their stuff beforehand.
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MattCrunk
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Sun Aug 24, 2008 1:39 am

misericordia wrote: So I get there a half an hour early, letting the girl at the desk know who I was and that I was there to see Nando. He tells me he is just finishing someone’s piece and that he would be back in a bit. So then he comes back from doing someone else’s tat. And he tells me that he’s hungry and I wait an hour into my appointment for his food to be picked up and be consumed.
While this may seen a bit unprofessional from the outside looking in, I understand this situation 100% and have been there myself many times. You (the artist) have been on a tattoo two hours longer than expected, even past the buffer you allowed for yourself in between clients. Your next appointment is there, on time, and you haven't even finished with the first guy. You haven't even had time to eat. What do you do?

Think of it this way, would you want a tired, hungry tattoo artist starting a fresh piece on you straight out of an exhausting four hour session with someone else, without even a break? Like it or not tattoo art is a creative process and most of us aren't all that creative when our hands are tired and our stomachs are growling.
misericordia wrote: I had my brother and his friend in tow as went into his nook of the tattooing studio.
Trust me, tattoo artists hate it when you bring the party with you. Bring one person for moral support, if you must. No more.
misericordia wrote: Tuesday. I arrive after calling ahead multiple times to verify that Nando was there at the shop. I get the impression from the secretarial staff/artists who answer the phone, that I was excessive in my phone calls.
I hate it when clients call or show up multiple times before there appointments when there's no need for it. These "pesty" clients often wear out their welcome before they even get in the chair. If it's a busy shop, you'll likely be brushed aside for the other five clients who aren't such a bother.
misericordia wrote: I get to his nook of the studio again with my friend Matt there and we talk while Nando prints the stencil onto my arm and does the other prep work. He inks in most of the tattoo and then because of repeated calls from his girlfriend, he tells me that he needs to go and watch the Mariner’s game. He bandages my arm and I leave.
This to me does sound unprofessional. When a client is finally in my chair they are priority one and have my undivided attention. Phone calls have to wait, unless they are an emergency. That said though, a tattoo artist who may be having problems with his girlfriend might NOT have his mind entirely on my tattoo. I think I'd rather wait until I was his only focus, even if that meant postponing the ink. Shit happens, and sometimes we have things going on outside of work that really won't wait.

Right or wrong, and like it or not, the higher up the food chain your artist is (the more popular and in demand), the more you have to put up with to get in their chair. That's just the way it is.
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CxCx
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Sun Aug 24, 2008 3:56 am

Matt, while I see your point, here's how i see it : The shop I work in doesn't charge for custom work. I'm going to be drawing all the time anyway, so doing something specific just focuses me a bit. Beyond that, if the person never comes back to check out the design, then I stash it in a folder, and, who knows, down the line, someone could want the same thing or something similar, so my leg-work will already be done.

To me, it's all a part of the game. I'd say 75% of what I do these days is custom work (the other 25% being letterwork or straight flash), so drawing to me is just part of the game.

As i said, we draw for nothing, and it's on the 2nd or 3rd consultation that the client puts a deposit down and books their time in the chair. I like knowing EXACTLY what I'm doing on the day (hence why I don't take walk-ins), the only exception to that rule being when I'm drawing the design directly on a client beforehand (Rare for me, I'd say 5% or so of all of the tattoos I've done have been drawn directly onto the client's skin).

That all said, that's just me and how I work and every artist is different.
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yorvo
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Sun Aug 24, 2008 11:12 am

I'm still green so I draw as much out as I can. Sometimes even without a deposit. I think of it as trying to hustle up business. I'm sure I wouldn't if I was booked solid. But I'm not. Drawing is never a waste of time for me.
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CxCx
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Sun Aug 24, 2008 11:29 am

I feel the same way, Yorvo, about drawing not beinga waste of time. I'm generally booked between 2 weeks and a month out, but I still draw custom work for clients (and flash for that matter) with no deposit.

Perfect example, I took an hour and a half yesterday drawing up a full back-piece for a client. He left no deposit (which I never take for a drawing), and I simply told him to stop in on Monday. Now, WILL he stop in tomorrow?

Who knows. If he does, I'll tweak what we have to tweak, figure out our preferred "Plan of Attack", and set him up with an appointment to get it done. If he doesn't? Well, I've an 18"x22" piece of linework that I can finish up and keep as a nice piece of artwork to hang in the shop. I can also "borrow" images from it if a client is ever looking for similar ones (a Koi that's more belly than back, large japanese style tiger, cross w/3 old school roses, ect ect ect). It can definitely have a long "life", even if the original client doesn't want it.

Beyond that, the hour and a half it took me to work it out was FUN and i enjoyed it (it broke up the major "wedding's in a week" stress going on at the moment), so I don't consider it 'work", per se and don't feel the need to be paid for it.

Once again, that's just me and how I perceive the matter.
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yorvo
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Sun Aug 24, 2008 11:43 am

That was one of the reasons I got into tattooing so I would draw everyday. When we have down time at the shop we draw. Usually stupid stuff for fun. It's not always business.

I have a regular who throws ideas at me and tells me whenever I get something call him. When I'm having a slow week I work on one of his ideas and call him. He usually comes in

My mentor can whip up a great design in just a few minutes before the tattoo. I can pull it off but I like having a little more time than that. It makes for a better tattoo.
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yorvo
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Sun Aug 24, 2008 11:52 am

Just thought I'd add, I got my tongue pierced at Laughing Buddha about ten years ago. Forget the piercers name. Big lesbian woman, real nice. I remember a gay pride parade was going on and she asked if she could go down stairs and watch it before we did the piercing. So yeah, flaky place. It's on Broadway on Capitol Hill. The gay and hipster neighborhood. That whole area is flaky that's part of makes it so cool. Besides Seattle is not a service town any. Try ordering some food sometime.
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CxCx
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Sun Aug 24, 2008 12:05 pm

I was only in Seattle a few times and, for the most part, I wasn't into it. A friend of mine was in the Navy, stationed in Bremerton, and we'd road-trip across the country to see him once a year.

The trip was always a blast, but the 2-4 days we'd spend in Bremerton always kinda sucked, because we'd go into Seattle everyday, and the place just had an off-putting vibe to me. Not really sure why.
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Sphenoid
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Sun Aug 24, 2008 11:03 pm

This is an awesome thread, I'm fully enjoying reading it. :D
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shady08aftermath
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Fri Aug 29, 2008 8:10 pm

I completely agree with you, i feel that after you have a consoltation that means that they should put time into preparing the tattoo, even if that means comin to there shop an hour early in the morning an getting some of the busy work drawing out of the way of yer stencil, and others stenclis. I had an artist that i met at a shop who said he'd come to my house cause we hit it off at the shop. an i'd say come at 8 in the morning an hed come at like 5pm in the afternoon, bottem line is when yer dealing with tattoos yer really excited an being patient is like the hardest thing to do, an i give you credit, an with him being as unprofessional as he was shouldn be a hipocrit an beef with you about you being late, atleast you had a legidimate excuse! hope the tat was good, piece
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