Deposits when booking tattoo

Twelve Bar Blues

Hey,
Is it normal to be asked for a deposit when booking a tattoo session?
Non-refundable.
Opinions please?
Thanks

the_pen_turner

forget the tattoo part,. you are going to get a service done. it could be hairdressing , service to your car , tradesman etc. this deposit is booking you a slot in the businesses schedule. if you fail to show up or cancel late et then they are down your custom and might not be able to fill that schedule gap . its basic business sense to try to cut down on potential bad customers. any honest and reliable person wouldn't mind a deposit
I'm a carpenter, I charge a deposit on some of what I do. if the customer refuses then I decline the work. burned too many times

Twelve Bar Blues

the_pen_turner wrote: »

forget the tattoo part,. you are going to get a service done. it could be hairdressing , service to your car , tradesman etc. this deposit is booking you a slot in the businesses schedule. if you fail to show up or cancel late et then they are down your custom and might not be able to fill that schedule gap . its basic business sense to try to cut down on potential bad customers. any honest and reliable person wouldn't mind a deposit
I'm a carpenter, I charge a deposit on some of what I do. if the customer refuses then I decline the work. burned too many times

Thanks for the reply.
I understand the ethos behind deposits but it just doesn't sit with me for something like a tattoo.
The same shop that has asked my friend for a deposit didn't ask me for a deposit when I booked mine.
What if I booked an appointment, paid €50 deposit, and when it came to the tatt found out mine and the artists ideas didn't mesh?
It's not like I'm asking a shop to hold a pair of jeans for me.

Quazzie

Twelve Bar Blues wrote: »

Thanks for the reply.
I understand the ethos behind deposits but it just doesn't sit with me for something like a tattoo.
The same shop that has asked my friend for a deposit didn't ask me for a deposit when I booked mine.
What if I booked an appointment, paid €50 deposit, and when it came to the tatt found out mine and the artists ideas didn't mesh?
It's not like I'm asking a shop to hold a pair of jeans for me.

It makes more sense with a tattoo than anything else. I'd say tattoo artists are plagued with people who want to get a tattoo but pull out when it actually comes to doing it. How is it fair that the artist has set aside half his day for that person and then gets nothing when they change their mind/chicken out?

the_pen_turner

Twelve Bar Blues wrote: »

Thanks for the reply.
I understand the ethos behind deposits but it just doesn't sit with me for something like a tattoo.
The same shop that has asked my friend for a deposit didn't ask me for a deposit when I booked mine.
What if I booked an appointment, paid €50 deposit, and when it came to the tatt found out mine and the artists ideas didn't mesh?
It's not like I'm asking a shop to hold a pair of jeans for me.

I could be plain discrimination but its more likely something on the day like mood, being done by a customer the day before, not knowing your friend , they might know you or even had a bad experience with your friend. maybe yo just smiled at the person and they took a shine to you.


as mentioned it is more important to take a deposit when dealing with time than products. if the customer backs out from the jeans you can still sell them. once your time is wasted you cant get it back

raze_them_all_

Me, my sister, her husband and my best amte dont get asked for a deposit by one of the best in the country, best black and grey imo, but you can bet your ass he asks pretty much everyone else.

I never get the problem, the deposit is taken away from the cost, so you show up you still pay the same price, you dont show up the artist has 50e for you costing him 100s

unclebill98

First time I used a new Tattoo artist, yes, I paid a deposit. I've used him numerous times since and didn't have to give one. Its standard and given how fickle people are when it comes to keeping the appointment its clearly there for a reason.