What do ya do?

[Allen Stephens]

I am sure this has been covered before but I am new to this page.
I work customer service and get around my little town so I meet a lot of folks. That and I am just quick to make a pal. When people show me their prison ink or their friend's cousin's basement job I just stand there with a stupid smile. If they talk bout getting it covered I breath a sigh of relief and flip out one of my friends business cards that I know can take care of them. If they seem content with it I don't want to say something to put them down but I also not going to throw around fake compliments. I guess what I want to know is how do other people handle this kinda biz cause it happens to me a lot.

[reggie]

Maybe just a non-committal remark: "cool"; "bitchin". Honesty doesn't always go as far, "Wow, that looks like shit".

[Diamond Dave]

i prefer lately just to say "wow" or "cool", much like Reggie. It's a touchy spot to start talking to alot of people about their "tattoos", yes i'm a snob.

Its kinda like how everyone thinks their doctor, or dentist, or artist is the best in the world, so discussing it is a mute point, i think it's referred to as cognitive reasoning or something.

[dgamradt]

Just smile and nod... smile and nod.

[kitten]

The thing that I try to remember is that the person is probably really happy with their crappy tattoo. If he/she is truly happy, then who am I to tell them otherwise? I try not to throw around fake compliments either, but saying, "that's cool" seems to be enough.

One other point, the BEST compliment that I have ever received personally, went something like this, "I don't like tattoos, but yours are nice. They suit you." I still smile when I think of that person.

[Ramon Ostolaza]

Well, sometimes the tattoo was designed to look intentionally as prision ink, like my wolf. The design was hanging there and inittially was meant to be a fire brand but i really chickened out. In the end i decided for a "prision" look and I'm really happy with it.

The Red Castle project wont have a prision look, but it has a very different origin and intention.

[Justin Hadlock]

Being an artist and seeing shitty ink ALOT when it walks into the shop. I usually find it best to be honest. Alot of people don't have any artistic back ground or don't know what a good tattoo looks like. Example:
Me:Who does your other ink?
Customer:Oh my friend does it at his house, only cost me 20 bucks.
me:I can tell....

On to prison work. Now I am not going to say that there aren't good prison tattoos. Just not many of them. There are some excellent artists in the joint. But the rotary, home made, put together, POS prison machines, WILL NEVER achieve the same smoothness or color graduation that a proffesional set of equip in proffesional hands will. That being said, liking your tattoos, and being happy that they are the best that they can be are different stories.

[Tzu-jan]

See what they say about yours first! If they're polite you be polite. Follow there lead.