A fair amount of the time when we ask someone to leave deposits on a tattoo appointment they say something crafty like; “I’ll stop back Friday”, or “I don’t have any cash on me” and they walk out never to be seen again. Sometimes people want to debate the reasoning behind the deposit, but do finally break down and leave one to book an appointment. Most people happily leave a deposit… because they get it! Tattoo deposits work as a way of you financially committing and investing towards your tattoo appointment. Without this monetary protection, artists and shops could lose a significant amount of money due to clients cancelling or pulling out of the commitment. Artists are not paid by the hour, they are paid for the piece they are creating for you and the time they spend with you. When a customer agrees to pay the deposit fee, it acts as proof that they are interested in following through with their tattoo ideas and agreement.
Deposits allow a tattoo studio to run their operations efficiently, with each client allocated enough time and attention to get their tattoo right. When the scheduling of clients can be maintained with regularity, it greatly boosts the efficiency of the business and the quality of the work of the artists. The amount that shops charge for their deposit fee doesn’t begin to cover the total income at stake if a client doesn’t show up. By charging this fee, studios can continue to tick along, even when they face non-responsive customers. This minor transaction has a considerable impact on the long-term financials of the tattoo parlor and the stability of the business.
Tattoo artists can spend a great amount of time preparing a design or in the case of larger projects like sleeves can mean dozens of hours spent. This is a big part of why we require a deposit and why they aren’t refundable. Please respect your artists time and commitment to take your project on.
Tattoo deposits are used to encourage clients to show up for their appointments and as a way for tattoo artists to cover their costs if a client cancels. Tattoo deposits are forfeited if clients cancel or do not show up for their appointments. You will not be able to get your tattoo deposit back unless the studio decided for various reasons to do this but in general they are non refundable which means non refundable. Deposit policies vary, so make sure to ask about your artist’s or studio’s policy before booking a tattoo appointment.