Complaint Review: Ink Wizard Tattoo Studio - Owner Gary Hall

excuse me kathy from snellville, but EVERY shop should be using sterilized supplies/equipment.  that's like paying extra for clean silverware at a restaraunt!!   

OK first all I can say about a sterilization fee, is that its every states law that if they cant pass a state inspection they can't operate a tattoo business. And as far as I know its against EVERY states law to reuse a needle on another client. so anytime anyone even mentions having to pay for a sterile environment it's unethical business practice. But as far a illegal or such, any business has the right to charge what they want for their services. Your place as a consumer is to go where you feel safe and think there charging a fair price. Some may feel that this fee gives them a better tattoo, some may see it as not worth it. but then again its the consumer's decision. I myself if presented with any fee that sounds bogus, decide to do my business elsewhere (and thats goes for any business, not just tattooing) But also forewarned is forearmed, but dont think you can put them out of business with stuff like this. people will always make there own decisions, and the owners bad ethical decisions wont make the work done by the artistst's bad, just a lil more expensive.

I've gotten tattoos done by Inkwizard, and I didn't have a "sterilization fee." I went to the one in Stockbridge, though, not in Griffin, so maybe it's just the location? You shouldn't believe everything you hear about every tattoo company. Everyone has different experiences, and you should go out and make your own.

Hell have you seen gary hall's house off of birdy?? it is huge.. when i first saw it i thought a cleb. lived there. Thats where all his money is going...

Sterilization should never cost a customer anything. When you get a tattoo, you should EXPECT to be receiving the absolute highest level of cleanliness, no questions asked. Having to pay $25 so you know that your needles are new is absolute b*****. Do you pay a surgeon extra money to use a new blade when your chest is split open?

I don't think it's a matter of affording the 25.00 fee, I think it's the fact that that fee is unnecessary.

I am not a tattoo artist, but I've gotten numerous tattoos as have several friends of mine. I also have friends in the industry. Never once have any of my friends been charged a fee such as that. I've gotten tattoos all over cleanliness is the standard. A reputable place will not charge extra for that.

That fee is clearly just another way to make money plain and simple.

I am absolutely appalled at the comments made against this company. I have used the Ink Wizard in Loganville for a navel ring and my daughter and 3 of her friends received tattoos from the manager Derek. I thank God for his professionalism and the fact that he is so dedicated to his career and he treats his clients one on one. You know that when you are in his shop you are paying excellent prices for excellent service!!! You know d**n well that when you leave there you are worry free from any contamination. Just how much is a clean and sanitized needle worth to you??? If you can't afford $25.00 then why are you getting a tattoo!!
Cheers to Derek and Ink Wizard.

Tom from TX is right about one thing. If you don't like the price, walk.

But, he's wrong on the profit part. Four bucks worth of supplies getting sold for twenty-five? That's a helluva markup, wouldn't you say?

What is that? Like 600%.

What if gas was $12 a gallon? Same markup. Is that fair too?

And, for Cathy the owner, work in a hospital as a surgical tech for a week. Then, you'll see just how far your studio is from sterile.

It looks like you're playing on your customer's fears and offering them false promises to reassure them.

For money, of course.

I'll be the first one to admit that I don't know d**k about tattoos. The closest I get to one is when I see a rose on a girl's a*s.

But, I do know marketing. You'd be better off to add the $25 into the price of the tattoo instead of charging it as an extra.

Maybe you could convince the customers your studio did better quality work, and the price was justified.

But, by charging a fee that no one else does, you lose business. You make it harder for the artists.

And, it pisses off some of the customers.

That's why this complaint ended up here.

You know, I can understand a small business owner wanting to get rich.

But, you get rich over a lifetime of hard work and smart business decisions. Not by charging as much as the market will stand and hoping to make it all happen in a few years.

People understand quality and reasonable pricing. When they find a place that offers that, they come back again and again. And, they recommend the place to others.

That's how you end up rich. It takes a lifetime of good business.

It seems that everyone is bashing these Fee's well I got NEWS for you. You can always choose to go somewhere else. Sounds like most of you are COMPETITORS & are bashing them to make your own place look better. As the Co-Owner stated, they have charged this FEE for years. SO WHAT !!! If you dont like it, go somewhere else. Obvouisly people dont care cause this place is still in business. SO GET OVER IT. This isnt a RIP-OFF, you are just a cheapskate.

It seems that everyone is bashing these Fee's well I got NEWS for you. You can always choose to go somewhere else. Sounds like most of you are COMPETITORS & are bashing them to make your own place look better. As the Co-Owner stated, they have charged this FEE for years. SO WHAT !!! If you dont like it, go somewhere else. Obvouisly people dont care cause this place is still in business. SO GET OVER IT. This isnt a RIP-OFF, you are just a cheapskate.

It seems that everyone is bashing these Fee's well I got NEWS for you. You can always choose to go somewhere else. Sounds like most of you are COMPETITORS & are bashing them to make your own place look better. As the Co-Owner stated, they have charged this FEE for years. SO WHAT !!! If you dont like it, go somewhere else. Obvouisly people dont care cause this place is still in business. SO GET OVER IT. This isnt a RIP-OFF, you are just a cheapskate.

It seems that everyone is bashing these Fee's well I got NEWS for you. You can always choose to go somewhere else. Sounds like most of you are COMPETITORS & are bashing them to make your own place look better. As the Co-Owner stated, they have charged this FEE for years. SO WHAT !!! If you dont like it, go somewhere else. Obvouisly people dont care cause this place is still in business. SO GET OVER IT. This isnt a RIP-OFF, you are just a cheapskate.

First off, I was a wife of an artist that worked for Ink Wizard for several years in the 90s. The owners were very nice and accomodating to my husband and always came to his aid if he needed anything. I say that now because the owners themselves (and Cathy, one of the previous posters, is the owners wife)were great people.

I did, however disagree with their 'needle bar fees' (what they called it then), as did every one of their artists. That is truly how Ink Wizard makes their money.

That is above and beyond any percentage they pay their artists so they basically make a pure profit from this, considering they make anywhere from 30-60 percent of all artist earnings, then $25 for every walk in to get tattooed... multiply that by 15 shops or whatever theyre owning now and they are wealthy and that's just from the needle bar fees.

I watched my husband have to very uncomfortably explain this fee over and over to clients, watch many walk out because of the fees, and see my husband lose clients because of the b.s of the 'needle bar fees'

He left employment there mainly because of the ethics of the 'needle bar fees' and the fact that the clients merely had to drive another 5 minutes to find another shop with no b.s. fees.

My husband and I went on to own a shop (he had owned one previously also) and I am now married to another tattoo artist and we own 2 shops in the midwest and I have never, in my wildest dreams ever thought to charge a needle bar fees and to claim it's for sterilization is just ridiculous!

When a client walks into a shop, they should walk in KNOWING that everything is sterile, not a threat that if you dont pay the fee, the stuff's not sterile.

In this day and age, there is an expectation of cleanliness, the fear of communicable disease is not something that should be exploited, it's something that needs to be taken for granted. The owners make a killing off of these fees, but the artists are left to scramble to make excuses for the fees, losing prospective clients and repeat customers.

I will again reiterate, the owners were absolutely wonderful when it came to employment within the shop, but I agree wholeheartedly that the needle bar fee is a total ripoff, and no other shop in the entire world does it.

As the owner of 4 tattoo shops I can tell you that anyone who charges a "sterilization fee" or "needle fee" is a total amateur. So what if you don't want to pay the extra (bullshit) charge? Do you spit on the needle and wipe it on your armpit? I can tell you that needles cost LESS than $2 if you make them yourself (and anyone who knows their s**t DOES). What a scumbag shop. Do you charge extra to make stright lines oe solid color? Do you charge extra to fix your own f***-ups (which you probably have a LOT of)?

this is complete lunacy-a sterilization fee? i am also a tattoo artist and have worked in a few shops. never before have i heard of such a thing. sterilization of critical and semi critical items is necessity and should not be charged to the client. these guys definatley are ripping people off.there is no need for this policy to make people sleep tight. people should know that you spore test your autoclave by the postings of the test results in the studio. not by paying a added fee.this is just a scam relying on peoples fear of blood born pathogens. you guys at ink wizards really do a disservice to those of us who are legit.im almost sure the owners of this business are not tattooists by their ethics-be warned-this is a rip off

Dear Cathy.
Just a few comments. I am not commenting on the quality of tattoos or service. I think you do your customers a disservice by saying they are receiving tattoos in a sterile environment. Unless you disinfect all surfaces between all tattoos, disinfect the skin with an antimicrobial agent, use sterile gloves, use sterile drapes and maintain a sterile field during the application of the tattoo you are not maintaining a sterile environment. Considering the ink and the actual tattoo gun are probably not sterile, it would be impossible to do. I also think a $25.00 fee for sterilization is a little excessive. If you are using a steam or gas sterilizer maybe you should think about cidex or some other kind of liquid that will do the same thing. It may be possible to have a clean environment but not a sterile one.

Thanks

I am filing a rebuttal againest this report due to the facts are not correct or even close to accurate. I am part owner of Ink Wizard Tattoos, Inc.& I have been the sec/treas for 15 years so I am very familiar with the procedures of this company. Normally I would not take my time to respond to such a claim againest Ink Wizard Tattoos, however this time the allegations are false and need to be addressed.

Ink Wizard Tattoos does not charge a needle fee. We do however charge a $ 25.00 sterilization fee which is honored in all 16 of our studios for a period of 6 months. This fee insures our clients of absolute sterilization in all aspects, and new needles each time. We have charged this fee for 15 years we have been in business, and our clients appreciate this "sleep safe at night" policy knowing they are receiving a tattoo in a sterile enviroment with sterile equipment & new needles every time. I doubt we would have been able to grow as we have in 15 years if this was an "un-professional" policy.

In response to the company adding 10% to any charge card transactions is absolutley false. This person should be made to provide proof of their allegation. This report must have been filed by a previous disgruntled employee. My advise to this person would be to get their facts straight before they attempt to file reports.

Gary Hall is the president of this company, he has good business ethics which has allowed this company to grow beyond anyone's beleifs in our industry, "Don't Be Hatin!!!"