I’ve had tattoo artists state they expect a tip up front.
I’ve had others say don’t worry about it.
It all depends I guess. But I do agree, considering they set their own fees why not just be upfront about all that? Maybe for tax purposes? But I highly doubt most tattoo artists are experts at tax law.
Why the fuck would you be discussing a tip PRIOR to them putting something permanent on your body?
Man. For spite I’d tell them of course you’ll get a tip, then just not because all you’ve done is made me fear that if I say I don’t tip, you’ll fuck up my tattoo or do shitty work.
The artists want a tip because so they don’t plan to report that income. Simple as that. They document they charged $100, taxes take $30 so their take home $70. If they charge $75 and you tip $25, they won’t report that part and take home will be $77.50.
~10% increased profitability and, in theory, only costs the government their taxes.
Because then people would be less inclined to book them. That’s why tip culture works in America, people operate off the listed price but then still tip. But the tip often doesn’t figure into their initial calculation.
If you have comparable talent offering $100 versus $80, you’re probably going to book the $80 person.
America math is a scam, over here in the UK we just pay the listed price (tax included in listed price). Over there in America y'all pay the listed price then hidden tax then hidden tip on top of that.. why not just be honest about price points and pay people fair wages?
It really is that capitalism scam. Our whole economy is built on trying to trick people into spending their money on things they aren't getting or getting stuck with hidden costs once they've decided to buy. I feel like things have gotten worse over the decades - companies used to have to follow laws when advertising and I remember several companies getting sued for false advertising. Nowadays, everyone has figured out how to use language to skirt around those laws and still trick you.
This is not the American dream. This is the dream of a few wealthy assholes who make all the decisions and who have not only brainwashed the dumbest members of society into believing they are good for them, but are standing on the backs of years of work their predecessors did to ensure those same people would be uneducated now.
The rest of us are just fighting for our lives, rights, and freedoms over here.
idk, when you make good money and have good insurance id say it shits on the UK pretty easily tbh. but yea if you dont have those 2 things then life sucks for you
Say it with disrespect. It’s the only way some of the ones who need to learn might actually start learning. I can’t believe I’m actually looking to move out the country if I ever have the opportunity. Not something I ever would have imagined in my youth. But im glad I was taught two languages so that helps I guess
That's such a weird and wild statement when talking about tattoo artists, considering many of them are very much NOT on drugs. As someone who is covered in tattoos while holding down a corporate job, I gotta say, the assumption that tattoos = drug users needs to be lost to the annals of history. That's some boomer shit.
That's you though. Again, your anecdotes are not data or fact. Stop hanging out with junkies and maybe you'll meet some tattoo artists who aren't on hard drugs.
Well sure it could be a total coincidence that all the tattoo artists in my city just happen to be into drugs for some reason and other cities for some reason don't have the same issue. You also seem to be confusing tattoo artists with people who have tattoos.
But nobody cares about YOUR experience. You're making a blanket statement about every tattoo artist. I'm saying being a tattoo artist doesn't automatically make you an addict. One of us is provably wrong and it's you.
It's not an assumption about tattoo artists. It's an assumption about literally anybody that expects a tip before they do the work. That shit is preposterous.
Your comment makes no sense in that context, considering most people don't get tipped in advance and the ones that do are most likely delivery people who aren't using for drugs but are using the tipping amount to decide if a delivery job is worth taking because they otherwise don't make (or sometimes lose) money by taking the job.
Tattoo artists who ask for the tip up front are not automatically drug addicts. For one, they wouldn't even have time to buy more drugs before they did your work. That's not how drug deals OR tattooing works. They're WRONG for expecting the tip up front before the tattoo is even completed, but that doesn't mean they're asking for it because they want drugs.
In my case, I go to an artist I have a history with and I know the quality of work I'm getting, so I have them factor the tip into the estimate and just pay them everything up front. But they never ask me to do that. I just prefer to know the full price with no strings up front rather than have to do math to figure out the real price beyond what's in the quote.
Why don't drug deals work that way? I originally made the assumption because I was an addict for like a decade and that's totally the type of shit me and the people I hung around with would do, not because I'm a boomer.
Because a drug dealer is not just waiting in the back room of a tattoo parlor for a tattoo artist to get their tip in advance so they can give the artist their drugs secretly before they go back out and start the tattoo. I am with my tattoo artist for the majority of the time from when I pay through them setting up their station to start my work and they never leave the shop in that time. When exactly are you imagining these drug deals and drug administrations are happening between payment and tattooing?
I'm describing drug addict behavior from experience. The relevant portion is that they're demanding tips up front, which is crazy. I've found that a lot of behavior that seems crazy can be explained by drugs and addiction. I don't associate tattoos with drug use.
Have you not seen the it probably didn’t happen restaurant memes about expected tip rates. It’s a culture war these days. Oregon requires everyone make at least state minimum wage. So the server or barista or bartender are making $15 an hour minimum. There is absolutely still an expectation of 20%ish tips.
I don't understand the point of asking for a tip upfront. A tip is supposed to be encouragement for a job well done. What's the point if you have to pay it anyway? Might as well add it to the bill then.
Isn’t a tip given for good service? And you pay to get the service done (completely)?
It doesn’t make any sense to expect a tip before the client see the result. If it is about the artist needing money, they should just increase their price.
they werent saying they expected the tip before doing the job they were saying they stated that they expect to be tipped and let them know before hand.
??
they werent saying they expected the tip before doing the job
Okay...
they were saying they stated that they expect to be tipped and let them know before hand.
« I expect a tip »
Then raise the fucking price?
Like literally you are in control of your own price.
Tips are historically tied to slave labor.
I pay my computer guy 100 bucks for 5 min of work and he got through my forgotten password like a knife in hot butter.
I genuinely don’t get it.
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u/OldmanChompski 8h ago
I’ve had tattoo artists state they expect a tip up front.
I’ve had others say don’t worry about it.
It all depends I guess. But I do agree, considering they set their own fees why not just be upfront about all that? Maybe for tax purposes? But I highly doubt most tattoo artists are experts at tax law.