I figured I would write this blog post right now, as I just now had an appointment not show up- no warning, and this year I have heard many artists talking about no shows and cancellations. So I figured I would go through this. As there are people out there that may not care or understand how they impact others around them.
First off, I always take deposits so it doesn't happen to me often that someone doesn't show up for their appointment, so when it happens I begin wondering if maybe they are just running late. So I patiently wait as I typically am all ready and set up so I do not waste
anyone's time.
As the time goes, I typically have made it a rule that after 20 min I can no longer accomadate that appointment for that day, since now it will cause my appointment to run together with other appointments and I do not want the stress of that. Feeling rushed while tattooing is not what I am going for.
Now I begin to feel disappointed .... I feel like the time I spent drawing at home on my free time was a waste and I could have been doing something else. I can't do anything about it though, so no reason to stay down too long.
I then begin to feel concerned...... Most of my clients I know their story, the back story to the tattoo, or I have been tattooing them for awhile so I am hoping nothing bad happend.....Did they get in an an accident? Is everyone in the family okay?
I have typically reached out by this point so now it is a waiting game to see if I will ever know what happened.....
How does this impact my work?
Well, I do not make any money when someone doesn't show up for their appointment. I have been doing this for 20 yrs, so it is something I have had to deal with. It is usually too late to get someone in to make a little money, so I typically just work on other client drawings and anything else office wise I may need to catch up with. Deposits do not cover any pay wise. When you work for a shop you only take a portion of that- so I get maybe $30 and if you average that over an entire day I just made $3.75 an hour. So I won't be paying any bills off of that day's work.
Depending on the tattoo this can drastically affect my pay and my ability to pay even the basic expenses for my family. If you book a full day appointment- I have reserved an entire day for you...... So it can feel a little stressful. This is where I just have faith that the universe will guide the proper people my way when needed. So far in life everything has always worked out, I do not see why that would stop....
Just remember when you go to someone to get a tattoo, we will understand canceling an appointment, running late, family stuff, ect, but let your artist know so they can properly navigate their time. If you forgot your appointment- even that can happen- reach out, some artists will require an additional deposit if you didn't show, but speaking for myself, I am in no way a heartless individual that cares only about myself. I am flexible when needed as long as I haven't been taken advantage of.
