Reviews for tattoo and piercing studios

Someone booking a tattoo is choosing an artist for something permanent. They look at the portfolio for style, and they read reviews for everything the portfolio cannot show: hygiene, how the artist handled nerves, whether the price matched the quote, and how it healed.

Two moments, not one

Most studios ask, if they ask at all, the moment the session ends. The client is sore, wrapped up, and looking at a fresh piece that is red and swollen. They are happy but distracted.

The stronger moment comes a few weeks later, when the piece has healed and looks the way it was meant to. A short message then, with the review link and a thank you, catches a more considered and more detailed review. Clients often post a photo of the healed piece, which is the best advertisement a studio can get.

Where a tap point fits

• The front counter, where clients pay and book the next session.
• The aftercare card. Most studios hand one over anyway. A review link or tap point on the same card sits in the client’s wallet for exactly the weeks the piece is healing.
• A follow stand in the waiting area. Tattoo is one of the most visual industries there is, and a follow keeps clients watching your flash and availability.

Aftercare links are useful too

A tap point that opens your aftercare instructions page saves you answering the same questions by message for weeks. Keep it separate from the review tap point, one link per job. See other useful things a tap point can open.

Photos and consent

If a client posts a photo with their review, that is their choice. If you want to use a client’s tattoo or face in your own marketing, ask first and keep a record. Some clients are private about their ink, and some pieces are in places they do not want shared.

What to avoid

• No discount on the next session for a review. Google bans incentives.
• Ask every client the same way, including the nervous first timer who needed three breaks.
• Never argue about a healing complaint in public. Offer to take a look in person. See how to reply to a bad Google review.