“Learn from your enemies” or “Smart people also like to learn from their enemies”, this saying comes from Aristophanes (around 450 – 385 BC). His contemporary Socrates (470 – 399 BC) put it like this: “The clever person learns from everything and from everyone, the normal person learns from his experiences and the stupid person knows everything better.”
We were recently made aware of an article in the Berliner Morgenpost: “Why Inklabs 2025 is Berlin’s first address for tattoos”. Inklabs has already caused a stir in the industry on several occasions, most recently with its Ink AI, which promised its customers AI tattoo templates online on its website.
Reason enough to take a closer look at Inklabs, we thought. One thing straight away: anyone who only grumbles and doesn’t learn here clearly belongs to Socrates’ third group.
The website – comprehensive and professional
In over 90% of all cases, the first contact in our industry is made via the Internet. Be it Insta, TikTok, FB or Google. And if you want to stand out and offer your customers something more, you have your own website.
But nothing is more off-putting than an outdated or “empty” website without any really interesting content (this also applies to Inst&Co.). Conversely, an appealing, up-to-date and truly informative website can go a long way towards attracting customers. Around the clock, 7 days a week.
Personally, I always find too many calls to action (“Book now!”, “Secure offer!”, …) a little too pushy, but the worm must taste good to the fish, not the angler. In this respect, it has to be said that the Inklabs website really offers everything you can expect from a good website:
- All the information that new customers are looking for (how, who, what, …).
- Numerous opportunities to get in touch and interact with the studio.
- Interesting new functions that are tempting to try out.
- Current and interesting articles on many topics related to tattoos
- Extensive picture galleries, very good: organized by artists AND styles
- It is fast, very important! And also runs optimally on cell phones.
- Simple user guidance.
In short: the website invites you to continue, to explore and to delve deeper and deeper into the Inklabs cosmos. Remember: “The wise learn from everything and from everyone…”.
The Ink AI attracts…
And then there’s Ink AI, which promises to create tattoo motifs with the help of artificial intelligence.
Well, let’s give the Ink AI a try and see what it does with my tattoo request “mono rat on the calf”. We don’t want to make it too easy for her. After completing my entries, I receive the information that someone will contact me shortly with my individual AI template.
And indeed: 15 minutes later, I receive a WhatsApp message including a Monmon rat on one calf. Note several important points here:
- People are intermediaries
It is wise to have an experienced employee at Inklabs operate the AI rather than customers directly. This ensures that something really useful always comes out of it. And you can get straight into the conversation with the customer. - Not intended for tattooing
It is also immediately clear (and communicated in this way) that the AI design is NOT a tattoo template, but is intended for the discovery process. And that is certainly helpful for many customers if they can be shown a template just 15 minutes after their inquiry, which they can then use to feel their way around. Definitely a good service to win customers. - Extremely short reaction time
It’s not always the best that wins, but usually the fastest. Now that there are so many good tattoo artists on offer, the quality of your own work is no longer a decisive argument, because you can (almost always) get it elsewhere. Inklabs has obviously recognized this and clearly scores points here:
Extremely short response times
Inklabs obviously understands professional lead management. Once an inquiry has been made, you are immediately and consistently taken by the hand – and never let go. You always receive clear and easy-to-understand information about the next steps (who, when, what) and many alternative communication channels (not everyone likes WhatsApp or has Insta DM). But the most important thing: you always get an answer within a very short time.
Because auto-replies with the content: “Due to high demand, it may take up to a week for us to reply…” are not an excuse, but a deterrent.
The Inklabs concept was explained to me immediately on first contact (see below) and all the important key data was recorded:
- Which studio would I like to go to?
- Is the AI template going in the right direction? What would I want to change?
- Desired size
- my budget
- my schedule
I was immediately offered an appointment with a personal advisor (2 working days later) and was also able to make concrete statements about the approximate waiting time for a tattoo (2-3 months, depending on the artist). I then received another email:
- All information for the next steps
- Suggestions for suitable artists with a link to their portfolios
- The request to send two photos of the desired body part
Incl. detailed video instructions - Further points/questions to prepare for the consultation appointment
A small note at this point for everyone: WhatsApp, Insta DM or email are NOT suitable channels for customers to send pictures of themselves (especially with Underboops, for example) to the studio from a data protection perspective.
Professional advice
Anyone who knows us knows that we also run a tattoo studio ourselves and we also take care of the initial consultation / preliminary talks, appointment organization, appointment deposits, etc. for our artists. With this in mind, I have to say: The consultation I received two working days later was absolutely competent, structured, relaxed and pleasant. My contact person was obviously familiar with the subject matter and didn’t flounder even when I had more difficult questions (“Do your foreign artists also have a work permit?”). Yes, I didn’t make it easy for him, but there was absolutely nothing to complain about. Chapeau!
I didn’t commit myself straight away in our conversation, but noted that I had made enquiries with two other artists/studios and would also like to wait for their offers. And of course, he followed up again after a week to see if I was still interested. They would be happy to provide further advice and would be delighted to be able to implement this really interesting project with me. That’s how CRM works!
Transparent and interesting concept (procedure, prices, down payment)
The procedure
During the personal consultation, the right artist was selected together with me, the most important key data for my motif ideas were clarified and photos of the body part in question were also available. In my particular case, a separate meeting with the artist in advance (also due to the distance) was no longer necessary or useful.
Instead, they offered me to allow enough time at the first appointment to make any changes to the artwork. I was even given the opportunity to get in touch with the artist directly (via Insta) if I wanted to. However, I was told, understandably, that tattoo designs are not always sent to customers in advance.
I was assured that any necessary re-stitching was of course already included in the price.
The service
Inklabs has understood that you don’t just win (and keep) customers with good tattoos, but also with good service. This professional support also continues during the appointment. From an interview with the Unternehmer-Journal on March 30, 2024, we were able to learn that
“When the big day arrives, the client is welcomed into the studio: A member of staff discusses the contract with them, goes through the schedule for the day and introduces the artist. The session only starts when the tattoo design is perfect for the customer.
In the meantime, the customer receives refreshments and an iPad, which they can use to pass the time during the tattooing process using various entertainment apps. In addition, the studio staff are trained to check on the customer’s well-being every 15 minutes. Once the session is complete, the customer receives detailed advice on how to care for their tattoo as well as a special tattoo cream. We accompany people on their tattoo journey – from the initial idea to the finished work of art on their skin. We are not only experts in tattoos, but also in human emotions and needs.”
The prices
For my motif (incl. background, complete calf), my consultant estimated a total of approx. 9 hours, always depending on any changes to the template on my part. With a senior artist that I had chosen, the 9 hours plus joint design time would cost me a total of €2000. However, the price is reduced by 10% if I purchase an experience voucher in advance (more on this in the next point). In my case, the experience voucher would have been obligatory (otherwise there would have been no appointment), so I would have paid around €170 per tattoo lesson.
Inklabs is therefore positioning itself in the higher price segment, so it does not want to be a cheap provider and is trying to win over this target group with a professional service.
The experience voucher
Inklabs has taken an interesting approach here: the experience voucher costs half the price of the tattoo. The handling of this deposit is similar to that of an appointment deposit or down payment: in the event of a no-show, the deposit is forfeited; for cancellations up to 7 working days before the appointment, it remains in place; for shorter cancellations, appropriate proof is required (e.g. doctor’s certificate).
However, the special thing is: as it is a voucher, the amount is not paid out even if I ultimately (and in good time) decide not to get a tattoo at Inklabs (except for the 14-day right of withdrawal after purchase). This certainly creates a high level of customer loyalty, but is also likely to cause problems. It remains to be seen whether this will stand up in court in the event of a dispute.
I am also of the opinion that if you don’t want to, you shouldn’t be forced to. I would find a somewhat more elegant approach (10% but at least €100 must be retained) more customer-friendly here. The willingness to transfer €1000 in advance should actually be proof enough of a serious interest in an appointment.
The artists also benefit
The advantages for the artists are obvious:
- Concentrating on your own work: tattooing
- Full calendar
- Well-prepared appointments, no burden with organizational matters
- Low failure rate
- Good payment
(upper price segment, more pure tattoo time)
Inklabs even takes care of the visas for foreign guest artists. It is therefore understandable that you can fall back on a large pool of really good artists.
Conclusion
With this model, Inklabs is managing to grow in a declining market. So they are doing something right. You can certainly disagree on one point or another or prefer other approaches, but you should always keep in mind that in the end it is the customers who decide what will prevail. And they seem to have discovered an interesting market for themselves.
It remains to be seen to what extent this model will be sustainable in times of recession. After all, good service has its price: 70 employees (see interview in the Entrepreneur Journal) cost money and naturally also drive up the price of tattoos and the rent for the space. And since tattoo artists usually only see their service (and tend to ignore the issue of customer service and organization), a certain cannibalization effect is certainly to be expected: As an artist, you build up a customer base at Inklabs and then open your studio next door.
Who can keep up?
Some of you may be asking yourself this very question. But basically, much or almost everything described above can also be done on a small scale. All you really need is the will to learn (such as how to use new machines or Procreate) and the Willingness to invest at least ½ to 1 hour every day (depending on the size of the studio) in organizational matters .
And here I would like to expand the headline a little: “Learn from your enemies or perish”.
Smaller studios have an advantage over chains such as Inklabs and the like if they play it smart: lower personnel costs. This is because the models of the “new big players” in the industry are currently all still very personnel-intensive. And in addition to the well-known problems (personnel costs and ancillary costs, training costs, absences due to illness/holidays/pregnancy, fluctuation, reliability), this also means that they have to charge higher prices and/or rent more space.
To keep up with the big boys, assuming you do a decent job, all you really need to do is the following:
- Build your own website
Gradually build a really good responsive website (optimized for mobile). There are now plenty of construction kits that do a good job. Keep it up to date (galleries, guest dates, promotions, blog posts, …), answer recurring questions all, really all there. This also saves work in communication (simply link). And a little tip: much more important than cool videos is that the website loads quickly even on cell phones with a moderate internet connection. 😉 - Every morning, every evening: Office!
Make it part of your daily routine like brushing your teeth. Simply answer all customer inquiries before the usual daily business. It’s quick, because nobody expects finished designs on the same day, but an answer is possible (“Hello …, thank you for your request. I’ll discuss it with our artist … and would get back to you tomorrow at the latest…”). - Automate as much as possible!
Many, really many things can be automated today for very little money without compromising on service or quality. We show you how to do this in our free webinars. - Your own “Image AI”
The Ink AI is of course a real excitement! And that’s certainly what brings a lot of visitors to the Inklabs website. But let’s be honest: you can (currently) achieve just as good results with a Pinterest search with 4 or 5 clicks as with an AI. In terms of copyright, both variants are on an equal footing, as the AI systems are also based on images from the Internet and are therefore NOT copyright-free, even if they have been modified by the AI. They are therefore only suggestions and inspirations and not ready-made templates. But that’s exactly what they can really help with. So why not simply send 3 or 4 images from Pinterest in response to an unspecific tattoo request to get a feel for what the customer likes? - Draw attention to yourselves!
Be creative: Insta posts, reels and stories really aren’t everything and the customers there are usually completely oversaturated. There are so many more possibilities here! Those who exchange ideas with colleagues and learn from each other have an advantage here.
Ever thought about using your customer data for targeted campaigns? We have a free webinar offer for you here too. 😉 - Don’t forget the feeling!
When customers come to you, they need to feel comfortable: from the first impression to the moment they leave your studio. Cleanliness, a unique interior design style that suits you, little touches and – last but not least – the atmosphere in your studio simply has to be good. Otherwise you can forget everything else, including your art.
Yours
