Somebody messages a studio with a photograph of an old scar and asks whether it can be covered. Another asks about a patch of skin that flares up occasionally. A third mentions a condition and asks whether it is a problem.
None of these can be answered from a message, and all three will go to whichever studio gives them a confident yes.
The checklist
Handle these properly and the right clients book.
1. Say plainly that it needs seeing
That skin cannot be assessed from a photograph and that a short consultation establishes it. Honest, and it converts better than a guess.
2. Offer a consultation specifically for it
Free or low cost, brief, with no obligation. It is the correct answer and almost no studio offers it as a named thing.
3. Explain the scar question generally
That it depends on the scar, its age, how it healed and its texture, and that some take ink differently. Described generally and never about a specific person's skin.
4. Say that time matters
That fresh scarring is usually not tattooed and that studios have their own position on how long is needed. It is the most common version of this question.
5. Explain the condition position
That anybody with a skin condition should speak to their own clinician, and that the studio will assess the area on the day. Never an opinion about whether a condition is a problem.
6. Explain the flare up position
That an area which is currently affected will not be worked on, and what happens if it appears on the day. It manages an appointment that may not proceed.
7. Explain the mole and lesion position
That studios do not tattoo over moles or anything they are unsure about, and that anything changing should be seen by a clinician. Stated plainly and without alarm.
8. Explain what happens if the studio declines
That the deposit position is fair, that it is not a judgement and what the alternatives might be, which is the handling in design consultation and custom work enquiries.
9. Explain the stretch mark and surgical scar cases
Generally, because they are the most common enquiries after old injuries, and each needs assessment.
10. Never diagnose anything
Not from a photograph, not from a description, not ever. A studio assesses whether skin is suitable to tattoo and nothing else, which is the boundary in referral and medical condition enquiries handled safely.
11. Explain what a realistic result looks like
Where skin is uneven, textured or discoloured, honestly. Managing the expectation is more important here than anywhere else in the trade.
12. Capture the right information
What the area is, how long it has been there, whether it is currently affected and whether a clinician is involved. Facts rather than an assessment.
13. Escalate anything medical to a person
Immediately, with a recommendation to see their own clinician where relevant.
14. Answer these enquiries at any hour without assessing
Because they arrive privately at night from people who have thought about it for years, which is the structured capture in receptionist screening questions and the brief taking in tattoo booking enquiries without a design or size.
Getting started
Publish that suitability needs seeing, offer a short consultation and capture the facts at any hour without assessing anything. SpideyChat for studios and salons answers from your published pages. Try SpideyChat on your own site, or read about routing on the features page.