Tattoo Bob's

(Tattoo Bob's is now Evolve Tattoo & Piercing, just an FYI for anyone looking for the old name.)

I'll do the pros first, because I really really want to be able to give this place more stars. I really do, because the guys working there (can't remember their names) were nice and conversational, and in terms of piercing safety, they're fine. The price was really what drew me in; you can't get $10 piercings anywhere else.

But as much as I was glad to get a piercing for such an awesome price, I couldn't ignore all the cons that kept popping up. There were two overall bigguns that got me: While the guys there were conversational, they took FOREVER. The entire time my piercer pierced the women waiting ahead of me, he kept stopping to talk to his coworker. It happened again when I went up to the counter, paid for my piercings (a 3rd set of lobes)...and waited to sign my form while the piercer started talking to a woman next to me who'd just walked in. She was clearly a friend, but it seemed incredibly unprofessional to me, and took up extra time.

The second big thing that stood out was that they NEED to hire more people, and/or have more space designated for piercings. When the shop opened at 12, there was one guy working, and about 6 or 7 people milling around waiting to get something done. When I came back around 2:45, his coworker had come in as well, but because there's only one chair used for piercings, I had to wait until my piercer finally got done with the women before me.

And this is based on personal preference, but I really don't like the open design of the shop. It just makes the experience feel far less private and personalized, and a lot more uncomfortable. Maybe it's just because I've only ever been to closed-room shops before this (Blue Lotus and Affliction in Madison), but I was not a fan.

EDIT: Earlier, I posted about how great and safe the piercings I got were, but I want to retract that. I did have some issues with a reeeeeally long healing time, as well as inflammation/irritation a couple months after the fact. It could've been my fault, but it could also have been partly the shop's. $10 piercings, after all, are not necessarily the most sterile thing in the world.

Overall, I really wish I could give Evolve more positivity, but the slowness and lack of professionalism of the employees, combined with the shop's design, just completely turned me off. It was a good place to go for a cheap piercing, but I don't think I'll be going back again--I'd much rather hit up a more professional, client-focused place, clearly sterile place like Blue Lotus or Affliction in the future.