Inksmith Tattoo and Piercing — Local services in Louisville

Came here a few weeks ago to get my ears pierced. The website says that if you call ahead you can get a free piercing with the purchase of jewelry and a tip. I called and was told that this didn't apply to earlobes and that it would cost $30 to get my lobes pierced plus the cost of jewelry which on average was $15(not even close to accurate). I went with my mom and a family friend so they could help me pick out the earrings. Once I got there I was told that it was actually $30 per piercing so for both ears it would be $60. I was talking with the owner, Denice, and she was incredibly condescending and difficult to talk to. I mentioned at first that I would like black earrings but after being lectured on why black earrings can only be made from this specific, expensive, metal I said that I wasn't too picky about the color since I can just change them once it's healed. She proceeded to ignore this and only show me black earrings, frequently going back to this one pair of probably the smallest studs I've ever seen (that also cost $50 each, $100 for the pair). It honestly felt like she wouldn't even listen to me when I tried to explain the style of earring that I wanted. She flat out refused to listen to anything my mother or friend had to say since they weren't the ones getting the piercing, but would then talk to me like I was a child who had no idea what I was talking about. I mentioned my concern over the price and she said that anywhere that I went that was cheaper would be second rate and would probably give me an infection. The entire time she talked as if they were the only shop I would find that had any kind of piercing certification and were the only ones who would use aseptic techniques(something that any decent piercer will do). Overall a terrible experience that left us incredibly tense and frustrated. I would absolutely not feel comfortable having her pierce my ears. I ended up going to another shop in the area with a much nicer piercer who had just as many, if not more, piercing certifications, was super comforting and patient, wasn't completely full of himself, and only charged me $45 for both piercings and the jewelry. And surprise, surprise, he did a great job and my ears have yet to fall off...

Edit: This review is 100% my own words, my mother didn't even know I was writing it. And yeah, she was giving her opinion on what was going on, which is why I brought her with me. It was you however, who was interrupting me and wouldn't let me talk. I honestly don't know how you can describe our exit as "storming off" since I was very polite with you the entire time. I visited your shop a month ago and was definitely there for more than 5 minutes since I really did want to give you a shot. I also don't follow you on Facebook so I don't know where you are getting that from. Your website says "please call the studio to schedule your FREE piercing with Jaycie" under her bio, this is what I was referring to and it was confirmed that she does free piercings by whoever answered the phone when I called. It's clear from other reviews that you can't handle any kind of negative feedback. Maybe if you learned to actually listen to people instead of dismissing any and all criticism then you would have fewer bad reviews in the future. It's never too late to improve yourself, Denice. I wish...

Strong caution for parents: Do not bring your children here.

As parents, we always strive to create joyful and memorable experiences for our children, such as celebrating the milestone of their first earrings. It’s with a heavy heart that I must share our deeply unsettling experience at Inksmith Tattoo and Piercing in Louisville, hoping to spare other families the distress we endured.

We arrived on time for our 4 PM appointment, but weren't acknowledged until 4:20 PM. Right away, the staff aggressively tried to upsell us, pushing earrings priced at $100 that looked worth no more than $5, and items marked $500 that seemed worth $20 at most. Their visible irritation when we hesitated only intensified the pushy salesmanship that defined the rest of our visit. They get away with this because you have to choose their earrings, but there's no justification for such extreme overpricing.

The situation deteriorated rapidly when the staff, including one of the owners, Danice Powers, repeatedly scolded our young children for minor movements. Our kids were already clam and on their iPads and still, yet the reprimands continued relentlessly. The most disheartening moment came when we were told to remove our children from the store and wait outside, a directive that was both humiliating and unreasonable.

By 5 PM, an hour past our scheduled time, after a short discussion outside about whether to proceed given the hostile atmosphere, I requested our daughter be brought out so we could leave. Instead of accommodating this simple request, Danice herself confronted me. She handled our daughter roughly and pushed me multiple times outside the store while loudly berating me in front of her. This level of aggression was shocking and completely inappropriate, especially in the presence of a child.

Attempting to address this behavior over the phone later only invited further aggression from Danice’s husband, confirming that our negative experience was reflective of the establishment's overall attitude and not merely an isolated incident.

This visit was intended to be a special moment for our children, but instead, it was marred by fear and mistreatment. The aggressive behavior and physical confrontations were utterly unacceptable, especially in a professional setting meant to ensure safety and comfort.

Please, fellow parents, consider this experience before deciding to visit Inksmith Tattoo and Piercing. What was supposed to be a delightful family outing turned into a scenario of intimidation and disrespect. Clearly, this establishment is not equipped with the decorum or empathy required to serve families appropriately.

To the owners, Danice and her husband: please reconsider how you handle young families. Expecting children as young as four and seven to wait over an hour and then stand still on a sidewalk for an extended period is not only unreasonable but also shows a lack of empathy and professionalism. This practice might be overlooked in a medical or strictly adult setting, but it is entirely inappropriate here. Every child’s first significant memory should be joyful, not traumatic. How many other families will endure this before you recognize the lasting impact of...

Ok, so after reading all the negative reviews (and the responses from the owner). I have decided I would share my input. So as a lot of people have stated, the prices are high and I COMPLETELY understand that you guys use high quality blah blah but I have gone to many different places and gotten beautiful high quality jewelry and had perfect piercings from other places that didn’t cost half as much as this place. But the prices aren’t what really upset me...it’s the owner/ main piercer that bug me. I have been to Inksmith for two different piercings and one jewelry change. The first piercing Denise was very rude to my mother and sister and talked to me like I was a 5 year old. We were simply asking questions and she was very demeaning to my mother. I was nervous and didn’t really notice until we left and my mother had already paid. That was about 2 years ago I think. The second piercing was done almost a month ago. And let me first clarify that this has nothing to do with Denise’s skills only her attitude. I went with my mother again on my birthday. She was INCREDIBLY rude to my mother for asking questions about jewelry and a piercing that she wanted. There was no need to be rude, all she was doing was asking about prices and what not. (My mother also ACCIDENTALLY called the piercing she wanted by the incorrect name and Denise was so incredibly rude it almost made me leave). She would talk to me like I had no idea about any type of piercing or how to take care of one. (I’m no expert but I do know a few things). I eventually told my mom to just not say anything else because it was making me very uncomfortable how mean she was being to my mother. We have spent a lot of money there and my sister has had all her tattoos done there as well. It’s a shame that the owner doesn’t know how to be kind to her costumers. This isn’t just my opinion either, I have coworkers who have also gone here and said that Denis is very rude to parents and not friendly in general. Although I won’t be spending anymore money here, I would like to state once more that the quality was not an issue, it was the way we have been treated. Patiently waiting for a response.

Edit: My response to the owner. I am in fact, not a minor first off. I also waited a month because I felt it was unnecessary until I heard from a friend who went in recently receiving the same attitude. Thank you for your response but me nor my mother will be returning. I was hopeful that a second time as returning customers we would be treated with more respect but, we were not.

P.S Me (nor anyone I know) has come Into the shop with disrespect which means we should not have...