headphone wearing artists?

I was wondering if anyone has experience with their artists wearing headphones to listen to music while working on paying customers. As an owner or customer, anybody have any thoughts on this?

Well, its a bit rude, obviously. As a customer I would be a little put out. On the other hand, if thats what it takes for the artist to get into their "zone" and they are doing a great tattoo on me, then its acceptable. The artist is wasting a great oppertunity to "befriend" the client and insure repeat business, but then again, the artist is getting paid to do a tattoo not make firends and their work *should* be enough motovation for the client to return. It seems like part of the job of the tattoo artist is to check in with the client, see how they are doing, and help them get through the pain a bit. Wearing headphones obviously disconnects the artist from the client quite a bit. So, it isnt going to be as fun of a time for the client, and the artist is losing an oppertunity to insure repeat business. If the artist is really polite about it (ie "Hey there customer, how are ya. Do you mind if I blast this death metal in my head so I can get into my zone and dont disturb you?" and then checks in occasionaly and is still in tune to the customers condition) it might be acceptable. If the artist is going out of there way to disconnect with the client, then their artwork better be real real sharp to make up for it. Tattooing is, after all, a "service business" as well as an artform, so anything a tattoo artist lacks in the service part better be made up for in the art part.

I have in my studio music in the lobby area and on each room where my tattoo artist are working I have tv and stereo system for the client relaxation and we ask the client first if they want to watch TV or listen to music and what type of music they want and since I have all type of workers from all types of ethnic background we try to keep it up to date with music and in our daycare we have toys for the kids of the clients to play with and they are all safe to play with. The reason I have all these things is to keep our clients comfortable while they are getting their tattoo I really think it is rude for a tattoo artist to put on a head set while working on a client since some times the client wants to talk to you and give you some input on what they want even after they had desided on what they wanted on the tattoo and how can you hear what the client has to say or the sound that the guns make if you are so into those head sets. You as a client have the rites to ask your artist to remove the head sets and tell them that is rude of him or her to do that. I pretty sure that if you tell them to take it off they will or risk losing the client. Take care I hope I was of some sort of help to you.

hey guys thanks for the input, gabe's reply was a help to see if from the art vs service angle. The guy in question does have the art skills, but if a customer does not come back, it just doesnt hurt that artist himself by losing repeat business, I think it could hurt the shop as a whole because the disgruntled client would just talk badly of the whole place, " Ah, dont go there, they're all dicks". chino, thank you too, it does help to hear I am not being out of place to ask the artists to not wear them. You have tv and stereos for the clients PLUS daycare?!!! You really try to make them at ease. nice.