I went in today and it was a horrible expirence I had a appointment at 2 pm and I got there at 1:55 to not have any problems and the artist is still working on another client so I had to wait to like 2:20 then he comes and ask for my ID and me thinking were already set and ready to tattoo I didnt bring it I brought as less things as possible to attempt to have a comfortable tatt session so bottom line I didnt have my ID but he didnt have a problem taking the money the day before when I set the appointment he should of checked it right there and then or else why even take the money if you cant tattoo and they asked me about my other tattoos i had got in the past at other shops so obviously am over 18 and while am waiting for someone to bring my ID to the shop the older guy starts talking shit about a customer that had just left infront of me making it so awkward an uncomfortable than it already was before that the older guy kept saying smart ass remarks and am thinking to myself "can you just shut the hell up everything about you is just all bad" real shitty shop and they wanna charge 150 a hour cash only trippen plus my relative calls them tempting to have a normal adult conversation about the situation I got put in even tho all I wanted was a tattoo and the old guy starts cursing at them never going back to this place Read Less

Perrin is an awesome artist with a lot of talent. If you're looking for a good tattoo, he's one to go to. HOWEVER, leaving the shop I caught the owner taking a picture of my boobs. I thought this was highly unprofessional considering how much he was talking about being a professional business (as he would not allow my friend to get a tattoo because she didn't have ID and did not want to risk getting in trouble). Definitely rubbed me the wrong way that someone who was old enough to be my dad would take a picture of a teenager. So ladies, if you prefer to go to Perrin (great artist!! Lol) and not have a picture of your boobs taken without your consent by the owner, I suggest to cover up or know how to uppercut right to the fuckin nuts. Perverts will be perverts lmao. Read Less

I just experienced one of the best examples of customer service I've ever had but I'm getting ahead of myself so let me rewind. I had my ear pierced a few years ago and never bothered to change out my jewelry. About a week and a half ago I realized a Stone was missing. It was finally time to replace it. A few days of struggling with it myself, a few days of procrastination and I finally landed back at staircase desperate to fix the little piece of metal that was catching on everything. I thought it would be a quick in and out of the shop kind of fix but of course not. Somehow in the years between getting my ear pierced and landing back at the shop, I'd managed to screw something up. Long story short, it was stuck and no amount of prying, wiggling or cussing seemed to make it budge.  I was admittedly a little embarrassed that I managed to get myself into the predicament. I still don't know how or why it was stuck so badly. I was desperate and my savior was frustrated but he was soooo nice to me. I even offered to go buy some bolt cutters if he would just help me snip it off. I was so worried that he'd give up and I'd be stuck with this stupid piece of metal attached to my ear but he didn't give up. He tried everything and he FINALLY got it off and I am sooo grateful. He didn't even charge me for his time and I honestly cannot thank him enough. If you're looking for an experienced person to give you excellent customer service that doesn't leave you feeling like an idiot, then I highly recommend staircase tattoo and piercing. I failed to ask his name but I'm pretty sure I heard someone call him Tom. (Bonus: he's also really cute.) Read Less

I was a walk in and I believe perrin was the name was able to do my tatts right after his current client and I only had to wait around 10 min and the sketch he drew was perfect  whole tattoo took around 10 minutes for both in total and good pricing not to mention the tattooer dude was super chill Read Less

Got my nose pierced here by Tom about 2 years ago, soon after the hole in my nose shrank due to my doing and came back to get it stretched back to normal size and Tom was the one who was there again! Don’t have enough positive things to say about this place, 100% recommend getting pierced by Tom, he’s very knowledgeable and has a gentle hand! Read Less

my experience was a while ago but for my 30th birthday I went to Staircase to get my tongue pierced, I was so nervous but the guy there was great walked me right through the whole thing didn't feel a thing and that night I was eating pizza. I loved my experience and I would recommend this place to any one that is looking for any piercings Read Less

My daughter and I found these guys on Yelp. We called  to find out if we needed an appointment, no appointment. We went in and was greeted by Bella, very nice and very professional. There were a couple of people in front of us, no worries they have a very comfortable place to hang out and wait. Tom was our piercer, he was great, patient and very knowledgable. We had a great experience here and highly recommend them!! Read Less

Best place in Santa Cruz to get pierced!!! I got my philtrum (medusa) and eyebrow pierced here by the same person (I forgot his name but he has really big gauges!). He's really good at what he does, he's quick and safe and helpful if you're pretty anxious like I was! I felt like I was in good hands, and both piercings turned out super awesome--no infections or major swelling or issues like that. I would hiiiiighly recommend getting pierced here! Read Less

I had a great experience with Luis who did my butterflies on my foot, which I thought would hurt real bad but Luis musta had a light hand cuz it didn't hurt me as much as I thought it would. I will be following Luis where ever he may go I believe I found my tattoo artist that I trust enough to keep going back to him he's great at what he does and I trust him just from one visit. Read Less

Never have I ever thought I would break down and get a tattoo but that day came and went. I decided, on somewhat of a whim, to get not one but TWO tattoos here in my favorite place of all time, Santa Cruz. I was out to lunch with my family and asked one of the wait staff what the best tattoo shop in town was and low and behold, it happened to be Staircase. After lunch I stopped by and talked to Lil Jen, who helped me book an appointment for the following afternoon.I did research and was a tad bit nervous!She was so kind and friendly and made sure to answer all of my questions. Clean, sanitized, and hygienic shop with great decor. Definitely plan on coming here again for my next tattoo! Read Less

Best place to get pierced! The piercer was the most friendly and fun guy to talk to and work with. Extremely knowledgeable and an expert in his field. I had my lobes double pierced and my conch and didn't hurt at all. Awesome place!! Read Less

We were fit into the schedule very last minute to get matching best friend tattoos. It was such a great experience and we felt very welcomed. Great service, great artists, overall great experience. Oh, and our pizza tattoos look great! Read Less

I was in town for a couple days and decided to stop by staircase to get some new ink. I know staircase is a pretty busy shop but they actually had time for me being a walk-in, no appointment. An artist named Jen drew up what I wanted and even worked with me on the design, figuring out what would look best. Jen is an amazing artist, super friendly, very professional and most important really good at tattooing. :) I would definitely recommend her an of course staircase to anyone. Read Less

Perrin just finished doing tattoos for my friend and me.  He was so incredibly nice and patient and did a fabulous job.  He spent a long time with each of us ensuring that we had it placed where we wanted it and that it was the right size.  He even offered to touch up an old tattoo for me on the spot.  Super friendly and made us feel comfortable.  I do have to say that when we first went into the shop to check it out we almost left because the person at the front desk (the piercing desk?) was so dismissive and rude  Luckily we stayed and noticed the tattoo artist who talked to us for a minute. Noticed all the one star reviews on here are all about the rude customer service!  Don't let that scare you away from Perrin's amazing work and wonderful attitude. Read Less

Absolutely an amazing experience. Little Jenny nailed it!! Everyone was very helpful and friendly. The shop was clean and comfortable. I felt like one of the family. I have found my "forever artist"!! Thanks guys, love ya Jen! Read Less

When I was 19, I went to Staircase to get my tongue pierced. The man working there took a look inside my mouth and told me he couldn't do it, because my teeth were very soft and that I'd bang the enamel off them within a few years and all my teeth would fall out. I never went to anyone else and I never had it done - my dentists have all agreed that a tongue piercing would have been catastrophic... I don't have any idea if that man still works there to this day, but I'll always be grateful of his integrity, and the fact that he told me the truth instead of just taking my money. Read Less

My friend and I came in to get piercings, I got my cartilage and my friend got Her septum, ALANA was such an amazing piercer. She was so detailed and walked us through every step! She was very professional, highly recommend! They also have a great selection of jewelry! Read Less

After looking around SC to see where I can get my nose pierced, I ended up deciding to come here due to Mission Street having a huge line waiting list of about 2.5 hours. I waited about 30 minutes before even being acknowledged. The piercer was nice and the process was pretty quick. I love how my piercing came out but the service overall was meh. Read Less

Every once in a while I end up trying Staircase again... Only to find that the staff still have a very 1990's attitude about their shop and customer service (insert aloof, elitist, pompous). It's boring and not good for business. My advice is to go to one of the many other shops in SC that have friendly, knowledgeable, talented, and interested artists and counter customer service. Read Less

I loved my experience with my first tattoo! They were really nice and helpful with easing the nerves. They were very respectful with what you wanted. My friend designed my tattoo and the tattoo artist was kind enough to copy it onto my back. it's beautiful. love it so much. Read Less

I had an amazing first tattoo experience with Perrin! He's super accommodating and helpful when it comes to revising your tattoo. We came in with the words we wanted and the flower, but no sketch. He pulled up some images on Google and asked us which flower we liked and wrote the words and sketched the flowers beautifully!There is a $100 minimum for tattoos. My aunt and I paid $100 base price for the words and $20 more for the flower. The procedure took about 20 minutes and, although it hurt, I prepared myself for it and just focused on my breathing! Perrin was very honest with how he was going to go about the tattoo and had me ready for everything he was about to do. His artwork is amazing and you can definitely tell he's a talented artist.I highly recommend him! He's super sweet and, when someone's talking to you while you're getting tattooed, it really helps to get your mind off things. Read Less

I got a cartilage piercing here this morning and had an excellent experience. The guy told me I couldn't get a bar piercing because my ears just aren't shaped right (womp womp) but suggested an upper cartilage stud, which turned out to be awesome. I chose the jewelry (a neat iridescent purple), he sterilized it and his equipment while I filled out paperwork, he helped me decide where on my ear to put it, then we chatted while he did the piercing, which was surprisingly not painful--on the same scale as getting a shot at the doctor. Now that I know how easy it was, I want to get more piercings!Don't forget to tip! Cash only (but there's an ATM inside). Read Less

I'm the type of person that is generally terrified of tattoo parlors. However, when I was in college I decided that I could not go on living a fulfilling life without a navel piercing. I did my research of local shops and word of mouth brought me here.This shop is not creepy like the aforementioned shops I steer clear of. The staff is professional and the facility is clean. While the pricing is a little higher than the average shop, you get good service. I don't know about you but I'd rather get a proper clean piercing and pay a little extra than end up with an infection that will cost even more to treat. This probably varied by anatomy, but my navel piercing was painless! I actually thought my technician hadn't done the procedure yet when he was through. Very quick & easy process.The shop has a good assortment of navel rings. I chose white gold for around $40 & I've never needed to replace it after years of wear. Come here for your piercing needs! Read Less

I've only had piercings done here so far, so I can't comment on the tattoo aspect of the shop. What I can say is that every time I've been pierced here, I've been treated respectfully; I really value this, as folks in this business can be real asshats. Their piercers are very professional, skillful and knowledgeable. It's very private and clean. Read Less