lot of changes - Salon Leader SmartStyle Employee Review

5.0
Aug 15, 2018
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

I've been with the company 2 years, Been a stylist for 10. they have made a lot of changes, but the best he's been their president of the company and changes in corporate structure. they focus hard on education for guests, and stylists as well as higher ups. they have started focusing on hiring less, but higher quality people so 1 the turnover is less , and 2 it gives you a higher chance at building a better clientele. i came into this company from both rent thinking it would last 6 months, and 2 years later im a manager with no plan to leave. also the couponing and discounting has decreased so much, and is discouraged unless promotions are being ran which is awesome

Cons

it is what you make of it. if you want to sit around and wait for people to walk through the door, you'll always make minimum wage. if you take it upon yourself to decide you're going to treat yourself like a professional and respect yourself and your profession, your ability to make 50% is easy even in a lower volume salon like ours. people will tell you the biggest con in smartstyle is minimum wage pay. truth is, like in any salon if you do qualify consultations, charge what you're worth, and treat yourself like you own your own business, the money will roll on a lot faster, and a lot easier

Explore other reviews about SmartStyle

5.0
Nov 17, 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Lenient dress code, ample access to new clientele, video library to expand skills and product knowledge, PTO and benefits

Cons

The salons are almost always short staffed

1.0
Jan 26, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

None, none, none, none, none

Cons

This workplace runs on vibes, guesswork, and unanswered messages. Upper Management had an impressive talent for being completely unreachable while simultaneously expecting miracles. Responses took days — sometimes weeks — but urgency was always your problem. Hiring approvals were blocked or endlessly delayed, leaving teams severely understaffed while leadership sat comfortably on the sidelines asking why things weren’t running perfectly. Accountability flowed strictly downward. Authority? None. Support? Cosmetic at best. Problems were ignored until they became emergencies, at which point they were blamed on the people who had been begging for help all along. Communication was inconsistent, expectations were unclear, and burnout was treated like a personal weakness instead of a predictable outcome of chronic mismanagement. If you enjoy being set up to fail, blamed for systemic issues, and gaslit into thinking you didn’t “try hard enough,” this is absolutely the place for you. Otherwise, save yourself the stress and look elsewhere.

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