If you're really desperate and want your mental and physical health to decline... - Stylist SmartStyle Employee Review

2.0
Sep 9, 2014
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

You're guaranteed minimum wage, so if you're just starting out or are new to the area, it's an okay place to get your speed up.

Cons

People shop in Walmart for deals, so it's rare to get people coming in when they don't have a coupon and it's nearly impossible to build a clientele based on coupons.. People think you're a Walmart associate, rather than a professional stylist. You're hours are going to be all over the place. The salon looks like it's been decorated by a kindergartener. Walmart dictates a lot that you can do in the salon (no cordless phones which sucks on Saturdays, and no fridge for the backroom). I've worked for sister salons in the company, and this is by far the worst experience.

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.

See reviews by: Helpful|Rating|Date|All