If I could give it zero stars I would - Hair Stylist SmartStyle Employee Review

1.0
May 30, 2015
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

It's easy to build a client base.

Cons

•Pay-they are supposed to pay base pay plus tips but they take the electronic tips out of your check. I am a single mom with 2 kids. Working 40+ hours a week and got $400 pay checks. •Management- they don't care about their stylists. We formally complained so many times about our former manager, clients did as well, and since she was friends with corporate she got away with everything. •Scheduling- our manager was changing the schedule multiple times a week, sometimes even daily. Without notifying us. •Salon-our salon was the forgotten one. Falling apart. The floors were gross no matter how often we cleaned them. •Commission-they make it impossible to hit commission goals. So you stay on base pay. •Staff- they keep the salons understaffed. There were so many days I didn't get even a bathroom break all day.

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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