Pros
The pay is decent if you work at a high-volume studio, but don't expect to understand the pay structure.
Cons
I am utterly disgusted by my experience with Removery. This organization operates on a foundation of deceit, manipulation, and disregard for the well-being of its employees and clients alike. First and foremost, Removery shamelessly gaslights its employees. Management turns a blind eye to valid concerns raised by staff, brushing them off as insignificant or non-existent. They create an environment where speaking up against injustices is met with hostility and retaliation. I was told multiple times by my direct supervisor when bringing up valid concerns, “If you don’t like it, leave.” Client satisfaction is nothing but an afterthought for Removery. Instead of prioritizing quality laser treatments to clients who are actually good candidates for laser tattoo removal, they relentlessly push their employees to prioritize sales over everything else. Clients are sold “Complete Removal Packages” despite whether or not their skin type or tattoos actually allow for complete removal. This obsession with profit margins comes at the expense of delivering the level of service promised to clients, leaving them feeling deceived and dissatisfied. On several occasions, I’ve had difficult conversations with clients that were promised impossible results, and were rightfully upset when those expectations were not met. Moreover, Removery overworks its employees to the point of absolute exhaustion. The relentless pressure to squeeze in as many 15 minute appointments as possible in an 8-hour work day leads to intense burnout and a staggering turnover rate. Over the past couple of weeks, my direct supervisor has been forcing my team to shorten the length of appointments and delete break/room turnover blocks on the schedule, with no regard to the amount of time a client actually needs, or to allow laser specialists a moment to use the restroom or get caught up on paperwork. Laser specialists are still expected to start new clients same day as their consultation, despite having a fully stacked treatment schedule, causing previously scheduled clients to wait unnecessarily. But who cares? Removery already has their money. It's clear that both employee well-being and client satisfaction are sacrificed at the altar of corporate greed. Safety concerns are simply brushed aside by Removery. Broken or ineffective goggles are the norm, putting employees at risk of eye injury every day. Recently, we switched goggle brands, and the new goggles last a couple months at best in a high volume studio. When the correct steps to obtain replacement goggles are followed, we’re blamed and given a fraction of the equipment we need. Furthermore, there is a culture of brushing sexual misconduct under the rug at Removery. Every laser specialist I know has had an experience with a client or coworker engaging in inappropriate behavior - whether its sexually charged comments, inappropriate displays, even unsolicited and unwanted touching. When these issues are brought to management’s attention, they are ignored, or the complainant is blamed or gaslit. This behavior comes straight from the highest level of the company, with even its current COO guilty of disturbingly inappropriate behavior. For a self-proclaimed progressive company, It's abundantly clear that employee safety is not a priority. The pay structure at Removery is a convoluted mess, changing with alarming frequency and leaving employees in a constant state of financial insecurity. In the 3 years that I’ve devoted to this company, the pay structure has changed 5 times. The minimum collections that we were required to make to earn bonus increased rapidly from $6,000, to $9,000, to $12,000 in a matter of months. Then, the entire structure was overhauled and framed as good news. The hourly pay was higher, but our ability to earn bonus was destroyed, amounting to a 20k a year cut in pay. The newest change to pay is based on several KPIs, including number of reviews, and submissions of media for marketing (On top of the already unreasonable workload, studio workers are now doing another department’s job for them.) Even when all KPIs are met, the bonus has not once reflected what we should have made, as explained to us by upper management. This lack of transparency only adds to the anxiety and stress already prevalent in the workplace. The turnover rate at Removery is shockingly high, and for good reason. Employees are treated as disposable commodities, with no regard for their well-being or job satisfaction. It's a revolving door of disillusioned individuals who quickly realize that Removery is not a place where they can thrive or grow. I’ve even seen a conceringly high turnover rate of upper management with frequent layoffs and firings. My region has had 5 regional managers in 3 years. The difference in the way that laser specialists and sales consultants are treated is astronomical. Laser specialists are expected to work like machines, taking on more clients, more paperwork, and more responsibility constantly, while sales consultants literally nap, go shopping, run errands, etc. on the clock with zero repercussions. This business cannot function without those with the expertise to perform the service they’re selling, but are consistently treated with less respect and are compensated significantly less than sales consultants. But what's even more appalling is the blatant favoritism shown towards employees who blindly conform to the toxic culture perpetuated by Removery. Those who drink the Kool-Aid are rewarded, while dissenters are systematically pushed out. I’ve never experienced such an extreme lack of basic human decency from upper management in my decades of work experience. The really sad part of this review is that I loved the work itself. The science is fascinating, and I did love my clients and really enjoyed caring for them. The clinical leadership team is nothing short of incredible, and remains the very best part of this otherwise rotten company. In conclusion, I urge anyone considering working with or for Removery to proceed with extreme caution. This is a company that values profit over people, where toxicity and exploitation reign supreme. Save yourself the anguish and look elsewhere for employment or services.
