Used and Abused. - Anonymous employee SmartStyle Employee Review

2.0
26 Oct 2014
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

I loved the fact that you were covered under the company's insurance as long as you followed proper instructions when using chemicals. I say this bc if you're a self employed cosmetologist all lawsuits and complaints are handled directly by you and i didn't have that kind of money or resources to defend myself if this was to occur. They also give free training when they can. You receive bonuses when goals are met. They are always having contests going on for top stylists which makes you want to work hard to win.

Cons

They set goals that often felt unrealistic and it seemed like we had to scam people into getting more services than they came in for originally. That made work feel like sales and that's not what i signed up for. The particular store i worked at was on the outs, but I brought her back to life with my skill and proper training of my crew. I was salon manager for a year, but my district leader was behind on entering my start date into the system which caused me to miss my annual bonus by only 2days!

Explore other reviews about SmartStyle

5.0
17 Nov 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
26 Jan 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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