Ehhhh - Anonymous employee SmartStyle Employee Review

3.0
Sep 11, 2017
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

It's a pretty laid back environment, and it would be great for new stylists just trying to get some extra experience.

Cons

You're told that you'll make comission on what you do and that the least you'll earn is a base pay of $7.25, but you have to jump through a million hoops and have an insane clientele if you even want to hope to make commission. People very rairly tip more than $5, even for a full head of color and highlights. And it's a hassle to get any of your online logins once you just start the job.

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