Great Clips review: employment 69

I have managed for Great Clips for 14 years. i think most of the complaints are legitimate complaints. They just have a bad franchisee. I was also a manager for another large corporation and of the two Great Clips far excels over the others. Great Clips corporation sets only guide lines for the franchisee. Since they are independently owned Great Clips can only dictate certain things. Great Clips corporation has no control over salaries or benefits, all they can do is give guidelines to make the franchisee successful. Whether or not they use the guidelines is up to them. Great Clips also gives each salon a Quality Service Review (QSR). Someone from corporate comes to the salons on an average of every 6 month, pulls reports and gives suggestions to the manager, general manager, or franchisee on how to make the salon run more efficiently. They suggest number of staff for the customer count and scheduling to not be over or understaffed. As for breaks you work a 6 hour shift you should get a 10 minute break. If you work an 8 hour shift you should get a 10 minute break the first 4 hours and a 10 minute break the second half of the shift with a 30 minute lunch break in the middle. Great Clips receives a franchisee fee which is a small percentage of the sales. So they want the franchise to work. Also if the franchisee is to far out of the guidelines Great Clips can take everything away that has Great Clips on it. Mirrors, Products, signage etc. The franchise will be terminated. If you are unhappy blame the franchisee not Great Clips. There are bad franchisee's out there, but there are more good ones. Look around.

When I first applied I thought the whole thing was sooo sketchy and i was right...They make you sign a phone book full of papers, and one saying theyre aloud to fire you at any time for any reason..sketchy!..and just watching their videos I thought it was some brain wash material, everyone in the video seemed robot like..So once I started it got a little better..but then they started cutting down my hours, and my days..I was only working part time..The bosses wife was a nightmare..All she did was sit in front of the cameras and watch our every move, the minute someone walked in and made a mistake shes on the phone calling the salon to scream and holler at the stylist..She was constantly hollering and screaming at everyone..Then she started with me..I came in 5 min before my time and she claimed I was late because their rule was be there 10 min before..I was 5 min before..She hung up after hollering at me and then called back to accuse me of hanging up on her..I got fired that same day..And when I called corporate to file a complaint about her they said they couldnt get involved because they are a franchise and its between me and my employer..So I was pretty much beat..They say they value their customers..um not really because by them firing their good hairstylists customers are left looking else where for stylist and they should treat their employees with more care because theyre the ones bringing the customers in..And for corporate to say they cant get involved? theyre pretty much just disregarding the fact that us as hairstylist are bieng treated like dirt and constantly harrassed...So far my Experience working for Great Clips has been Horrible, Bad, and Regret working for them for sure!

[censored] customers! We stylists didn't come up with the stupid [censor] ad! You [censor] can walk right in sit your [censor] down and complain in the corporate [censor]ing office!

These complaints are WONDERFUL HAHA. Let me tell you, first of all this (love hair) person is ridiculous! There is noooo way I would make it without my husband! The pay is very low also raises! What raises, they don't exist. They say you can make your paycheck more if you sell more product and do more shampoos HAHAHA. Did these people not hear the economy is bad! Who the hell wants to pay 15-20 dollars on shampoo or any other product! Give me a break!

I totally agree with the (welcome to Great Clips) wouldn't a customer want a more personal greeting such as Hello so and so how r u? I don't sat welcome to anything! It is not what I would choose to great someone. Some customers make jokes and say it faster than you can turn around! Who made this rule? Is your head up your [censor]?
I would also like these damn corporate people to update the clothing requirements, I think this has never changed since great clips came about! I want to know what is wrong with corduroys? Why can't I wear suede shoes? We Are NOT WORKING IN A CORPORATE OFFICE) WE ARE CUTTING HAIR! I also agree with how owners of the shop do not appreciate their employees, did they forget that we are the ones providing a service for their company that they are not able to do? How many owners can cut hair? Don't forget to appreciate your EMPLOYEES!

his tail?

Hey greatprincess, you are one out of a thousand that work in a good location...or you have drank the coolaid.

I was a manager at Great Clips and after reading the comments I have to tell you it is designed to make you feel like you are reaching for a goal but the goals are rediculas. The owners dont realize it because most of them have never done hair. Do not feel inadequate if you did not reach the goals. I constantly set them higher and to keep people on their toes. It is a terrible place to work there is no incentive and everyone is disposable even the managers. There is no loyalty or thanx. You work your but off because the owner or invester has been told he doesnt need to know anything about the hair business and the corporation likes it better when they don't know anything because they can tell them a that if they follow their program they will get rich. It is a scam! and alot of investers have lost their [censor] . The Great Clip corporation will tell them you do not need to work in the store or even be there, just hire a manager and then just pick your money up at the bank. Are you all stupid? Who is successful at a business they know nothing about? Then when they are not getting rich like they were promised they think maybe the stylist aren't cutting fast enough, or maybe my manager is no good. The stylist are not the problem and the owners can't figure it out because when they call the corp. for answers they make excuses like"You must not be following the program" It is a scam. The corporation was started by two people who nothing about the hair industry. The logic if you read the franchise package is all about fast service and fast money.They are advising investers the wrong way. They say haircuts and perms are the most requested services. NOWAY! and we know that as hair stylist but we have two choices 1.) Get paid by the hour and just be lazy because we know its going to be slow so we can relax. or 2.) Move on where we can make some real money. Great Clips is a joke the only people getting rich are the coporation ownes. I feel sorry for all you investers but you get what you deserve because you just want to use us to get rich !LOL!THE JOKE IS ON YOU OWNERS, FRANCHIEES YOU WILL NEVER GET RICH WITH A GREAT CLIPS SALON!LOL!

I am sorry to inform all of you. Great Clips is a scam. The only people who make money are the corporation at Great Clips. They have formed a system that does not work for anyone but them. They tell investers that they do not need to anything about hair to be an owner. Right there should be a RED FLAG. I have seen atleast three Great Clips close becuse of this... investers did not know anything about the industy. It is insulting to the Hair Stylist to have to cut hair at such an alarming fast rate. It is not going to be a good job when it is rushed. I would never go anywhere a stylist is being timed to cut hair. Great Clips does is not a full service salon like fantastic Sams, I hate to say it but FS is doing way better than any Great Clips. GC does not offer all the services that a women needs and it is incomvenient to go to two different places. I would not do it, I wandt everything done all at one time color, cut, wax etc. great clips suck they are the bottom of the barrel.

One last thing..

one commenter stated that she feels like she works for McDonalds..

Well, Great Clips is the fast food of hair.

I can remember recruiters for Great Clips coming into my beauty school years ago and trying to get girls to come work for them. They were proud to say that in the next few years, they planned to be "The McDonalds of hair."

Well, they got their wish. Let's choose not to be a part of it!

Great Clips has been a terrible experience for me. I am so ashamed and embarrassed that I ever worked for this company. Today was my final day working there and I am so glad. I feel like it will take a while for me to get over this because I am pretty upset about the things I experienced while working there and how I was treated, however, I am rejoicing that I will never again be in a horrible work environment like that. It really cannot get much worse than this...

First of all, I was hired to be full time. Did I ever see 30 hours a week? No, not really. The only time I had 30 hours was during The Great Haircut Sale... which in and of itself is a reason to AVOID working at any Great Clips! The Great Haircut Sale offers haircuts for 4.99 and during this time, the most disgusting, unclean, unkempt, nasty people come in to get their haircut. This might be the only haircut they get all year. The smells coming off of these people... the dandruff, the possible head lice cases, the DIRTY, GREASY, SMELLY hair (which by the way, you do not shampoo a person's hair before cutting it at Great Clips unless they request that ou shampoo it.. and most Great Clips customers are too cheap to pay the extra $3 or so for a shampoo!).

Next you have your co-workers... now, some of your co-workers may be great, but the ones that I have had the misfortune of working with are ghetto, trashy, uneducated, use improper English, are lay, and extremely unprofessional. They yell things across the salon floor. One girl that I worked with is a grown woman of approximately 31 years old and she tells small children that their hair looks "sexy." I am so embarrassed when she does this... telling a 4 year old child that their hair looks sexy is just plain wrong and inappropriate.

If Great Clips tries to recruit you (which they do go around to beauty schools, etc and post help wanted ads), they will boast that they can offer you all kinds of "awesome" benefits such as paid vacations, health insurance, a 401(k), etc. Well, I worked there for a a year and 9 months. I left for a short time in between and when I left, I was considered a new employee again. You have to be with the company for 90 days before even qualifying for health insurance. You have to be getting at least 32 hours a week during this 90 day period to qualify for it as well. I was hired to be full time. I needed those hours.. and since I didn't get them, I also could not get health insurance. Their health insurance was also extremely expensive.

The manager likes to schedule herself the best hours. Her favorites also get the best hours and they do not work but one evening during the week. They are out by 3 on Saturdays. Who is going to be closing the shop on a Saturday? YOU... if you are not "in" with your manager, she will leave you to close. If she needs more hours, yours will be cut. And they are notorious for constantly hiring NEW girls...even when you are already not getting enough hours.

I worked holidays and didn't complain. I rarely requested off. I worked nights and weekends. I didn't even get to see my family for Christmas because she scheduled me to work the day before and after Christmas. I did these things because I thought maybe it would eventually pay off.. maybe it would help me in the ong run. Did any of this matter to the company? HELL NO. Was my hard work even acknowledged? Again, HELL NO.

Now lets' talk about the type of clients you will be seeing at a Great Clips... CHEAP, CHEAP, CHEAP. You will have the rare, diamond in the rough customer who tips well, is articulate and and an overall clean person who uses good hygiene, but for the most part, you will be cutting the hair of smelly, disgusting individuals who think a one or two dollar tip is good. Think people who REEK of cigarettes! It's absolutely disgusting and makes me shudder just thinking about it. Your hands will actually smell like cigarettes after cutting their nasty, disgusting, unwashed hair. Men will come in there sweating. Some will come right from the gym without taking a shower first...or right after they mowed their lawn and then decided "Oh, I could use a haircut...I won't shower first because that hair will be all over me. I'll shower when I get home."

It takes no creativity whatsoever to use a clipper. And not only this, but your hands, back, and feet will be worked into a slow exhaustion... you could be in your early to mid 20's ... if you work like this, it will take a huge toll on your body as it has mine. You will regret it. You are not a machine that cuts hair. ou are a person with rights and feelings... and creativity. You are an individual. If you want to remain this way, do not work for ANY GREAT CLIPS!

It will take me a while to recover from working in this hell hole. That may sound overly dramatic..and I hate to sound that way, but I am very upset by what I have experienced here. I do not have a good self esteem after working here. As this original poster states, "When you walk away, you personally do not feel good about yourself." She is so right about this! Keep this in mind. Is it worth taking a job for the quick buck or is keeping your self esteem and dignity more important? I will go with the latter any day. Please..hold out for a better job.

Great Clips is no place for any self respecting person.

Great Clips is a terrible place to work. I am embarrassed and ashamed to have ever worked there. In 2 weeks, I will be leaving. I will be rejoicing to the heavens when this day comes. I am supposed to be full time. They keep hiring new stylists and just like some other stylists here have stated, when this happens, your own hours are cut. It doesn't matter how much seniority you have or how great of a stylist you are. They do no care about you. Period. You are just an assembly line worker when you work for Great Clips. You are replaceable and disposable to them. The stupid monthly reviews are ridiculous. There is no real way they can track whether a customer came back to Great Clips because the customer could have gone to another Great Clips in the area that was convenient to them..or maybe the customer was not in need of another haircut just yet. There are so many variables to the equation and yet you, the stylist, will be punished for it! They set you up for failure. It's like one of those games in an arcade with the claw that picks up the stuffed animals... the game is made so that your chances of winning the stuffed animal is very slim. Well, same concept applies here... your chances of making a decent productivity bonus.. VERY slim. Unless you are Edward Scissorhands, you will never make much in productivity (if you do, it might happen once or twice in the whole year and you will be exhausted after you do). They work you to death. This job is physically and mentally draining. Most of the stylists you will work with are trashy for lack of a better word. Working here will age you... drain you... and it could leave you broke when they cut your hours because they keep hiring new stylists. A lot of customers who go to Great Clips are also really dirty and gross...and you have to cut their hair without shampooing it first! The managers can make your schedule however they want it... you will have absolutely no quality of life here. I worked the day before and after Christmas and spent Christmas alone because my family lives far from me. My manager knew this and she scheduled me that way.. I didn't complain because I thought that if I just did it, maybe it would show that I was dedicated. WRONG. Nothing good that you do will ever be noticed here. They are quick to point out all of your shortcomings (which are stupid things such as a 20% customer return rate, which, as I said above, their data to calculate this is very questionable). Just don't work here if you want a good life. Period.

I Totally disagree I have worked for great clips for 2 1/2 years now & I have the best group of stylist ever & the best manager, we even get together outside of work to hang out of fun all the girls I work with are very talented ! do we have bad day sure who doesnt, do we get redo yes again who doesnt but 9 out 10 we left it to long big deal I feel badfor all the bad reviews on here you should love were you work!

I would have to disagree with all of you who say it it Great Clips... no, it is your owners! I have been at the same location for 5 years, and if all of you think your pay sucks, maybe you should work a little bit more, and complain a little less. Maybe that is why turnover in your salon is high, stop bringing other people down with your bad attitude. If you think the pay is better somewhere else... maybe you should make the turnover rate at your salon higher, and leave! However, the pay is basically the same at all the "chain" salons! As for all of you that complain about getting $1, or "stiffed", well once again, where are you doing your complaining about that? On the cutting floor, in front of other customers? I think that you are setting yourself up for not being tipped. There is no where that says they have to tip you, they tip if you go over and beyond their expectation of the service. Hmmmm... should have listened all along, and watch your best stylist at the salon you are at. You would probably say that they are suck-ups? Well, hate to let you in on a secret... that is what the service industry is all about. I just have to say... I am so glad you are not working at my salon!

I feel for anyone who is working at Great Clips and wants to quit but can't because of financial reasons but I had to quit to save my sanity and my health. I've known people to quit and be poor because of the inhumane treatment they received by the district manager and manager. They just want the money they can get if they aggravate the life out of the stylist to sell products and cut faster even if it means causing trouble for the customer. I'm now working for a company that cares about my life and making it fun to come to work every day. I am a person not just a number. I pray for anyone thinking about working for Great Clips in Charleston SC. I hope the owner will check into the problem and make some positive changes because you never know how much you're hurting someone's life unless you ask and really care about doing something.

That is so true. They dont care. I wonder if all the owners a like that. Mine has like 6 salons and they are all doing good.
He is soooooo cheap! Thins just fall appart and he does not take care of it. U dont have al ife with Great clips. U could work every weekend and if you request for a specific day of you get hell. There are no set schedules witch means no life besides Great Clips. This company wants you to buy all the Great Clips propaganda with out giving anything to the stylist in return.

I'M AN EX EMPLOYEE OF "FUTURE KEYS" GREAT CLIPS #1226 OF 10th & SHADELAND IN INDIANAPOLIS, IN..."EX" BEING BECAUSE OF FRANCHICEES' STUPID MANDATORY MAINTENANCE OF 10% RETAIL SALES OVER A 90-DAY PERIOD...NOT ONLY DO YOU HAVE TO ACHIEVE 10% RETAIL BUT MAINTAIN IT OVER THE WHOLE 90-DAY PERIOD OR YOU'RE FIRED...THANX TO FUTURE KEYS POLICY OF FORCE SELLING THESE EXPENSIVE PRODUCTS TO PERSPECTIVE CLIENTS WHO CAN BUY THE SAME ITEM @ A CHEAPER PRICE FROM PUBLIC DOMAIN...I NOW HAVE TO SCRAMBLE & FIND ANOTHER JOB...BE IT SEASONAL/X-MAS HELP OR WHATEVER...RENT IS DUE...THANK YOU FUTURE KEYS dba: GREAT CLIPS FOR ALL YOU'VE DONE FOR ME...LOL

One more thing ... They really really want you to push products down peoples throat. You only have s few minutes to cut their hair and people come there for cheap haircuts ... Do you really think they are going to pay $16 dollars for a bottle of shampoo? These clients are far and few in between at Great clips. I feel like I am a car sales man. They keep track of how much you sold each day, each week. I JUST WANT TO CUT HAIR. IF I FEEL LIKE THEY NEED SOMETHING I WILL TELL THEM .

We are so short staft this moment its not funny. As a madder effect we are always short staft. People don't stay there very long they usually leave with in 4 months. Why? Pay stinks...too many restrictions... u are always on a short leash. zaps out all of your creativity.
I think i got all i needed to say.
Hope I wont be working for this company much longer.

Great Clips is a DEAD END JOB! No stylist will ever make enough to make a decent living at any Great Clips. The money paid is SO low. They nit-pick you to death. There are CONSTANT "warnings" that are just fear tactics. Fear Tactics do not give incentive for anything but a faster push to leave. This company wants it's employees to look non-artistic when hair stylists are artists. It makes no sense.. Almost as little sense as to why I'm still a Great Clips employee. I couldn't get lower in the industry. I don't recommend it to anyone. There is nothing "Great" about it except I'm giving $50 hair cuts for $13 to cheap-assers who tip like they ordered a cup of cofee. Great Clips customers all deserve mullets for being so cheap.

I too would warn any new or old stylist about working for Great Clips. I am not sure about the rest of the company or franchise but BEWARE! if you are looking for a job in the Tennessee area. They have a supervisor there that is very petty and always makes accusations about things that are so far in left field it is pathetic. I recently was terminated from one of their stores because of said "CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS". But low and behold, there was no proof to the supervisor's claim. I did not have no more and probably has less than some of the other stylist, namely the new manager she promoted in my store. But really what she was pissed about was my comment on how unprofessional, and unbusiness like and just down right wrong she was about my former manager's husband and that she should not have attacked my former mgr at work, while working, about a personal matter. It was ridiculous!

I would strongly advise any stylist or barber considering great clips employment to do your homework first. I do not recommend great clips for full-time employment or for stylists (new to the hair industry). It is very draining and cut throat. And yes great clips requires you to pay back the (training cost) if you leave the company before your 90 days.

I work for Great Clips and I have to disagree 100% with the above. The opportunities given to each employee is amazing. There are so many incentives which are given at the franchisees discretion. You can advance in your career so much with this company. I understand some people have bad experiences, however would you much rather go to a booth rental pay 125 a week and chance not making enough to cover that charge?!?! Take what she stated about your pay and add what you make in tips each week, which on average is over 200 a week. There is no reason you cant make a living. I have been approved for loan ect without a problem. Also we have our commision bonuses, product bonuses among many other. It is a great place to work. As for the hours yes managers get the most hours to cover if state board does come in, also every salon has an employee handbook stating the requirements not just Great Clips. Those salons dont pay near as well or take near as good care of their employees either. If a stylist does not produce we will work with them, their hrs may be cut so we can help them with one on one training. As for training it is a refresh course and shows each employee how to manage their cuts within standards plus you are paid for that training and you get your ceu hours. Seriously there is not one complaint I have about the company I have learned a lot and will continue my employment with them for a long time. Not everyone is going to be happy, oh and I dont know what franchisee she worked for but I have never heard of the 100 dollar fee for quiting within your 90 day probationary period. Its a great place to work!

THe only break you get is when you work 8 or more ours. Then you punch out anything less then 8 you dont get a break at all. So if you are busy for 6-7 hours which at some days we are no break for you. I sometimes just go to the bathroom to hide and strech for a few minutes. I am part time, work less then 20 hours and make 7.50 an hour. no raises for 3 years.
Then you have all these crazy sales for 6.99 or 7.99 and you get some strange birds walking in . You think your tips will be better because they don't have to pay so much for the haircut? Wrong... Our Haircut times have to be 13 min a Haircut.

Agree strongly on all of your comments . they should be sent to labor board for all the crap they pull on their employees . They treat their employees like dirt, dont want them to take breaks and cut at a certain time and pay them pretty close to nothing. I worked there for 5 years and thank God I finally quit I hated that place.

Yeah I agree we just finished this ridiculous haircut sale for $4.99! We've had 2 in the past 2 months; they work us to DEATH. I guess I'm lucky we don't have to say "Welcome to Great Clips". I'm trying to get something put together to send to corp and Dept or Labor. Really get them good and feel an impact.

Sabrina

Give me some more of your thoughts it would be great.

I have to agree with all of the above. I have asked to work 20 hours a week. Sometimes its 10 sometimes its 15. They hire new people all the time and my hours get taken away.Then when they quit I get them back. There is not consistency with the hours or days. I have to do haircuts in less than 14min. That's what my owner requires. Its crazy. I work part time. I could never survive there full time.
It is sooooooooooooooo monotonous. Your have to say to every client that walks in the store: "Welcome to Great Clips" not Hi or Hallo thanks for comming in I will be right with you. I feel like I work for MC Donalds.
We dont have a receptionist so you have to leave your coustomer everytime the phone rings or you need to check somebody in. That takes away from my HC times. I would not recoment Great clips for full time work.