Pros
Franchise Owners and CEO of operations are very kind and nice people. They pay a little higher per hour than most franchise competitors. They own 30+ stores as of writing this and throw a Christmas Party for everyone every year which is pretty cool. Managers are mostly understanding and compassionate people. No drama is really tolerated by the CEO of Operations. She personally trains people in haircutting at times and loves doing it! Room for growth if you are interested in management. They offer medical insurance, PTO, and holiday pay 90 days to one year of employment. You will learn how to cut hair effectively with the GC university classes and training provided. It took me about 3 months with the support I got to fully get into the swing of haircuts as someone who only cut sometimes before I started.
Cons
It is Difficult to find quality and reliable stylists, many of the stores are short staffed and hours of operation are either same or increase is expected. It can take months for an interview to come through for your store and it could be a dead end. Stores in desperate need are put first which is understandable. Some managers have to work by themselves at times and staff are stretched thin. The Clientele that GC attracts can be the most cheap, rude, and picky people you will ever meet. They come in with $8 coupon for haircut and leave $0-1 tips. Some will scroll for coupon at checkout and waste your time. Some parents will also hover over you and give no personal space when cutting their children’s hair. They will get upset when you ask them to sit down. Some clients will call and point blank ask for discounts and coupons after learning the price ( the cheapest you can get around here) and huff when you don’t give them a discount. Some costumers are generous tippers and give $8-10, sometimes $20 when you hit the lottery, but expect $2-3 to be the average tip. You are blessed if you break $50 in daily tips around my area. You have to cut 25-30 haircuts to reach $100 which is very hard on your mind and body. When you pay $15,000-20,000 for cosmetology school, this can be discouraging. You can find better pay and more generous clients at other salons and make more money without having to make high productivity goals for raises.
