Fearful, robotic management stunts employee morale that is only kept buoyant by canine company at PetsHotel. - Anonymous employee PetSmart Employee Review

2.0
Aug 16, 2012
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

-the friendly regular customers who share their wonderful dogs with us -the rare competent managers who lead by example and empower employees (before they get fired for breaking PnP) -bonding with coworkers and pets

Cons

It is inexplicable when a boss cannot explain a concept to his employee other than saying "its not per policy". This is not true leadership, you can't just pull a blindfold over our eyes. Managers who do things strictly "by the book" cannot manage accurately. However, they fear upper management. This is how destructive an unstable, entangled hierarchy can get. But I'm amazed at inept managers who are so fearful (taking no initiative to do their job, instead obsessing over how they're *supposed to* do it according to the rules) that they will actually shatter common sense to feel safe in their job. You see them act up like this when they've been written up a lot, are on "corrective action", or even been asked to resign. They couldn't possibly desire to belittle employees, they only drive the best ones away. These managers appear to have no capacity to think creatively or push the company forward... and again, those that do end up getting fired. Strict adherence to PnP's without regards to the employee's ability or each unique circumstance is robotic, and based in fantasy.

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5.0
Jul 8, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Amazing space to work. Benefits great.

Cons

Sometimes communication falls apart. Not to mention.

1.0
Jul 9, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The staff care a lot and try their hardest but it leads to burn out and being taken advantage of by a company the does not care about YOU.

Cons

Poor management. No work life balance. Bad scheduling. Bad pay. No communication. Leads expected to work more than 10 hours a day during high volume periods, Be responsible for too many things. You run around like a chicken with it's head chopped off the whole time you're at work. Staff are snippy, and rude. A few are okay. Company has you working bare bones, and does not care. Pet parent's are weird, and I don't think have realistic expectations that the boarding facility is more like dropping your dog off at a dog shelter for a week while you go on vacation than a "fun time" for your dog. Dogs get fed, watered, pottied. If that is all you care about, then use the PetHotel. If you want your dog to have fun, and be out of a stressful environment (few dogs do well with constant barking and noise all day, plus being stuck in a cement run, thrown in with a bunch of other dogs who have never been properly socialized) just do in home boarding. I would never board my dog at a place like this.

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