Corporate Stockholm Syndrome - Customer Engagement Leader PetSmart Employee Review

1.0
8 Sept 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Every now and then, a customer will listen to and appreciate your advice, forming a connection and making you feel valued. The pets.

Cons

PetSmart will lure you in with their cultivated illusion of caring, and because you love pets. They’ll tell you that “You Belong” and that you are part of a supported community. They’ll tell you that your career has a future in the company, and you’ll end up working harder with less support to keep things running for your team. In May, 2025, PetSmart “restructured” its stores’ management, eliminating roles to create new ones. They forced seasoned managers in the old roles to apply for the new ones, and then didn’t rehire many of them— no severance, nothing. The whole time touting the “New Model” while withholding details from the staff. Many managers were laid off on Sunday, May 18, 2025. After closing that evening, having just laid off managers, stores were supposed to throw a little party in the break room—to celebrate the new roles. (Info publicly available.) This is what this company thinks of its associates. It’s all an illusion— don’t fall for the smoke, mirrors, and fake smiles— it’s all about the profits.

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5.0
21 Jan 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Good env to work on

Cons

A lot of work to do

1.0
2 June 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

The company pushes for more and more from the bottom level employees without better pay. I worked there before the restructuring and; not much can make me cry, but working here sure did, even back then. I can’t imagine how anxiety inducing it must be to work there now. Animal welfare is a complete non-concern. The only thing that’s pushed is sell, sell, sell. It’s borderline dystopian. Bad management seems to be a common issue, not only from my experience, but many others’ as well. I worked until I was an exhausted sweaty mess to make sure everything in pet care or, when I groomed, the salon, was cleaned to perfection as expected of me (and I reiterate: “me,” because these standards were not expected of my co-workers, just me) and overall felt very unseen. The only times I did feel “seen,” was when mistakes were made. Work was treated like boot camp. A co-worker that was subtley targeting/bullying me, and even started rumors accusing me of racist remarks(!!!), was promoted and anything I reported was downplayed because they were friends with the assistant manager. Working here was an overall traumatizing experience.

Cons

Employees are expected to be work-robots

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PetSmart Response
3w
We’re disappointed to hear that your experience didn’t reflect what we aim to create for our associates, and we appreciate you taking the time to share your feedback. We invite you to contact the CareSmart line at 1-800-738-4693 so we can learn more and see how we can support you. Thank you.
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