CarMax reviews

3.5

60% would recommend to a friend

(8,180 total reviews)
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Keith Barr

54% approve of CEO

50% positive business outlook

CarMax has an employee rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars, based on 8,180 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The CarMax employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Ventas al mayoreo y al menudeo industry (3.5 stars).

Reviews by job title

8K reviews
1.0
Aug 31, 2012

Not for the weak of Heart

Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Good Benefits and that about it.

Cons

Long hours. Management that does not care. Management constantly micromanaging. Only problem is they are clueless. They could not sell a car in today's environment if their life depended on it. Low pay. Cult.

1.0
Mar 14, 2011
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The training is very thorough. Compared to other retail companies, the training is very detailed, timely, and efficient. The corporate structure at CarMax fosters efficiency. They try to constantly streamline and improve processes. I worked there five years, so I saw a lot of change in that time. They also knew I was unhappy in one department, so they opened a door for me to transfer to a different department. It was much better, and I felt valued as an employee. CarMax also has a wonderful 401k, stock purchase option, and access to purchase vehicles with large discounts.

Cons

The turnover rate at CarMax is very high in almost every department. The Sales dept, Business Office, and Inventory dept all experience very high levels of turnover. There was one manager who was very inappropriate and unprofessional to employees. (Worthy of being fired.) Many associates have complained directly to HR, and some even quit, because of this manager. Yet, because of politics, this manager still works there. We could not control the temperature of the office from the store level because corporate people in Richmond, VA wanted to control it. So, the office was blazing hot in the summer. Rather than being honest, management made excuses about it. Customers even complained about the temperature. At CarMax, you have to pay for your own uniforms 100%. (except for your name tag. They provide that.) They pretend to give you a voice and to listen, but they really want you to fall in line with their propoganda. The corporate aspect of the job makes CarMax an intolerable place to work. The hours are horrible. They include major holidays, nights, and weekends. And, every department is underpaid. We only got annual raises in the office, and they did not even keep up with the rate of inflation. One year, we did not even get a raise. We were all told that it was because the economy was bad. Yet, that year, CarMax distributed a communication stating that they had record profit that year. When I got hired into sales, they exaggerated how much money I would make to the point where it was dishonest. They told me what I wanted to hear, without delivering on those promises. I spoke with many other sales consultants who felt the same way. CarMax has also not increased the comission amount since the early 90's. There are similar fields that pay much better for the same responsibility and education. Also, they micro-manage to an intolerable degree. They heap responsibility on each associate, without actually trusting those associates with that responsibility. I know CarMax puts out a lot of public relations and marketing materials promoting themselves as a wonderful place to work, but please be wary. I worked there for five years and saw every aspect of it.

1.0
Mar 3, 2009
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

None! And their is Nothing good to say. Some stores have bad management and working there would be a nightmare. Try talking with some of the employees before taking the leap.

Cons

Long hours, low pay, bad management. Working outdoors in the elements either roasting or freezing. Never getting any positive feedback but always getting negative feedback. They are stat happy and run reports every day by the forestful. Slow economy and dwindling sales means you better want to work every single day and make your quota if you want to hang onto your job. No haggle doesn't mean no pressure. You are expected to sell every customer coming through the door and heaven help you if you don't.

Viewing 46 - 48 of 8,180 Reviews

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