The "good old boy" culture is deeply ingrained in all levels of management. Advancement is not based on success, dedication, or quality of service, but rather on how close you can get to the people above you. This creates a bunch of little cliques vying for the attention of those above them who can advance their careers. Backstabbing is so common place that it has come to be expected and most managers will throw employees under the bus to save their own skin. As a result, employees do not trust their managers. Store managers are highly pressured and overworked (all mangers in my area worked 60-90 hour 6-7 day workweeks), shop employees are grossly underpaid for a position that requires a technical skill set and employee-provided tools, and front-line employees receive no support from corporate in the cases of customer complaints, no matter how legitimate or illegitimate. They are open all holidays with the exception of Thanksgiving and Christmas, and it appears events are in motion to be open on those days, too, within the next few years. Most employees received no annual review and pay increases only became available in the event of a promotion or when threatening to leave for the competition. Managers are frequently bounced from store to store in a vein attempt to fix issues that are, in truth, deeply ingrained at the corporate level. Few store managers stay more than a year or two at a particular location, creating anxiety among long-term customers. There is absolutely no work-life balance; if you are scheduled you must show up. I was told on two separate occasions to come to work, even though I was sick, once with pneumonia. Payroll is squeezed so tight that there are not enough employees to handle the workload at most locations, creating wait issues for customers and overworking employees. This also allows for little to no consistency in scheduling. It is common for employees at all levels to be scheduled to close one night and open the next morning. Working at least one weekend day is expected from everyone but district corporate staff, and many stores run with only one front counter employee on Sunday, meaning they do not get a lunch or any breaks during that 8 hour shift (plus the time it takes to open and close the store).