Realized why I don't like big corporations. - Customer Specialist CarMax Employee Review

2.0
Feb 12, 2024
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Every day was different which made things not get boring. We also had some really great associates which made coming to work not as bad.

Cons

Working on a cross functional store, it felt like we were a bit of an experiment. The company was trying to get the most amount of work done with the least amount of people and paying less than a normal commission sales person would make even though we were doing way more than sales. It felt like the company itself didn't actually care about their employees, even though they put on a front that they do. Some of the policies that are in place make turnover rates very high and can force even the best associates out because they make have scheduling issues do to kids, or attendance issues from having to stay home with sick kids. The managers, and even the LGM, have hardly any say in how the store is run which leads to major down falls in efficiency, customer satisfaction, and associate satisfaction. The company does some kind of shady things like the bonus policy is set up different for associates vs managers. For associate bonus it's based off of total store sales vs how many hours are worked. The manager bonus on the other hand is all about staffing targets. This means that on a slow day managers aren't going to send people home so that the associates can make bonus because they want to make bonus themselves. You also can't get a raise without getting promoted, but there are only a small number of slots to promote to. There were people in my store who had been there 3 years, kept getting overlooked for promotions because of one reason or another, even though they were really great associates, and they never got a pay bump because they weren't allowed to promote. The work life balance is also horrible! You hardly ever get out on time which makes planning anything after work just not worth it and can be frustrating if you have a partner at home waiting for you to get home, but you get off one to two hours late ever day.

Explore other reviews about CarMax

5.0
Jun 19, 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Great benefits, good work environment.

Cons

Work weekends, late shifts (stores stay open until 9).

4.0
Jun 13, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The perks of working at CarMax are quite extensive. Associates are offered an aggressive 401k program, Stock Purchasing Plan, in store discounts on sales and service, access to the CarMax Wholesale system, excellent healthcare, plenty of PTO, and at my location we are given as much OT as we want. My coworkers are generally good people, that I enjoy being able to work along side day in and day out. Management is very understanding in regards to calling out sick family emergencies, and schedule requests.

Cons

Despite doing the work of 5 people, and very politely asking for a raise management will not give me more than my 3% annual raise which is the single biggest let down. The bonus change of 2025 being labeled as "exciting" was straight corporate gaslighting unlike anything I've ever seen. Since the start of 2026, as of this review being written we have lost 7 associates largely due to pay, and I am soon to join those associates. Management from the store level up to corporate needs to understand that to retain their top performers they need to be compensated like a top performer. Some members of management are cliquey and moody which is very frustrating to deal with. Quality of Management varies wildly from store to store as well

See reviews by: Helpful|Rating|Date|All