The juice isn't worth the squeeze - Sales Associate Guitar Center Employee Review

2.0
Feb 1, 2017
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The employee discount is great! You can also communicate with vendors (particularly software venders) and get AMAZING DEALS on gear! I have about $2300 worth of pro level software I paid absolutely nothing for, and I'm sure other employees have even more. If you have an awesome crew and store manager, the job is somewhat more tolerable.

Cons

Big work load with little pay. The expectations of corporate are unrealistic. The employee discount is awesome but you rarely make enough money to actually use it. The entire culture is focused around being condescending and passive aggressive toward employees. You deal with tones of idiot customers. Working here makes you jaded and drains your passion for music. They USED to be very lenient with gigging and touring but labor budget cuts have lately made it more difficult for managers to accommodate those requests. The commission structure is an absolute joke! You have to SERIOUSLY break your back to make any kind of descent pay check (which is most sales gigs, but this one offers exceptionally awful pay). Sales guys are not valued, viewed as extremely replicable, and treated like crap.

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5.0
Jun 25, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Very flexible with hours working.

Cons

Difficult to stray away from Hal Leonard curriculum sometimes, but may be different now.

3.0
Jul 1, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Sweet deals and discounts Coworkers are very pleasant to work with Good as extra income Good for aspiring musicians to network with experts of the industry

Cons

Obsolete softwares Scheduling system software that is thenmost imperative tool as of it will be the backbone of a lesson lead for your team of instructors success it's also somewhat obsolete amd constantly crashing both IT and Upper management are aware. IT is very diligent and pleasant to work with but Upper management expects their lessons lead to work and deliver at 100% capacity while they continue to have an operating system that only works at 75% capacity, just beware of that and if you're willing to work under those conditions. With that put there go at your own discretion. Nobody gets Christmas/winter holiday vacation time off, also go at your own discretion on that one especially if you have kids and family looking for work-life-balance.

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