Underpaid & Overworked - Retail Store Lead Guitar Center Employee Review

2.0
Jul 26, 2024
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The team at my location is generally helpful and cooperative. Our store leadership leads by example, and I rarely have to micromanage my direct reports.

Cons

A position that has to understand and execute in every department (Sales, Customer Service, Management, Operations, and Lessons) only paying $15/hr *without comission* is highway robbery. There's also no opportunity for advancement within the retail structure. Salesmen far out-earn me as an assistant manager, but there are no positions for me to move up to unless one of the 3 store leadership quit. Guitar Center's leadership, from the executives down to District Managers, are severely disconnected from the retail teams who are doing the real work. All they see is numbers on a page that they want to increase, with no regard for the workers' quality of life.

Explore other reviews about Guitar Center

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.

See reviews by: Helpful|Rating|Date|All