Fun place to work, upper management has no idea of what happens at the store level - Sales Associate Music & Arts Employee Review

3.0
Dec 22, 2010
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

You can practice instruments in your spare time. You get satisfaction in helping beginners start their musical careers. Easy to get time off. I really enjoyed the other associates I worked with. You get to network with a lot of teachers and other musicians.

Cons

Very poor benefits. You are often judged based on unrealistic sales goals. Upper management has absolutely no idea about the challenges associates face while working in the store. The store is basically geared towards beginners - there are no professional level instruments (you have to order them) and there is poor sheet music selection. During rental season, Music & Arts does an awful job at informing customers about security deposts, which makes for awkward transactions on the sales associates end in trying to explain why this was not communicated to them.

Explore other reviews about Music & Arts

5.0
May 18, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Perks and hours were balanced

Cons

Commission structure could be better

2.0
May 14, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Teachers and sales employees who actually work in retail locations tend to be passionate & knowledgeable about music. Stores open later in day (11am-8pm weekdays) which is nice if you're a night owl or hate waking up early. Good employee discounts on products.

Cons

Inflexible corporate policies & attempts to standardize procedures across stores in wildly different markets makes it impossible for store-level management & employees to deliver well on expectations of upper management & customers. Store managers who work in store full time have no real authority, influence, or decision-making power, whereas district managers (who visit each location once a month at best) have to pass on orders from even higher level management that may have never even stepped foot in the store. They will start you at as close to legal minimum wage as they can get by location, and even the hourly pay for store managers is absolutely criminal compared to the amount of work & complexity of operations required. Commission structure is also highly flawed.

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