I was told that if I don’t get the lessons to”to 100 students” by next year then I may be on the chopping block and re-evaluated for my performance. The company refuses to recognize that we have had the tightest schedules and busiest studios by far since I began working here.
Cold calls were never in my job description - I happen to have a phobia of calls I have never understood or been able to get over. I’ve gone to therapy for it, I think the main thing is that calls are becoming antiquated. I think lessons leads do better when they sell in-person but our store doesn’t even have a lessons sign outside so customers are often CONFUSED when we mention we have them. I feel strongly that millennial parents would respond better to text message marketing, which they are supposedly implementing next year
- I don’t know why more people aren’t talking about this (maybe it wasn’t an issue at other stores) but I actually bought a desk because I was assigned a cabinet disguised as a desk with zero leg room (causing back issues) and the company refused to let me put it up or change it, despite the fact I was expected to sit there for 8-9 hours per day. The hour unpaid break is also non-negotiable.
I very much question if they even have an advertising budget. We have a loyal following on our social media page - but lessons (for some odd reason) are not only not on there, but are forbidden to be talked about by instructors on social media. In 2025, in local studios, social media was one of the MAIN ways we got people to take lessons, and I’m forced to ask instructors
not to talk about it online. If you look up lessons they haven’t posted about it since 2018 and there are lots of negative reviews and complaints. A lot of parents know this and will decide not to go there, even if our instructors are great and genuine.
They expect the instructors to give “free” lessons all the time which completely undervalues the business. We’ve struggled with converting these, largely due to shortstaffing and NO card reader (like what??) and a terrible online sign up system that asks for your email twice. It takes 10 mins to sign up anyone.
Other locations may be different but we regularly have drug addicts that come in all the time and there is a trailer park beginning in our parking lot - this makes it so people who would actually pay big money for guitars are not going to go here.
The micromanagement is horrible. I didn’t feel comfortable here as a woman, my boss would often get in my space and hyper analyze my emails.
As soon as they changed commission structure for sales staff we have had almost zero people want to work there - so lessons leads are often responsible for sales and helping to manage the store.
- because of limited space in our small store I was once expected to get on a ladder with a VERY heavy guitar box and put it up and over my head. I almost fell off the ladder.
- I was told that lessons lead was “traditionally a male role” and they “never used to hire women” 😳 that being said I’m grateful they gave me a chance.
- there is no way to actually format the bio boards properly because our computers don’t have publisher - the SM can’t be expected to do that with everything else. Fortunately I am good with computers.
The company has had a ton of people trying to impersonate them through emails and calls, basically making it so my job doesn’t mean anything because people can’t tell the difference between if it’s us or scam - this is largely due to a lack of infrastructure to ensure our marketing is high quality.
- they give you 3 bullet points to pitch on the phone and these are never updated or changed
- you are expected to run a recital on your day off
- few resources given for students with disabilities or performance anxiety, although I have faith the company may catch onto this
- I came in the store on my day off to find out the mobile order system was BROKEN so people could not pick up their online orders. Not to mention little to no shelf space in the back for organizing where these all go.
The store wonders why we have shrink issues and it’s largely due to the fact that they actually have limits on how many full time sales staff are allowed on the floor at once and the long breaks we are forced to take. I often have worked over time and skipped lunch to make sure nothing gets stolen. We did much better when we had 3 talented sales people selling lessons with me on the floor at once.
I mainly left because I lost my passion for practicing music and have gone on medication for my ADHD depression and anxiety.
- the “spiff” for selling lessons for open houses is laughable - $10 AFTER what is it like 10 sign ups in one day?? Customers see through the open houses and don’t take it seriously - because our instructors are not properly trained on how to run a group class. I have tried to train them as I am good at it but it’s difficult with the population we have locally (many of them are severely poor and uneducated).
- we have a lot of customers who are literally in there for the free stuff - I suppose this is any retail business but it’s crazy
- the tariffs are threatening the life line of our store - it will likely close if we all leave because no one wants to buy anything
- we are lucky if we sell 3-5 guitars in 1 day, foot traffic has steadily declined in 2025. I know some of this is outside the company’s control in that it’s stuff going on in the government but I wish the company would act faster and adapt to the rapidly changing conditions.
- you could be fired at a seconds notice if you make any mistakes - I was not comfortable with this type of culture
- the average tenure of lessons lead in our store is 6 months - tells you a lot
