CarMax reviews

3.5

60% would recommend to a friend

(8,198 total reviews)
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Keith Barr

55% approve of CEO

50% positive business outlook

CarMax has an employee rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars, based on 8,198 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The CarMax employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Retail & Wholesale industry (3.5 stars).

Reviews by job title

8K reviews
5.0
May 2, 2009
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Honest company with high ethical standards and a high level of integrity. This is a company that stakes its name and reputation on the quality of vehicles sold and also on a high level of customer service. While the company is not free of faults, more often then not you will encounter friendly customer service, engaged associates, and competent, honest employees that take pride in the company they work for and the work that they do. This is demonstrated through the annual surveys that are completed and administered by a third party company. Carmax has consistantly been ranked one of the top 100 places to work by Fortune. This is truly an impressive achievement based on the nature of the very business that Carmax is in: Retail sales - used vehicle sales in particular! Don't forget, Carmax was the company that truly revolutionized the way people buy cars. Not only specifically when people shop at Carmax but also when customers choose to shop elsewhere. Other "Traditional Dealerships" have been forced to go to the fixed pricing model due to the overwhelming success that Carmax has had. One of the reasons that Carmax has been so successful is due to the fact that the company was built from the ground up based on the concept of no-haggle pricing, customer service, and quality vehicles guaranteed. Dealerships like AutoNation and the like have tried to modify existing dealerships to compete and have failed due to that fact. When you look at the entire compensation package, I think that you'll find average salaries/wages paid, average to above average benefits (401k match, stock grants, stock purchase plan, healthcare) with one exception; employee vehicle purchase program. As an employee you are able to purchase several vehicles per year at slighlty above cost for yourself and immediate family. This proves to be a significant benefit due to the fact that you can purchase these vehicles for thousands less than you could otherwise.

Cons

You can make some people happy all of the time, all people happy some of the time, but you can t make all people happy all the time. There will always be some associates that are unhappy no matter where you look, and the majority of them typically take out their frustrations in a forum such as this for many different reasons. There are certainly situations that could be handled better, managers that could be more sensative and understanding, however the company leadership is interested in receiving feedback and attempting to develop associates and address any concerns raised. Many times people are quick to point a finger at "poor management" or to display concerns of not being treated fairly. My philosophy is that you don't express your concern for something that isn't being handled properly unless you can also offer a solution. The question you have to ask is have you done everything in your power to address the issue? Have you voiced your opinion to management through the proper channels? Have you confronted those that you feel are not performing as they should?

2.0
Jan 12, 2012
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Compensation and bonuses Hourly associates whom are "bought in" are treated respectfully by management. Great training! Good focus on customer service.

Cons

*You need to fully drink the kool-aid and be "bought in" to be considered for any promotions. *If you bring years of management experience to your position, you won't use it as you must become almost robotic in their beliefs and management outlook. *If you challenge your superiors you will be remembered as someone who isn't "bought in" and will be used against you when you want to progress within the organization. *As a manager you must also be a good politician!

2.0
Oct 23, 2010
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Carmax was an OK place to work at first. I had a great time interacting with customers and performing my job duties.

Cons

The management at my location SUCKED! Especially in the Office and Sales. They don't really treat their employees with understanding. They play favoritism A LOT. They have a super high turn-over rate. I found out they keep their "We're hiring" for a reason. It's probably because they reward good performance rarely but will keep pages of your mistakes without ever telling you that you've done wrong so that you can correct the problem. And the pay is no where near the amount of the work you put in. About 70 to 80% of the people that I know that are still there either are on their way out the door or wish they could find another job. One salesman told me today that unless something really good happens, he's leaving whether he finds another job or not! That's the general concensous of most of the employees. First they try to change departments or go to the home office must most get fed up and leave before they make it that far. I can't speak for the sales department but because of the competitive environment in the business office there is a huge amount of back-bitting and useless competition just to stay ahead of the next employee in the minds of the management. I liked my job a lot. Can't say the same for the management. I really don't miss that place. Even though, it probably just my location because

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