Great people, bad company - Retail Store Manager Music & Arts Employee Review

2.0
Feb 9, 2022
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Working with musicians and instruments, easy to move up, providing music education to countless students, freedom to operate at what works best for you and your team, interacting and working with music professionals who care about their craft

Cons

Expectations of what can be accomplished in an 8 hr shift are ridiculous for the low compensation. Corporate team knows nothing about how stores actually run and will push you past your limits daily. Company in flux, no real structure. Bottom dollar is only concern at the moment. Work/life balance nonexistent.

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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