Music & Arts reviews

Most of the management is incompetent at best. In my case they were so aloof that months after I quit HR still thought I worked there because no one in the store had filed my separation paper work. As a near minimum wage employee you are required to attend many sales meetings a month, which are usually held at 7 am, or on Sundays at 9 am. As someone who regularly goes to church I was told that "Church doesn't pay my bills" and I was to come to the meeting. When I brought this up to their superior they said they would do something about it yet my requests were continually ignored. There is an extreme focus on sales goals. You may surpass your goals 11 months a year, but if you miss on the 12th month you will be in trouble. Also be wary of surpassing your goal by too much on a fluke sale, this will effect how much your goal will be the next year and commissions will be almost unattainable. Promotion to management is solely based on sales numbers, and not on having actual managerial skills. Many of the managers were incapable of doing there jobs correctly, passing off most of their responsibilities to the rest of the staff and taking time off whenever they please. Many of them had no prior experience in the music industry and most of them had no prior experience managing anyone at all. A few of my managers took so much personal time off that I was forced to open the store then leave for a couple hours and come back and close the store at night (This is an 8 hour shift that covers 12 hours, because overtime pay is strictly forbidden). I have had to work as early as 6 am and as late as 2 am, with no overtime pay. Employees are expected to help with store improvement projects including painting the store. I was expected to volunteer to improve the store with no pay and when I told the management that painting walls was not in my job description I was told that I wasn't committed to my job and it could possibly effect any future promotions. If you work for Music and Arts you get a key to the store, and with that key comes unrealistically high expectations of a low wage worker. You will get frequent calls on your days off, and you are expected to come into the store at your managers beck and call. There was never enough staff at the store, I often had to work alone. Not only was this a security liability but I could not go to the bathroom or take a break. While working a shift alone I was expected to wait on customers, meet sales goals, answer phones, complete assigned mundane tasks, clean the entire store and coordinate lessons for the private teachers. Corporate wont pay for the proper tools to do your job and you are expected to bring in supplies from home when they are not available in store, for example vacuum cleaner, and toilet paper (Yes, even toilet paper). In cases of dangerous weather the store will remain open. The decision to close the store is loosely based on calling Best Buy and seeing if they're still open. Not only do you have to memorize and regurgitate scripts for all interactions with customers, but you will be constantly under surveillance from corporate secret shoppers. When the script isn't read verbatim you can be subject to disciplinary action. Almost daily I was yelled at by customers because M&A policies are practically designed to make the customer angry. It is very difficult to enforce company policy when you find yourself agreeing with the disgruntled customer. The company does not contribute to your 401K and group health care is quite expensive. (Disclaimer: This is not typically of all managers, there are some diamonds in the rough.)

MAC uses An Archaic Computer /IT system. It is not networked with the different compartmentalized sections of the company. It is MAC company policy to keep the repair techs from talking Directly with a customer, leaving an uneducated clerk to describe why certain repairs are necessary ; which causes frustration for customers, and ethical repair techs, and retail clerks who would like to give a knowledgable answer that can usually only be answered by a qualified technician. Repairs as simple as string changes have been sent to the repair center -usually with a week minimum turnaround time. Poor choices of inexperienced managers and other recourses .Poor selection of Quality step up Instruments that rental equity can be used to Purchase. Most instruments are Chinese Manufactured. Huge loss of equipment and instruments due damage from to shipping overland/overseas. Lack of care or concern for customers long term satisfaction and repeat business. Low company Morale.