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 Commerce de détail et de gros 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?

4.0
Mar 12, 2009
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

I'm a Buyer and we wear many hats. We are responsible for buying all the vehicles that we sell, either from auctions, and customer appraisals. We also price all the vehicles, coordinate our wholesale auctions, and manage sales consultants. One of the best things about the job is that we do so much, the days just fly by. The pay is OK and the benefits are decent. The culture is very young and fun. I like it a lot, and plan on being with Carmax for a very long time.

Cons

The only thing I can think of is that our consultants are still being paid $150 per unit. I don't think this amount has changed since the company started.. As a Buyer, I am paid a decent salary, but I often wish we could pay an additional $50 per unit just to offset the inflation a bit for our consultants. They are the lifeblood of our company and I think they should be paid more. I hope this changes in the near future.

2.0
Nov 20, 2008
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

When they began there were real opportunities, but they are no longer there. When I started working there I heard about all of the positive promotions and opportunities.

Cons

Company Senior Managers lie about opportunities and job performance. They do not base decisions on performance but rather on who you know and how well you're liked. They do not give fair reviews based on actual job performance, but rather base it on who the regional mangers like and dislike instead of employee morale and job performance.

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