All Carmax Locations are NOT created Equal - Sales Consultant CarMax Employee Review

2.0
16 Jun 2012
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Great health, 401k benefits. Comfortable working conditions. Opportunity to transfer to other locations

Cons

Your life revolves around your customer. You get 1 weekend off every 6 weekends. If your customer needs you during that time off, it's up to you if you want to come in (for the potential sale) or have someone else close. Anytime another consultant interacts with your customer (credit app, test drive, Carmatch, etc) and a sale is completed (whether you closed the deal or they did) you will lose half your commission. During the winter months, you are expected to arrive to work 1hr early to help clear the parking lot of snow. There is a snow plowing of the lot, starting and moving the cars around, etc. Again, remember you are a commissioned sales consultant - so you aren't being paid for this! You work e-office, which you sit at a desk and perform call center duties. Problem here is that as a commission sales consultant, you aren't making anything! There are times the phone doesn't ring at all. So, while you could've been on the floor interacting with potential customers for a sale, you are stuck in e-office working for free. You work on an 'ups' list. So pretty much there is a first come first come on who gets what customer. When you are up, the next customer who comes through the door belongs to you. Even if all they want to do is look around on their own - you are responsible for them until they leave the buiilding. This can cause a problem when the ups list is 10-11 consultants waiting for a customer to walk in. I've worked a full days where I only saw 1-2 customers!!!! Did I mention that if you don't' sell anything, you are paid a minimum wage for that pay period. Come the next pay period, you have to pay that money back!

Explore other reviews about CarMax

5.0
4 Jun 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Amazing benefits with 6% 401k matching and tuition reimbursement.

Cons

Highly reliant on the quality of management at the store location.

4.0
13 Jun 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

The perks of working at CarMax are quite extensive. Associates are offered an aggressive 401k program, Stock Purchasing Plan, in store discounts on sales and service, access to the CarMax Wholesale system, excellent healthcare, plenty of PTO, and at my location we are given as much OT as we want. My coworkers are generally good people, that I enjoy being able to work along side day in and day out. Management is very understanding in regards to calling out sick family emergencies, and schedule requests.

Cons

Despite doing the work of 5 people, and very politely asking for a raise management will not give me more than my 3% annual raise which is the single biggest let down. The bonus change of 2025 being labeled as "exciting" was straight corporate gaslighting unlike anything I've ever seen. Since the start of 2026, as of this review being written we have lost 7 associates largely due to pay, and I am soon to join those associates. Management from the store level up to corporate needs to understand that to retain their top performers they need to be compensated like a top performer. Some members of management are cliquey and moody which is very frustrating to deal with. Quality of Management varies wildly from store to store as well

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