Toxic Creativity - Anonymous employee Guitar Center Employee Review

1.0
7 Nov 2025
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

They made me a better creative professional because surviving there was like boot camp run by lunatics. The only reason there was camaraderie was because everyone was fighting through the same toxic sludge every single day. It was chaos wrapped in fake smiles and corporate buzzwords. I’m honestly amazed I didn’t walk out of there with a staph infection or a drinking problem.

Cons

The company had a special talent for taking brilliant people and grinding them into dust. They called it “parting ways with underperformers,” but anyone with a pulse knew it was just lazy leadership and cheap excuses. Watching that cycle play out over and over was like watching a clown car crash into a dumpster fire. And every time they talked about “career growth,” it was just another lie to keep people from quitting before lunch. The office looked like it hadn’t been updated since the Bush administration. The air was stale, the lighting was miserable, and the whole place felt like a creative hospice ward. Walking in every morning was like clocking into a live-action episode of Dunder Mifflin, except there were no cameras, no humor, and no hope.

Explore other reviews about Guitar Center

5.0
9 Jan 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Got to work with so many people

Cons

Long hours during holidays were rough

1.0
29 Jun 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Employee discounts are the biggest reason why people work here, as the discount is really good.

Cons

Your experience working at Guitar Center will largely depend on which store you work at. Some stores have a good management team and employees and are fun to work at. But a lot of stores do not have a qualified management team and they have a staff that is not fun to work with. My location needed a new store manager and instead of promoting the ops manager who knew the store better than anyone else and was with the company for 15+ years working at multiple locations, corporate instead promoted a customer service lead who had been with the company less than 2 years and didn't have management experience. These are the people that corporate decides so often to run their stores.

See reviews by: Helpful|Rating|Date|All