CarMax – “"Voted 100 best companies to work for!"”

Actually,both the Business Office Manager and Purchasing Manager, in addition to all managers in the location, have been through intensive training in their individual departments, as well as store operations and leadership. I guess it shows - the CEO started as the first member of the Purchasing Team, the VP of SALES OPERATIONS began with Purchasing, the one regional HR director started in Purchasing, and several former PM's have gone on to become LGMs, Directors, and VPs with the company. Understand the history of your company before complaining about its culture and leadership structure.

I agree with "Sales in Roseville" about this "Be more consistant with H.R. desicions. I have seen people get fired for something and another person get moved to another department for doing the same thing. This does not look good and lowers morale." It seems management seeks out employees with flaws that may rub them the wrong way and will terminiate them for offenses that could be handled by other corrective actions less severe than termination. They really, really, lack holding people accountable for all but the most serious offenses. Also "Buyer in ATL" I am more than willing to bet any department manager (being a senior manager or not) does not have enough total knowledge of any department other than their own to make significant judgement calls when issues would arise in those areas. They will always divert to senior employees in those areas for the best plan of action as they should. Everyone has opinions and an "understanding of the history of the company" is irrelevant to how well management performs. Just because a buyer moves to sales manager, a tech moves to a buyer position, or a sales manger moves to a LGM spot doesn't mean they are, or will be, a good manager or fit for that promotion. Those that get promoted are not always the most sucessful people. They may have been in the right place at the right time, have relocated many times, have benefitted from the fuits of others making them look good, or are good at ass kissing and bullshitting.
Carmax, as a large company, is a large company. Carmax has the same office politics, bitches, gripes, failures and sucesses found at lots of other large businesses. Culture and leadership structure will always fluctuate with the good and poor managers that steer them while in command . And when the poor are in charge....you get comments like SMRoseville's.

The history of certian important figures doesn't mean anything if the current managers in their locations don't know anything but thier own department. I have seen ops manger say yes to something to one associate and no to another associate. One associate get fired for something and others still linger and with no correction at all for doing the same thing. If a manager (supposingly trained and skilled in his field) says something is wrong lets fix it, its carried out. If a technician (skilled and trained in his field, ASE certified with years of experience) says lets not fix it, they ignore the advice. As much as managers are trained, they do not know everything.

Purchasing Managers are senior managers as they should be. They make critical decisions relative to the solvency of the dealership - all day long. Buyers are management and they act as managers.

A move for a buyer to a 'sales manager' would not be a promotion.