Golden handcuffs, and Terrible & Expensive health Insurance benefits. - Sales Engineer Sweetwater Employee Review

3.0
Nov 17, 2022
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Great pay for the industry in a small city that is very affordable to live. Very efficient systems and infrastructure. You will get to meet a lot of top notch Artists/users of music equipment, make great connections in the audio and music business.

Cons

It's not a boutique. It's not a family. It a giant call center just like any other multi-billion dollar company. They indoctrinate you that everything is the "Sweetwater Difference", but management hired a ton of people from the competition that made it the same just with faster shipping and better software. The benefits are very expensive especially for family coverage. They self insure so everything could be covered with out the hassles but management decided they like making money off the money in the insurance pool rather than taking care of their employees. Management piled on rules and more rules because god forbid they actually have a meaningful conversation with an individual employee. All the potential fun and joy was squeezed out long ago. It's like a giant factory where the machines were replaced by cubicles. Management has a one size fits all style that favors obedience to the rules over any new ideas. The culture is oppressive and stiffling to creativity and individuality. They love hiring the Debt Slaves of recent college graduates with the shackles of their student debt keeping them in their place with mouths shut.

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Sweetwater Response
3y
Thank you for sharing your feedback. Regarding health insurance benefits costs, you can easily check our programs against the national averages provided by the Kaiser Foundation at kff.org. What you'll find is that our employee medical insurance packages are priced anywhere from 10-40% lower than the national averages depending on the level of coverage an employee selects. We regularly benchmark our programs to ensure we are offering our team members good value. In addition, over the past 3 years, we have lowered our employee premiums by 15-30% (depending on the program) while employee premiums nationwide have increased 22%. I understand that health insurance costs are a concern for many and that is why we continue to pay close attention to this to ensure we're offering strong options to all of our team members. - Jeff Ostermann, Chief People Officer

Explore other reviews about Sweetwater

5.0
Jun 10, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The job requires a versatile mindset. It is not just one job, it is multiple jobs. For me I like switching it up and staying on my feet. This job is not only customer facing but also warehouse. So it is the best of both worlds.

Cons

Sometimes you are required to lift heavier boxes but you usually get help if needed.

4.0
Jun 5, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

If sales and music are your drives, Sweetwater is as good as it gets. Management in my experience has been very supportive and development-oriented, creating a positive culture around the company. They have a fantastic training program (albeit intense) that trains on both products and sales methods, so even if you're lacking experience in a given category there's plenty of coaching and training to get you ready for the role. Over time, the position can also be quite lucrative which compliments Fort Wayne's low cost of living well. They also offer relocation assistance since all positions are on-site, and a great benefits package. I've been fortunate to become great friends with many of my coworkers and honestly some days don't even feel like work. Ultimately, with this job you get what you put in, and making a solid living to geek out over music gear all day is a pretty sweet gig.

Cons

The job is very demanding - it's a fully commission sales job that revolves around constant customer outreach via call, text, and email. This means starting out is tough financially, and days are usually long. Try to have a savings cushion before you start, especially if you're moving from another city/state. You also work nights, holidays, and rotate through weekend shifts which won't be new for those who have worked retail before, but it's still a tough adjustment. Starting out I struggled from a social aspect as well. Fort Wayne is a cool city, but it's no LA, NY, or Chicago. Long hours at work make going out and making friends or getting involved in community groups/organizations difficult.

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