Sweetwater reviews

4.1

80% would recommend to a friend

(541 total reviews)
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Mike Clem

89% approve of CEO

74% positive business outlook

Sweetwater has an employee rating of 4.1 out of 5 stars, based on 541 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have an excellent working experience there. The Sweetwater employee rating is 21% above average for employers within the Retail & Wholesale industry (3.4 stars).

Reviews by job title

541 reviews
1.0
Jul 11, 2019

Not as shiny on the inside

Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Gear perks, good people as clients

Cons

Company is about $$ and the bottom line. Long hours, corporate treatment, and non genuine thanks for working hard, if any at all. Mandatory meetings unpaid- due to being on commission but penalized if late or miss. By the time I left, it was under advisement of my doctor. Sales floor is full of sharks though they claim it's not, and high school drama type of culture.

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Sweetwater Response
6y
We're saddened that you obviously didn't have an enjoyable overall experience during your time working with us . Being a Sales Engineer can certainly be challenging at times and requires effort but it also comes with great rewards for those who stick with it - including the 400+ sales engineers who are currently thriving with us. The meetings you mention are intended to provide additional training on how to become an expert, which is a key ingredient in determining the degree of one's success and one of the ways we invest in our sales engineers. In addition, in the small number of situations where we may have a team member who is struggling (sometimes due to external life situations or factors), we offer extensive resources to help support them - including in-house sessions with a certified counselors, free external counseling sessions through our Employee Assistance program, and additional coaching support from our Director of Leadership Development and Personal Growth. We're always committed to helping our team members thrive - and our desire for this goes way beyond measurements of the bottom line. Jeff McDonald, Senior VP of Human Resources
3.0
Jul 11, 2019
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

-The Smartest people you'll ever meet, with genuine hearts, for the most part -Vendors take great care of sales staff -Gear at wholesale keeps being a musician with a full-time job worthwhile -Coffee shop on site allows for a nice break -401k plan is still decent -On-site amenities with health club, clinic, salon, spa, diner. If you're going to live here, might as well be treated like it's home.

Cons

-unnecessary meetings lead to long hours, coupled with late shifts -concern for statistics goals water down customer and employee experience, often -no dedicated sick days, and health insurance coverage isn't that great -no real opportunity for career advancement, You'll be in sales likely until the day you leave

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Sweetwater Response
6y
Being a Sales Engineer is a challenging position that isn't for everyone. We are very transparent about that in the interview process and consistently throughout Sweetwater University and beyond. A Sales Engineer is running their own business, which at its core means you are personally communicating with customers to be sure all their needs are met. That requires phone calls, and the typical number of calls required each day is made very clear before anyone signs on for the job. We're in the retail business, which means we need to be here when our customers need us, so yes, you will work some evenings, which is also made clear before signing up. Being fully engaged is important but we are far more apt to advise our team members to stay home to refresh than insist they stay late. Though it's true that the company continues to be blessed with very healthy growth, there is not a focus on the company growing to $1 billion in revenue--- the focus is rather on constantly making improvements for our customers, which is a key to our success. Because we are always striving to improve, the notion that we don't read these reviews or listen to our employees is incorrect. In fact, we very closely pay attention to all input we receive from both customers and employees, and then act prudently to improve. We can't think of a reference that's been made to "what have you done for me lately?" The truth is that a Sales Engineer to a large extent determines how successful they will become, not just in terms of compensation, but more importantly the great feeling that comes from forming satisfying relationships with our customers and helping them achieve their musical dreams. Being a Sales Engineer is not a "stepping stone job" but rather a long term career with the opportunity to earn a great living, become a true expert in your field, and for many to combine your vocation with your passion for music and gear. Jeff McDonald, Senior VP of Human Resources
4.0
Jul 2, 2019
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The people are dedicated to continuous improvement.

Cons

The pay is below average compared to other warehouses in the area.

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Sweetwater Response
6y
Thanks for the positive review and best of luck in all future endeavors. Jeff McDonald, Senior VP of HR
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Glassdoor has 571 Sweetwater reviews submitted anonymously by Sweetwater employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if Sweetwater is right for you.