sweetwater.com anyone have issues?

[EccentRick]

 

Originally posted by Fletcher@mercenary.com Congratulations... you caught one of my intentional misspellings. It's fun to have fun with the English language especially when you know it's mostly for your own amusement [meaning you really don't have a life and need stupid {censored} to keep you from blowing your brains out]... but hey, this thread wasn't about spelling and grammar... it's about Sweetwater and customer service so let's not let this thread get hijacked and get back to our regularly scheduled pogrom. Peace.

 

 

Peace to you, as well. Simply having fun with words, Craig (Fletcher). Playing intentionally, just as you stated that you do yourself... I wasn't attempting in the slightest to be a spelling policeman, or take aim and make verbal attacks on anyone, I assure you.

 

More on topic, I have purchased lots of gear from Sweetwater over the years, but that was mainly in the early-to-mid 90's. I only occasionally buy small items from them these days. I find I rarely have a need for tech support and I also prefer not to have to go through the "sales associate" process that Sweetwater employs, whether the purchase is via phone or online.

 

I'm also in total agreement with an earlier poster that I dislike unrequested personal phone calls from Sweetwater (or any other business enterprise), as well.

 

I agree with you and others that Sweetwater is a decent company. It's just their general style of doing business that's no longer my personal cup o' tea.

 

 

Rick

[snarlz]

Maybe 2 years ago I blew out a preamp tube, talked to tech support and got a new one Fedex Expressed to me no charge. The express shipping on a freebie surprised me. (had purchased preamp about a month prior)

[UstadKhanAli]

Originally posted by EccentRick I find I rarely have a need for tech support and I also prefer not to have to go through the "sales associate" process that Sweetwater employs, whether the purchase is via phone or online. I'm also in total agreement with an earlier poster that I dislike unrequested personal phone calls from Sweetwater (or any other business enterprise), as well.

 

I sort of like/dislike the "sales associate" thing with them. I like the fact that you can talk to the same person consistently. But on the other hand, it's really difficult to get the guy on the phone because they're so busy talking to other people. I had mentioned this once before on Craig's forum (the other Craig ) and Chuck Surack, the owner, mentioned that he was aware of this problem and was trying to figure out something.

 

I'm not a huuuuge fan of the unrequested callbacks, but it doesn't bother me that much if it's shortly after receiving something I've purchased from them.

 

That said, I never get any of those anymore...

[Brittanylips]

 

Originally posted by EccentRick I agree with you and others that Sweetwater is a decent company. It's just their general style of doing business that's no longer my personal cup o' tea.

 

A friend of mine told me that they were "dumped" by their sales associate - a little known facet of the Sweetwater system.

 

If your salesman decides that you're not earning them enough money, they can purge you from their list.

 

Then, even if you try and email them, your email is redirected to another salesman.

 

Personally, I don't like it. I think that the whole relationship thing is a good idea - you know your salesman, your salesman knows you. But if your salesman can dump you like yesterday's laundry, it undermines the loyalty on the customer's end as well.

 

-plb

[D Charles]

Originally posted by Davoman Wow. Wow! Small world, isn't it? I did work at Far-Out years ago. With as many David Stewarts as there are I'm slightly surprised you'd think of that. Strangely, there are actually two David Stewart's that worked at Far-Out. I was the first. The other one may still work there. Anyway, thanks for the kind words (I'll assume they apply to me)! David Stewart

 

Yeah, it was you although seems like you were Dave back then -early 90s? I share your first name and go back and forth at people's whims too. It was when almost everyone who worked there was named Rob so you had to ask for guitar Rob or Keyboard Rob etc.

 

I'm sure it was you because I just came in and picked your brain a couple of times and you actually knew your sh*t instead of reciting brouchures like most of the local salesman. Then I came in and asked for you and they said you had accepted a job at Sweetwater. After dealing with SW a couple of times, I just wondered how those tie wearing, smug, used car salesman jackasses could accept someone with a brain.

 

But yeah, seems like you had a grasp on concepts when most other sales guys could only spout owner's manual crap and not how to use pieces of gear together.

[Davoman]

Ha! Yeah, Dave and David are interchangeable in my world.

 

Too bad about your experience with SW. You probably should have just asked to talk to me (hindsight is always 20/20 though, isn't it?). I've been here over 14 years now and while I can't comment directly on the experience you had, or the conclusion you drew from it, I can tell you that the general assessment couldn't be more inaccurate. I've never been more challenged intellectually than I have since being here, and that has predominantly come from my coworkers (you wouldn't believe the credentials of some of the folks working here if I told you), many of whom I now consider close friends. They are generally good, normal (notwithstanding their involvement in the music industry) people.

 

But anyone who's dealt with the general public for any length of time can vouch for the fact that there's plenty of opportunity for things to go wrong at either or both ends. If something does go wrong we try to make it right when we know about it.

 

Give me a call here, PM, or e-mail me and tell me what you are doing musically and I'll hook you up with someone you can get along with (I don't work directly with customers anymore or I'd obviously just take your account myself).

 

For those who don't want us to contact you...just tell us. Tell your guy or gal when he/she calls. The vast majority of our customers really value how we try to stay up with them to follow up or let them know about deals and new stuff coming out that we have good reason to think relevant. But it's fine if you don't want us to. Just tell us and we won't do it. Pretty simple.

 

David

[Davoman]

 

Originally posted by Brittanylips Personally, I don't like it. I think that the whole relationship thing is a good idea - you know your salesman, your salesman knows you. But if your salesman can dump you like yesterday's laundry, it undermines the loyalty on the customer's end as well. -plb

 

 

Obviously on any given day just about anything is possible, but I sincerely doubt this would happen if anything remotely productive was going on between them. It is most likely the sales person in question left or took on other responsibilities and we evidently did a poor job of communicating that.

 

I wholeheartedly agree that loyalty is a two-way street.

[CN Fletcher]

Originally posted by EccentRick Peace to you, as well. Simply having fun with words. Playing intentionally, just as you stated that you do yourself... I wasn't attempting in the slightest to be a spelling policeman, or take aim and make verbal attacks on anyone, I assure you.

 

I didn't feel you were taking aim nor making a verbal attack at all... if anything I was complimenting you on catching one of the little things I do to amuse myself with the language... "bizarre" instead of "bazaar"... get it!?!?!

 

There was another little gem like that in my initial response... I was pretty sure you'd catch that one as well and be at least marginally amused.

 

Peace bro... it's all in good fun!!!!!!

[Brittanylips]

 

Originally posted by Davoman Obviously on any given day just about anything is possible, but I sincerely doubt this would happen if anything remotely productive was going on between them. It is most likely the sales person in question left or took on other responsibilities and we evidently did a poor job of communicating that. I wholeheartedly agree that loyalty is a two-way street.

 

No, the guy just hadn't bought anything in awhile, so the sales guy purged him from his list. The sales guy is still there, selling away. Wierd, huh?

 

-plb

[Davoman]

Yeah. I sent you a PM.

[EccentRick]

Originally posted by UstadKhanAli I sort of like/dislike the "sales associate" thing with them. I like the fact that you can talk to the same person consistently. But on the other hand, it's really difficult to get the guy on the phone because they're so busy talking to other people.

 

Yeah, like you and B-Lips, I can understand liking the rep consistency factor if one frequently buys from a particular dealer and/or values that rep's opinion. But, OTOH, I'm the type who does what I feel is all the research I need to do before actually making any new purchase. I don't like being forced, essentially, to make contact with some often-unavailable rep in order to do so. When I'm ready to buy, I'm ready to buy now. A tire kicker I'm not. The very last things I need are unnecessary bureaucracy and indifference to the value of my time.

 

I'm not a huuuuge fan of the unrequested callbacks, but it doesn't bother me that much if it's shortly after receiving something I've purchased from them.

 

Me neither, as those calls are just follow-up courtesy calls, which most any reputable business places. Even so, I'd just as soon not get them. Drop me an email instead, if you want, and I'll read or not read it at the time of my own choosing.

 

The Sweetwater calls that absolutely pi$$ me off are the pure SPAM "Hey, Rick! It's __________ from Sweetwater! How're you doing, man? Haven't heard from you in a bit and just thought I'd touch base! Oh, and by the way, I've got some grrrrrrrreat new really cool items in that I thought you might be interested in!!" Blah, blah, blah. Gimme a break. Like everybody doesn't know when times are slower and sales are down...

 

If I wanted to contact Sweetwater, I'd call them, you know? Using tired, old, irritating, insurance salesman cold-call tactics is not at all what I want from an audio dealer. And, with all due respect to David Stewart's statement, it's absolutely NOT my job to request that a Sweetwater rep quit phone-spamming me, no matter how "simple" he feels it to be. It's THEIR job not to spam me in the first place.

 

 

 

Rick

[EccentRick]

Originally posted by Fletcher@mercenary.com There was another little gem like that in my initial response... I was pretty sure you'd catch that one as well and be at least marginally amused.

 

I did catch the "pogrom". I'm not all that great a typist, though, and when I attempt to...(cough)..."speed type"...I often (pun intended) massacre words like program so that they end up looking more like pogrom. Utter devastation, I tell ya! Gave you the benefit of the doubt while I chuckled...

 

 

Rick

[Phil O'Keefe]

I hear you Rick - I have a tendency to butcher words when I type too... and if I get called away before I can proofread it, it can be embarrasing.

[Brittanylips]

 

Originally posted by Davoman Yeah. I sent you a PM.

 

Thanks - and I replied.

 

-plb

[UstadKhanAli]

Originally posted by EccentRick Yeah, like you and B-Lips, I can understand liking the rep consistency factor if one frequently buys from a particular dealer and/or values that rep's opinion. But, OTOH, I'm the type who does what I feel is all the research I need to do before actually making any new purchase. I don't like being forced, essentially, to make contact with some often-unavailable rep in order to do so. When I'm ready to buy, I'm ready to buy now . A tire kicker I'm not. The very last things I need are unnecessary bureaucracy and indifference to the value of my time. Rick

 

I do a lot of research typically too, the one exception is the occasional cord or connector that I'm not familiar with - not a big-ticket item!!!

 

But what I like is that someone might know what I'm doing with my studio, what I have, what my budget is, that kind of thing. They might be able to say, "Oh, yeah, that's cool, but have you considered this instead?" or "Yeah, you can definitely do that, but here's another way to accomplish this...". That's more the kind of thing I'd value.

 

Now, that said, the Sweetwater person *doesn't* know this any longer (I got a new person), and has no idea what I do, so what I said no longer applies!!!

 

And definitely agreed on yer points about the callbacks!

[Brittanylips]

 

Originally posted by EccentRick Yeah, like you and B-Lips, I can understand liking the rep consistency factor if one frequently buys from a particular dealer and/or values that rep's opinion. But, OTOH, I'm the type who does what I feel is all the research I need to do before actually making any new purchase.

 

Hey EccentRick,

 

Truth is, I'm the same way. I do my research before hand, and my last step is simply to call and buy.

 

What bothers me about Sweetwater's purging policy is what it says about a system predicated on loyalty: the salesperson commits to the customer, the customer commits to the salesperson. Even if the equipment costs a little more, it's worth the premium because the ongoing relationship is worth it for both parties. The salesperson retains his customer, and the customer gets better service.

 

But if the policy is now that SW sales reps who have built up a large clientelle purge customers they view as less lucrative with the explanation "that's business," then that invites the customer to do the same on their end: pick the salesperson's brains, then buy it elsewhere for less using the same explanation. All of which, in my opinion, is not good.

 

-plb

[Davoman]

Just to clarify (BrittanyLips and I had a nice dialog off line trying to get to the bottom of what really happened in this one instance) Sweetwater does not have a purging customer policy.

 

David Stewart

Sweetwater

[Player]

I am not Sweetwater's biggest customer, but they (Jeff Hollman and others who have taken my questions over the years) treat me like I am. They know their products well. I have used their support twice and both times it was prompt and knowledgeable.

[Brittanylips]

 

Originally posted by Davoman Just to clarify (BrittanyLips and I had a nice dialog off line trying to get to the bottom of what really happened in this one instance) Sweetwater does not have a purging customer policy. David Stewart Sweetwater

 

I relayed our conversation to my friend. He called SW and clarified, and gave me the upshot:

 

Indeed, he was purged from the original salesperson's roster. The way customers are purged from sales reps used to be worse, has changed for the better, but can still happen.

 

Apparently, high volume salespeople may slough off less lucrative customers, and place them on an inactive list that is open to prospecting by other salespeople. A prospecting salesperson may take customer accounts from another salesperson's inactive list, and either notify the original salesperson and customer, or not.

 

Once an account has been usurped (either with, or in this case, without notification), attempts to contact the original salesperson may be systematically thwarted.

 

In this case, my friend was finally able to contact the original salesperson by phone. The salesperson confirmed what happened, but was also disturbed by the email re-routing aspect of it: it is not a good thing to send email to a person's email address, and have a system re-route it to someone else. The salesperson agreed to change back the re-routing so that if and when my friend wishes to email him, he, rather than someone else, will actually receive the email. After all, that's the way email's supposed to work, right?!

 

Like so many things, who really cares?

 

However, I agree with my friend that if the system allows customer accounts to be taken over by other and frankly, less successful salespeople if the customer simply chooses not to buy anything for a few years - essentially demoting the customer - it changes the SW dynamic and encourages customer disloyalty.

 

Still, on balance, I happen to be a big SW fan, always have been, and while this is kind of wierd, it doesn't sour the milk for me.

 

My friend, however, is a little WTF?

 

-Peace, Love, and Brittanylips

[Davoman]

I'm glad your friend was able to talk to the sales person. There are still some things that are being mischaracterized here, but as you wrote we're at a level of minutiae about an incident that's probably well beyond what anyone cares about.

 

I would be happy to work through the details of this with you and/or your friend if either of you are interested in more of the background behind the way we do things (as well as correcting a few inaccuracies/misunderstandings in the above). My contact information is below. We've been at this a long time and I assure you that, while things are not foolproof, there are very good reasons behind them, and the number one motivation in all of it is to improve customer relations, efficiency, and foster good working relationships. At the end of the day there is absolutely NO intention to deny any customer access to the sales person he or she wishes to work with.

 

Feel free to contact me for more.

 

David Stewart

Sweetwater

david_stewart@sweetwater.com

800.222.4700 x 1215

[CN Fletcher]

I had a session yesterday. The original start time was set for noon because I wanted to check the tuning on the wall mounted monitors... the artist was scheduled to show up around 1p.

 

I got a pretty nice tuning on the monitors... had lunch... it was maybe 1p or so... and I was sitting out in the studio waiting for the client to arrive.

 

Someone had left the Sweetwater catalog on the bar table where we usually eat during sessions so I figured I'd glance through it.

 

I had never seen anything like it!! This was amazing to me. The size and breadth of this operation is an unfathomable concept to me. The quantity of products presented coupled with the blurbs and descriptions... the time, effort and energy it must take to produce a book/catalog like that is absolutely staggering to me.

 

While I will admit that as I read some of the descriptions of units with which I was intimately familiar I wouldn't have recognized those units if their picture hadn't been next to the blurb... but the book was absolutely mesmerizing.

 

Now our little shop is just that, a little backwoods "mom and pop" operation [in both reality and comparison], and sometimes we have trouble making every customer happy. I can't even imagine the quantity of problem solving that must go on at a joint like Sweetwater.

 

That there are only a couple/three people bitching on a forum like this says to me that those guys are doing a damn good job of treating their customers like gold!! The fact that a Sweetwater representative has joined this discussion; posted his information for direct contact for resolution of whatever situation and/or the dissemination of any required information about their corporate operations and philosophy is another sign that these guys are happy to go the extra yard.

 

Believe it or not... I am a Sweetwater customer [on a personal level] and have received nothing but great service and the products I wanted to acquire at a reasonable price.

 

I have a feeling that if the people who are kinda bitching here ever got out into the world and had to deal with the public on a daily basis... they too would have the respect for an operation like Sweetwater has acquired.

 

That catalog, in many ways, looked like it would be more valuable than 90% of the magazines/"professional journals" in our industry.

 

Neither here nor there... I just felt like sharing my amazement at what looked like a job seriously well done.

 

Peace.

[Brittanylips]

 

Originally posted by Fletcher@mercenary.com I have a feeling that if the people who are kinda bitching here ever got out into the world and had to deal with the public on a daily basis... they too would have the respect for an operation like Sweetwater has acquired.

 

Good point. I live in a box filled with water and essential nutrients that I metabolize through pores in my skin, if you could call it skin, and respire anaerobically once every 16 hours. It may not seem like much, but, well, for me it

[EccentRick]

 

Originally posted by Brittanylips Good point. I live in a box filled with water and essential nutrients that I metabolize through pores in my skin, if you could call it skin, and respire anaerobically once every 16 hours. It may not seem like much, but, well, for me it