Sweetwater calls and emails - Why?

[Wallaby]

Dealing with sales calls as I do, calls about things you're not interested in are annoying, and calls about things you are interested in are welcome. I'm always interested in talking about music and guitars and equipment, personally.

Sweetwater is providing service, I'd try taking their calls with grace and recognize they aren't a vending machine. You might need the rep on your side later for an issue, or a discount, or to find out about something that isn't advertised once the rep knows what kinds of things you're interested in. Plus they're professionals in the music business - it's good to have contacts.

They don't have to be strangers.

 

[Steerforth]

Once you buy something from them, they consider you family.

I went to a reunion late last year. Aunt Winifred sure is looking older.

We all had a pretty good time, great barbecue, but then Uncle Frank and Cousin Sarah’s husband, I forget his name, got into a fight.

They’d been drinking all afternoon and arguing about tone woods. I kind of saw it coming as the afternoon wore on.

 

[MilwMark]

So I'm guessing you weren't on the sales side.

When I worked in radio production and operations, some of "us" often forgot who was keeping the lights on.

Yeah, I've heard nonsensical ******** like that from some sales coworkers.

I can tell you this, in my experience, sales could screw up a one car parade. Too often, it's a empty platitudes and minimal work ethic.

Meanwhile, the rest of the organization has to screech to a halt to meet the ridiculous promises of some clueless Alpha Sales Human.
And in doing this firedrill, potentially ruin the delivery of other sales.

No thanks. I can live without Alpha Sales Humans and their golf obsession.

Yeah, I was pretty confident that my assumption was correct.

If one thinks it’s hard to be accountable to folks who land those who pay the bills. Imagine how hard it is to be the folks who are directly accountable for those who pay the bills.

 

[sixstringbastard]

 

[sixstringbastard]

 

[sixstringbastard]

I'm getting the impression that we all have different concepts of what customer service means.


Cheers to everyone thinking in their own way! .

 

[goonie]

I just have no tolerance for that sort of crap. A sales rep that calls himself an engineer calling to pretend he cares if I'm happy with my purchase. Though I guess, apart from the 'engineer' deceit, it's pretty common in business-to-business sales. So Sweetwater (even the name screams fake caring) is just transferring that into retail. Not in Australia thankfully.

 

[nobis17]

I don't mind the calls, I rarely answer them when I see it is from Sweetwater, mainly because they have a knack of calling at the most inopportune time, (i.e. just sitting down to dinner, feeding the baby, in the middle of a meeting at work, etc) It's not a bad business model, maybe I'm getting old, but I miss the personal touch that music stores used to have. I think Sweetwater is trying their best to do just that in this modern world where a large portion of musicians don't ever pass through the door of a music store. It's just a point and click world now.

 

[Mouth]

I've found the service at Sweetwater excellent.

They have made themselves my first choice to buy from.

They're doing it right in my opinion.

I've bought some complex equipment and I appreciate that they check in to see if I need anything or have had any problems.

I usually decline additional items as I don't like being "sold" something, but I've found their recommendations are sound. More than once I've made a follow up order to buy what they recommended(I would have saved time just ordering the things when they recommended them -that's on me and my hard head).

Thumbs up from me.

 

[Anita Bonghit]

After a phone call and 2 follow up emails in 24 hours from Musicians Friend I told them don't call me I'll call you. Seems to have worked so far. But here is the deal ( I know because I worked in the biz for many years ) they know they are dealing with addicts and they can't say no. I spent so many days talking to musicians that were struggling financially, living off top ramen BUT they always put together a Big order and then said " hold on I need to get my girlfriends credit card." Thats why instruments and accessories are still going strong, better than strong. They know they got you hooked and sooner or later you'll come through for them. A friend used to say " I just cain't hep it"

 

[bowman]

Any time a number from Ft Wayne, IN comes up on my phone, I don't answer it. I conduct all of my business with Sweetwater via email, where there is a written record of what was actually said, and when. That sure saves a lot of time when a "sales engineer" tries to subtlety change the narrative of a situation, which has happened. And for the record, I have never had a truly bad experience with those guys, just a couple of mild annoyances. I still use them.

 

[Telecaster88]

This may have already been said...

1. I'm sure these folks didn't decide amongst themselves to be called "Sales Engineers."

2. I'm sure most of them dislike having to make dozens of unanswered cold calls every day, but that's the job they are being paid to do.

3. Sweetwater has EXCELLENT customer service. I never feel uncertain ordering from them. I know if there's a question or problem, they will take care of it.

4. My rep called last year a few months into lockdown (working from home, I assume), and I actually picked up and we chatted for awhile. You could tell it was a relief for both of us to have someone to talk shop with for a little while.

Cut 'em some slack.

 

[Jim_in_PA]

I like Sweetwater. I've purchased a few things over the years. I'm happy with the products.


HOWEVER

Why do I feel bothered that I've received several "follow up" calls and emails from the Sweetwater employee. This is really annoying.

Does Sweetwater pressure their sales staff to do this?

I plan on buying more from them in the future, but I don't want to participate in Sweetwater's weird sales culture.

They have always been this way and yes, it's their sales methodology as well as their customer service philosophy to stay in touch and be supportive. You can simply request when they next call you to not call you. They will honor that request.

 

[koen]

Just don’t give your phone number, duh.

 

[RowdyHoo]

I love SweetWater. They are my go to online source.

They stand behind their products like no one else. I’ve never had a complaint returning anything.

I purchased a Fender Deluxe Reverb Tone Master last year. Played it at home for several weeks and loved it. However when I took it to band practice I discovered that it did not have enough clean headroom (for classic Country stuff); basically not loud enough. I called them and they swapped it out for the Tone Master Twin, no questions asked.

Didn’t even charge me for the return shipping. Hard to find businesses like that these days. So...a few follow up calls from them might not be what I need, necessarily, but it’s just their way of going the extra mile.

 

[loopfinding]

i imagine it's like a few other certain professions...doesn't attract the majority of people, but for middle aged people who hate their spouses, lost contact with their friends, and are looking for someone to talk to as much as a service, it works like a charm every time.

 

[RowdyHoo]

i imagine it's like a few other certain professions...doesn't attract the majority of people, but for middle aged people who hate their spouses, lost contact with their friends, and are looking for someone to talk to as much as a service, it works like a charm every time.

Cold.

 

[RyCo1983]

Andy gives me great advice when it comes to recording gear and live sound equipment.

They can hook you up with solid discounts too.

 

[TC6969]

I’ve gotten calls from Musicians Friend the last two days , wanting to talk about my next gear purchase. Pretty annoying, really.

I told the first one I didn't want unsolicited calls, and she ignored me.

The second guy started in and I had to threaten to contact the CEO if it didn't stop.

 

[BFcaster]

First off I hate answering the phone. It is never for me or it is a robocall, especially in an election year. Therefore, I look at the caller ID, then decide.
I hadn't bought anything from SW in maybe 10 years, for a LP's ABR-1, but that call was a one-time deal.
I recently made two purchases a month apart of two or more 'smalls' i.e. not an amp or guitar, and under $60 total, both times.
I got a call after the second purchase. The name was the same from both confirmation emails, announcing 'I am your sales engineer'. So, I like that you are part of a sales engineers' group, not a pool that gets picked to make a call to. I would think every time I make another purchase he'll get a notification. That's fine with me, and I like that it is more of a 'one-on-one' that way, if I should in fact have an actual question only a Sales Engineer can answer.

What I really actually enjoyed about this last purchase and call was just talking to another person about music stuff! We chatted for maybe 20 minutes- covid and all the lockdown crap...I have no one else at my job anymore that is a musician. The last guy (bass player) retired when covid started in a year ago. I have a neighbor into Jazz that walks his dog in the summer and we chat, but now it's winter and cold. I got nobody to just B.S. with about tunes or gear or instrument issues/fixes, until my sales engineer called.
They are also here, in the States, not China or anyplace else over an ocean away.

I think it is great customer service. It can be annoying of course, the follow-up call, but if it wasn't there and no one did it, wouldn't we miss it?? We'd have threads about "wouldn't it be great if an online-retailer at least pretended they care, and instead of a email survey actually wanted to talk to you?"