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I know we all joke about our Sweetwater engineers…
- Thread starter g-dude
- Start date
That was my experience. Dennis Konicki was a good guy to work with. I bought two Ibanez basses through him and some other gear. Then he got promoted five years ago, and I never heard from him again, even after sending congratulatory emails. I went through 3 different guys after Dennis, none were that good, and I kept asking for a new SE who actually played bass. The first two did not! The current guy is okay, I finally got him trained not to call me "Mike" and to not say "reaching out", both of which I detest. He still sends me emails for deals on unrelated equipment, even though I stressed that I only play hass.
However, I buy equipment nowadays from companies that don't charge sales tax, which Sweetwater does. Rocket Music got my Genzler business last year. I'd rather work with a local music store than Sweetwater, and Greg Bump is better to work with than any "sales engineer".
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I agree. I received a couple of basses (not the Ibanezes previously mentioned) that obviously had not been touched since the factory.
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All I need are 1) good selection, 2) good price, 3) fast shipping and 4) good return policy. I don’t need sales engineers in my life.
Never experienced anything of the sort.
Perhaps that’s why I dealt with someone for eight years.
All this love for sales engineers. I bought a few instruments over the pandemic lockdown from them and I must say, I guess I got the dud. Couldn’t answer basic questions, wouldn’t weigh basses for me, I just stopped shopping there.
You can always get another.
Reach out to anyone who posted up a name and get the email address for their contact.
All that.
"Sales Engineers" is an affront to anyone who is an actual mechanical, structural, aerospace, chemical, etc. engineer and undergone the rigor of the classwork and training. It is an attempt to confer status onto what is just a sales position, much as Walmart changing the cashiers into "Customer Service Associates". Yes, the Sweetwater guys have to do the front-end and continuing training, but they are still trained salesmen.. not engineers.
Ever had Laffy Taffy where the wrapper doesn’t stick to the taffy? Me neither.
Everyone is an engineer in today’s world.
In the early or mid 70’s, I worked at a very high end department store. I was, in essence, a stock boy. I loaded and unloaded trucks, moved merchandise to/from the sales floor, and performed minor maintenance work.
The store had a suggestion box. One day, as a joke, I submitted an anonymous suggestion saying that stock boys should have a title change to Merchandise Mobilization Engineer. To my surprise and probably because it didn’t cost the store any money, they adopted it!
And that is how I became an engineer for the first time.
In the early or mid 70’s, I worked at a very high end department store. I was, in essence, a stock boy. I loaded and unloaded trucks, moved merchandise to/from the sales floor, and performed minor maintenance work.
The store had a suggestion box. One day, as a joke, I submitted an anonymous suggestion saying that stock boys should have a title change to Merchandise Mobilization Engineer. To my surprise and probably because it didn’t cost the store any money, they adopted it!
And that is how I became an engineer for the first time.
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that was true of the last guy, but once i asked ben not to call, he never has except when i needed quick help with a decision or order.
I had a Sweetwater rep I didn’t like very well. He didn’t really know what he was talking about when I would ask him a specific question, but he would act like he did.
I don’t know what happened but I got switched to Keith Klikas and I like working with him real well.
I don’t know what happened but I got switched to Keith Klikas and I like working with him real well.
Matt has been good for me. Gave some great deals over the years and once threw in a 15% discount without me looking.
Chris Kress—I mostly buy pro sound stuff at Sweetwater, and Chris hits just the right balance of attention, information, and recommendation I need.
I agree with the criticism of the “engineer” tag though—nothing wrong with being a Sales Representative or some variation on that. As a former sales rep (and retail buyer) myself, I can testify that good reps invariably possess great product knowledge, good people skills, and a commitment to giving honest answers & opinions.
I agree with the criticism of the “engineer” tag though—nothing wrong with being a Sales Representative or some variation on that. As a former sales rep (and retail buyer) myself, I can testify that good reps invariably possess great product knowledge, good people skills, and a commitment to giving honest answers & opinions.
