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Sweetwater and Guitar Center Calling
- Thread starter [skyraider]
- Start date
I think it's another pile of crap from company executives pushing harder to sell, adding stress to their employees I might add. Lots of places do this, hounding people with surveys and emails, coupons etc. People actually get in trouble at the workplace if they don't do this stuff, it sucks for everyone.
I've gotten phone calls from places I NEVER shopped at, online or in person.
I've gotten phone calls from places I NEVER shopped at, online or in person.
I had a customer that I had given my cell number to. He would call constantly with really minor technical questions that should have been directed elsewhere.
I changed his name in my contact list to Do Not Answer.
I changed his name in my contact list to Do Not Answer.
I have bought several items from GC and have received only one very pleasant sales call in 3 years. I do get a lot of emails that go into my spam folder.
Not sure if this matters, but other than strings and a guitar strap, I've never bought new merchandise there, only used.
Not sure if this matters, but other than strings and a guitar strap, I've never bought new merchandise there, only used.
Been buying from Sweetwater for years. IME, they call once, after each purchase.
Unless I have questions, I ignore the easily recognizable number, and they don't call back. No big deal, and actually kind of convenient, if I have a question.
Personally, the opposite case is far more frustrating. I have been trying to order a guitar from Kiesel for a few weeks now, and the contact has been terrible. About to give up, and explore other options.
Unless I have questions, I ignore the easily recognizable number, and they don't call back. No big deal, and actually kind of convenient, if I have a question.
Personally, the opposite case is far more frustrating. I have been trying to order a guitar from Kiesel for a few weeks now, and the contact has been terrible. About to give up, and explore other options.
Kiesel/Carvin's biggest problem is themselves, unfortunately.
Um.... Just don't answer?
I love Sweetwarer customer service. I like having my one guy who will jump right on something if I ever have a problem.
Sure, you bought a Jazz bass. That's pretty straightforward. I bought some lighting gear for my band and a digital piano for my kids.
With the lighting gear, I was having trouble setting it up and programming it. My guy set me up.and appointment for tech support to call me on a Saturday before the gig. They literally walked me through everything thay afternoon (gig day) so that my lights looked great that night.
When my digital piano arrived a few days before Christmas with a cracked bench, I called Philip. He called me back a minute later to say that another bench would he at my house overnight straight from the manufacturer. It was. But two came instead of one. I called him to let him know that I got an extra bench. His reply was "Merry Christmas. Just keep it." So now my rehearsal studio has a bench for our keys guy and kne for me to sit on.
The point is, Philip doesn't get offended when I don't answer his calls. He knows the deal. But in this world of a total lack of give a crap from every business you encounter, it's refreshing to deal with a company that might go a little to far in the name of customer service.
If I'm buying something new, I don't even comparison shop. It comes from Sweetwater.
I love Sweetwarer customer service. I like having my one guy who will jump right on something if I ever have a problem.
Sure, you bought a Jazz bass. That's pretty straightforward. I bought some lighting gear for my band and a digital piano for my kids.
With the lighting gear, I was having trouble setting it up and programming it. My guy set me up.and appointment for tech support to call me on a Saturday before the gig. They literally walked me through everything thay afternoon (gig day) so that my lights looked great that night.
When my digital piano arrived a few days before Christmas with a cracked bench, I called Philip. He called me back a minute later to say that another bench would he at my house overnight straight from the manufacturer. It was. But two came instead of one. I called him to let him know that I got an extra bench. His reply was "Merry Christmas. Just keep it." So now my rehearsal studio has a bench for our keys guy and kne for me to sit on.
The point is, Philip doesn't get offended when I don't answer his calls. He knows the deal. But in this world of a total lack of give a crap from every business you encounter, it's refreshing to deal with a company that might go a little to far in the name of customer service.
If I'm buying something new, I don't even comparison shop. It comes from Sweetwater.
- Oct 18, 2012
- 6,683
- 5,538
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: Fender, Spector, Ampeg, Curt Mangan, Nordstrand Pickups, Korg , Conquest Sound
I've never had Guitar Center call me but Sweetwater used to call several times per month. I asked them to stop and haven't received a call in over a year.
^^This^^
I've purchased quite a few instruments from Sweetwater. The occasional call a week or so after the sale doesn't bother me.
London's been calling, too... their business protocol is clashing with my normal routine.
Works better than anything else i've ever tried to end followup calls. That said, I've never had a problem with after sale calls or emails because i just ignore the calls when they come in or flush the emails when i do my daily spam purge. My policy is any number i don't recognize or have in my contact list is ignored. Same with emails, if i don't recognize the sender or it's not from someone i'm currently working with, bye bye unopened.
Spammers will never quit and neither will phone scammers and anyone who wants to play that game with me is welcome to waste whatever time and effort they put in to doing so. I also receive some amount of perverse pleasure from occasionally playing silly games with spammers if i'm not too busy. My favorite is to completely misunderstand their pitch and no matter how they restate it i just don't follow, or a young lady selling office supplies wasted the better part of a half hour thinking i was actually checking my supplies to see what i wanted. She actually called me vile names when i told her all i really needed was one paperclip.
I never ever give my cell phone number to any business or individual unless they are close friends or family. (I even have some family I won't give it to...) When businesses insist that they must have a phone number I give them my old cell phone or landline number. I really feel bad (wink, wink) for whoever has my old cell number, but then they can block the callers and I don't have to deal with it. I haven't had a single robocall in the last two years since I had my number changed.
I have found that the worst offenders for selling your number to their "partners" have been stores that give you a so called loyalty or discount card. I've bought stuff from SW and GC recently and not one call so far...
I have found that the worst offenders for selling your number to their "partners" have been stores that give you a so called loyalty or discount card. I've bought stuff from SW and GC recently and not one call so far...
Sweetwater listens to complaints. My sales rep calls me a few days after a big purchase just to make sure everything is ok. I don't mind. I was having a problem with their online ordering system and I talked to my rep about it. The default shipping settings used to be for FedEx to require a signature. There was a box that you could check that would change it to no signature required. You had to look for it though and it was a small box. When I went round and round with FedEx over the delivery of my Ampeg amp, I'd had enough. I called my rep and talked to him about the default shipping options. I also told him that there are probably a lot of people unhappy with the default and that they're just accepting it for what it is. About 2 weeks after my conversation with my sales rep, Sweetwater changed the shipping format to what you see now. The default is no sig required but the option to require a sig is easy and straightforward.
Maybe my Sweetwater rep has uncommon sense, over the years I have purchased a room full of gear including a really nice Ibanez bass. He did E mail me their file photos of the Bass I purchased with a follow up E mail request for a review which I declined. When I have called him he has always called back with the information I requested. Kudos to them. Guitar Center E mails I simply delete like I'm playing space invaders, no worries at all, my policy for phone calls is not to answer at all unless you are a family member you need to leave a message.
So agree. It's almost as if, once the sale goes down, the customer goes bye bye with a dismissive wave...
... pretty sure that's NOT how it's supposed to be.
Relating to the thread, my Sweetwater rep is cool... sends an email every now and then, seeing if I want to make my wallet smaller... sometimes I oblige, sometimes I don't.
Yes, but have they ever called you "every day for weeks"? Have you even heard of that before this post?
Something's weird here.
I'm getting emails from 6 different vendors every day. I've gotten very good at mas deletions.
I get an occasional phone call, but that's what voicemail is for.
They wouldn't do it if they didn't know it works.
I get an occasional phone call, but that's what voicemail is for.
They wouldn't do it if they didn't know it works.
my sales/advisor at Sweetwater only calls when I ask him to! Now the only time he has called was to ask about how to make a gumbo and a roux and about boiling crawfish LOL.
