Starting to seem too corporate - Salaried Professional Sweetwater Employee Review

4.0
Jun 18, 2020
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

"Sweetwater Way" mostly still exists, at least in the main building. If you are already a customer, employee discount can save you a bunch Fort Wayne has low cost of living. Is nicer to live here if you are a white conservative and can afford to live outside of the south east part of town. Seems ok with hiring LGBT employees CEO committed to customer service and in making city a better place. Direct supervisor is the best boss I've ever had. Full time personal trainer.

Cons

New warehouse feels like a different company. From talking to people who used to work there and now work in the main building, it sounds like there is a lot of truth to the bad reviews from ex-warehouse workers here. Diversity is an issue, especially in management. Seems to be mobility if you start at an entry level position or as a manager, but many people stay in the same position. Opinions of long time employees seem to be valued less and less. Some long term senior managers appear to have lesser roles now than they used to. Middle management has become bloated, sometimes it is hard to know who to report to. A few that are one or more of the following: homophobic, transphobic, sexist, racist. Some are willing to jump in and help when needed, whereas others not so much. Management and most employees don't take COVID-19 seriously. Health insurance is not that good. Maybe it is ok compared to other Fort Wayne companies, but not compared to other cities. Longe optical is over priced, even with your employee discount.

avatar
Sweetwater Response
6y
Thanks for your feedback. We're always looking to get better as a company and every piece of input is helpful. I'd like to respond to a few things you've shared to help provide some additional (and perhaps different) perspective. Over the past several months, we've implemented quite a few changes in our DC to make the experience even better for our employees. Since March, we have added over 100 new DC team members and have done away with any required overtime (both highly influenced by team member feedback). In addition, we have hired a number of new managers who are providing excellent leadership across all areas of the DC - and this includes new diverse leadership. We have also done 11 internal promotions in the DC since the beginning of the year so we definitely take the opportunity for career progression seriously. Also, during several weeks this spring, we had most of our senior management team (including our CEO and his wife) picking orders and packing boxes in the DC as a show of support for our many great team members working in that area. In addition, we recently updated our Paid Day Off policy to reward all of our employees (including DC team members) with additional days off to help them even better balance their work and home schedules. Regarding your concerns about employees who may be exercising inappropriate behavior, we absolutely do not tolerate this at all and seek to deal with it quickly and seriously whenever it is brought to the attention of managers or HR. In addition, all managers and supervisors complete anti-harassment and diversity training and this same training is soon being rolled out to all employees. Regarding covid precautions, we've been closely following all CDC and Department of Health guidelines throughout the pandemic (and going beyond these in many cases). These actions include staggering our DC shifts and lunch times, extensive and frequent deep cleaning of surfaces, providing free masks to all our employees, placing social distancing reminders throughout the building, removing/thinning tables and chairs from our diner areas, reminding all employees to stay at home if sick for any reason, utilizing our in-house doctor to consult with employees on any type of sickness they are experiencing, and placing hand-sanitizer throughout the building for easy access. We'll keep listening and pressing forward with improvements. Thanks again for sharing your perspective. - Jeff Ostermann, Chief People Officer

Explore other reviews about Sweetwater

5.0
Jun 19, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

-Structure for private lessons -Create your own hours -Pool for new students -Food discount -Benefits

Cons

-I personally did not have problems

4.0
Jun 5, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

If sales and music are your drives, Sweetwater is as good as it gets. Management in my experience has been very supportive and development-oriented, creating a positive culture around the company. They have a fantastic training program (albeit intense) that trains on both products and sales methods, so even if you're lacking experience in a given category there's plenty of coaching and training to get you ready for the role. Over time, the position can also be quite lucrative which compliments Fort Wayne's low cost of living well. They also offer relocation assistance since all positions are on-site, and a great benefits package. I've been fortunate to become great friends with many of my coworkers and honestly some days don't even feel like work. Ultimately, with this job you get what you put in, and making a solid living to geek out over music gear all day is a pretty sweet gig.

Cons

The job is very demanding - it's a fully commission sales job that revolves around constant customer outreach via call, text, and email. This means starting out is tough financially, and days are usually long. Try to have a savings cushion before you start, especially if you're moving from another city/state. You also work nights, holidays, and rotate through weekend shifts which won't be new for those who have worked retail before, but it's still a tough adjustment. Starting out I struggled from a social aspect as well. Fort Wayne is a cool city, but it's no LA, NY, or Chicago. Long hours at work make going out and making friends or getting involved in community groups/organizations difficult.

See reviews by: Helpful|Rating|Date|All