route driver

loader

production technician

maintenance mechanic

service technician

Primo Water

Policies were changing every day and work could never get done. Management never knew what they were doing and someone's hand was always in someone else's cookie jar. When I started here, the company showed a lot of promise. I started very close after its reopening. After some time, I climbed up the ladder a bit, which eventually came to a halt. People are promoted to supervision with little to no experience, based on their social status on the floor. You can thank the specialty department head for most of said promotions. I had the misfortune of getting lodged in the Quality improvement role. I say misfortune because, however much I loved working with the team I was with and doing the job that I worked so hard to get to do, the treatment we received from management, supervisors and general associates in this company was unprofessional and demeaning. The reason why I point this out is because the hard work and effort put into being promoted was constantly being undermined by people above you, reminding you that you're nothing but a grunt. This takes a toll on your confidence and puts a stop to your career growth. Human resources isn't much help. The representative is either incompetent or has too much work to handle, seeing as how they're the only one representing anyone in a building full of over 500+ people. I stuck it out and gave the company close to 5 years and the experience never improved. Eventually, the call volume became too much for the hourly associates to handle on a daily basis because the company buys franchises without the proper man power to handle the call load (if you're a customer reading this, this is why you didn't get your delivery on Friday... your RSR was too busy delivering to everyone else in America). This put a stop to Quality improvement and coaching for several months at a time (our department was somehow responsible for picking up the slack), lowering the overall customer experience and engendering bad behavior from associates too disgruntled to function properly (again, if you're a customer, this is why your issue was never escalated properly). If you could hear some of the customer mistreatment I would listen to when I finally got the chance to properly work, you'd blush. DS Services doesn't care about its customers, nor its employees. They purchase company upon company building a giant monopoly of franchises and they have 1 call center in the entire United States to help handle the burden. This creates for a toxic environment of overworked associates with overworked supervisors below a platform of managers that look down at the rest of the staff with disdain and condescension. If you're reading this, I urge you to seek elsewhere for employment. I would never recommend DS Services to anyone with a functioning brain who's got the experience to be something other than a representative at base level. The chances are highly that you'll stay in that role. 

First off the good. The immediate supervisors (called route specialists), are usually drivers who have been promoted are great to work with. Very supportive and easy to work with. The pay is pretty good at first. Not many jobs start out at $20 an hour (and with plentiful overtime if desired.) You can also work straight commission if you are comfortable with that. 

The job is great if you like being your own boss and are responsible enough to be able to handle your duties without someone constantly being over your shoulder. Being outdoors most of the day is definitely a plus during the spring and fall months. 

Now for the bad. Several of the trucks are 2007 model International 4300 that are in absolutely horrible condition. In 3 years I have hardly had a truck with working A/C. In Atlanta. In Summertime Atlanta. Hauling 50 lb bottles of water for up to 12 hours. Not only that the trucks are in such disrepair that I can’t count the number of times that I have been towed back to the shop. Usually after 2-3 hours of sitting in a hot truck on the side of the road. 

Don’t bother complaining to management about this. They either can’t or won’t resolve the problem. Supposedly several new trucks are on the way later this year but this is inexcusable that the fleet has been allowed to get to this point. There are newer 2019 trucks but only for about half of the drivers. Also the hand trucks and dollies that are supplied are usually old and worn out. And you will need to make your own wooden board with side rails so you can carry 12-15 bottles at a time for your High volume stops.  

The other main problem is a turnover of branch managers. I’ve seen 4 in  3 years. Because of high turnover due to job dissatisfaction and truck issues we are nearly always running behind on our stops which means we are having to make many more deliveries than we should. Make no mistake this is a BRUTAL job physically. Even if you are in great shape it will wear your body down and cause long term injuries. Very few people can make this a long term career. 

The job has been a blessing because of the money but it is simply not something I can sustain for much longer.  If you can deal with the rough working conditions, the money is good at first. But this is probably not the place you want to retire from. 

I would really like to start that I did like this job a lot. You do need to manage your money for slower months (at the time, the pay structure is different now from my understanding) but could make a killing in summer months.

They trained me and got me my CDL B with air-brakes and your route is essentially your own small business. I was an outlaying route and at the time of me working there, the hourly was under minimum wage ($6.75hr+commision off route sales) and would have 2 -4 hours a day of just drive time.They've since gone away from this from what few guys remain tell me.

I also worked 2 positions in this company. As an RSR you are treated fairly decently, but in the warehouse you are treated less than human. 

Quick Summary:
Injured requiring surgery (was a mix of life and work injuries)
They attempted to fire me while on leave
had to fight all the way up to the top to get my job back
They illegally placed me in a lower position with MUCH lower pay
Then fired me for something someone else did (and should have been a write-up or similar disciplinary action), which has become a cultural standard. 

Rotator Cuffs, Knees, Backs and elbows go out due to carrying 42lbs bottles around all day. Once you need surgery, regardless of doctors okay, you are essentially targeted and terminated without any kind of severance. 

RSR position is Mon-Fri 
as a Loader in Sacramento, CA; might as well not have a life and be used to being berated for things out of your control. They wanted 54 trucks loaded in 8 hours, which could have been doable with a work space accommodated for it and a working production line.

They over committed the lines to 3rd party production and they would break down CONSTANTLY. And since they weren't producing for their local customers, we couldn't load trucks (no water, nothing to load). The lines would break down for days and local customers would go without water for days. And as loaders the hammer fell on us (bottom of the hill).

Numerous times I had witnessed management lying to other managers  and even corporate doing the same in ways to get people they don't like out. 

Raises:
If you wanted more money as an RSR they would tell you to make more sales (due to commision). But if your route is in a economically depressed area you're probably already stretching it as much as possible and only means of a raise is to hope a better route opens up.

As a plant worker, Good Luck

Your day consists of taking customers calls and trying to resolve their issues with one call resolution. Sometimes the calls are non stop, sometimes it's pretty slow. Usually really busy during summer time and holidays. The rest of the year is not too crazy. As far as the branches, that make the deliveries, there is not very good communication between them and the call center. We have A LOT of issues with missed deliveries and customers not being informed of changes, past due balances, or getting call backs from the Route Sales Representative or Branch Management. You have many understanding customers but there are also very rude and nasty ones. So like the title states, if you don't have thick skin, this job is not for you. I am a bilingual Tier 1 agent. We just got a $2.00 raise a few days ago, so that's awesome. Also you get 5 paid sick days, 10 paid vacation days, 3 paid floating holidays, 8 paid non-working holidays, and 3 paid bereavement leave days. The dental, vision and medical insurance is expensive, so for me it's not worth it. My supervisor is awesome, I love her. But there are some supervisors who are not helpful at all and will turn you away when you need help. There are strict quality and call handling times. If you don't meet the company goals every month, you will get a written coaching. But listen if your numbers are good as far as attendance, quality scores, call handle time, and not going over your lunches and break times, you will move up in the company. You have a 45 minute lunch and 2 paid 15 minute breaks. So in a nutshell, good company to work for if you are serious about coming to work, doing your job correctly, and not letting customers get to you. I'd recommend this job...Our team is always doing little activities here and there. We all bring in food or snacks etc and enjoy ourselves. I can't complain other than the branches lack of communication and service. Some branches really do care about customers, but some really just don't care. Worst ones are in California, hands down. And some in NY and Illinois are really bad too. But really, at the call center, the good outweighs the bad. They take care of us, as long as you do your job properly and meet or exceed company standards.

I'm going to be real honest. Walking through the door I already knew I was going to get hired especially if they were having a job fair. While I was in training a lot of questions was getting asked due to it seemed to be information being missed. I felt lost in training, but all I kept hearing is it will get better, you just have to like be hands on with the calls in order to get it. I was like ok I can understand that. My first call seems to still be my first call because they are always updating things in order for them to be right about things. To be honest its not even that hard to be a communicating business. I love helping my customers and I will go over and beyond to help them. I don't like the fact that I'm not in a place that I can help my customers fully. If we are suppose to be family in the company then we need to act like family. It is a chain that it follows, upper management down to us in the call center. Quality grades are no better. I have gotten one 90 grade and that is because it was nothing to what I had to do. But when they grade calls they said I don't show enough empathy. Which is not true I'm very empathic and that is why my calls are so long. I ask for help and they want me to sound mean and I can't do that. I'd rather tell my customers the truth. Supervisors dont help they are always on sup calls. Agents get told to do different things. They are strict for no reason. Too many different departments when atleast 2 of them are doing the same thing. Not enough training. Mangers need to get back in the agent seats every now and again to see what we go through. Branches need to stop turning off the automatic call thing. RSRs need to deliver to the right houses and if they dont have all of the products at least deliver some of the order. They need to be nicer to the elderly and do what they ask so they can get their water. Pay attention to what is being asked. If a business say they close at this time then deliver before that time so empty bottles can get picked up. Stop saying a delivery is made and charge the customer if it is not delivered. Stop charging these customers so much for your mistakes. Stop charging these customers who have been with yall for 30+ years a delivery fee. I have much more to say but Im just going to leave it right there. Stop and look around and be considerate of others. 

Position was for a Route Sales Representative. Relief Trainee (RT) position at the Riverside Plant until a permanent route opens up in the future, then you have to bid on it. RT will make 20 per hr with OT but you will be hustling big time. If you get a permanent Route you make 14% of complete sales on that route. Straight Commission. As an RT I lost 30 lbs in 3 months and got paid to do it. Management top to bottom will micro manage all aspects out of your day. I was frustrated everyday out of the 90 days I was there. The 2 weeks of training is cool, but they tell you it will be 1 month of training and it's NOT. Bottom line 12-14 hour work days, given 70-100 deliveries per day and told to be safe and at the same time told to hustle. You are expected to complete all the deliveries each day assigned. Also they monitor every driver with a camera recording inside and outside front and back of the delivery truck you drive. BIG BROTHER with Micro managing and I couldn't wait to leave this place. Also no career advancement as a route driver unless you become a route manager. All they care about is the serve numbers and not the customer. They preach safety when upper management is around, but really don't care. DON'T Apply to Sparkletts Riverside, Palm Springs or Victorville. YOU WILL REGRET IT. I hear Santa Ana, Irvine and Temecula are better as far as management. Be warned waste of time meetings held every Tuesday and Thursday and you will be required to attend or get written up.

BOTTOM LINE there is something to be said when 90% of the current employees are stressed and complain about the management. Nothing personal, I talked with everyone with the exception of 1-3 guys out of 50 drivers and they have to tolerate conditions or leave.  So thankful I was able to experience a terrible company which will give me perspective as a driver in the future. 
Also be warned you will burn out your body physically. I was considering seeing the company doctor and doing light duty because of the intense working conditions before my departure. Rotator cuff, bicep and chest pec problems because of the 3 months I worked for DS services (Sparkletts) Riverside location.

Your life outside of work no longer exists once you make that first punch on the time clock. Between the ridiculous amount of schedule revisions and number of days asked to work in a week you better not have anything better to do outside of work, ever. 60 hours a week was a minimum and you will never see the 2-2-3 schedule that they promise. The qualifications for advancement within the company at least at the Madison location don't actually matter. The checklist requirements change every year and even then, those who receive promotions do not meet those requirements. Being promoted is solely, and I emphasize this heavily, SOLELY based upon how much they believe your ability to make a characterization of yourself that agrees with senior managements every decision and thought, whether it be work related policy or personal matters. Once you have made one mistake it will follow you for the rest of your career there is no forgiving regardless of how hard you work to make up for it. There is no skills assessment for anything, as previously stated their selection process is arbitrary at best. The people you will meet on the floor and on the maintenance, team are some of the absolutely most talented individuals you could ask for, sadly management ruins every other aspect of the job. Dedication, determination, and sacrifice simply put isn't enough to satisfy management even when your team is breaking records. Corporate should have long done a deep dive in to what transpires at this facility, they would find more than just disgruntled employees. The turnover rate is a tried-and-true metric that reflects the lack of respect for employees at the facility.

My experience at Primo Brands Watertown was extremely disappointing and concerning. I came into the role with a strong background in food safety, quality, operations, sanitation, and employee safety, and I expected a company of this size to have stronger standards, better support, and more consistent follow-through.

The hardest part of the job was seeing serious safety, GMP, equipment, sanitation, and compliance concerns raised repeatedly without what I felt was an appropriate level of urgency or corrective action. In my experience, production was often treated as the priority even when equipment, sanitation, labeling, or employee safety concerns still needed to be addressed.

There were good employees at the site who worked hard and cared. Working with the frontline team was the most rewarding part of the role. Many employees wanted to do the right thing but appeared to be working under pressure in an environment where problems were discussed more than they were truly fixed.

Management and workplace culture were the biggest concerns for me. I felt that when I raised issues as part of my SHE/QA responsibilities, the focus shifted onto me rather than the conditions I was reporting. That made the role unsustainable.

I would not recommend this site to safety, quality, sanitation, or operations professionals unless they are given clear authority, leadership support, and the ability to stop unsafe or nonconforming work without being treated as the problem.

The company is an entirely different company today from 2004 when I originally started. The biggest reason I left is because the company puts the cart before the horse and doesn’t seem to put a whole lot of thought into launching new products and services. It’s trial and error and most ideas fail. Bottled water is their backbone. There is opportunity to sell other products but don’t expect the route people to understand how to deliver these products effectively. The infrastructure for the growth isn’t in place. Delivery people run 100 mph to keep up and most of the time cannot. Customers are lacking the service they deserve. Their agreement with Costco was good for business but not for the customer or employee. Everyone is overwhelmed and can’t keep up. Customer service is lacking, prices continue to go up, and commissions for sales people have gone down. There were a few good years but those days are long gone. Benefits are available but for a family it is at a premium rate. If you are a good sales person with good work ethic you’ll make $55-$70k per year tops. If you’re mediocre $40-$50k and if you suck less than $40k. You do get to drive a company vehicle but as a salesperson they force you to work with other sales people that can be difficult at times. Also expect to be their pawn. They eliminate, bring back, alter job titles and compensation plans on a regular basis. I went from making $100k for a couple years and then they eliminated my job and changed the comp plan that made it impossible to be above $70k. 
Just expect a roller coaster ride. You have to be willing to brush it off and adapt.

I was a DOM with this company for almost 5 years and the culture a Primo is toxic and negative at best: especially since Blue Triton took over. There is zero motivation, zero positive reinforcement and the new DVP has absolutely no idea what he’s doing. This guy used to run  the sales side which has always been atrocious so now he’s destroying the operations side. I guess it’s true what they say here…”you fail up!!” This company plays favorites BIG TIME and if you don’t you know what the dvps you know what  and or keep your mouth shut then good luck! I was always at the top numbers wise and one of the better DOMs to be fair and one day just decided enough was enough and resigned. I could have EASILY kicked it and mailed it in but decided that my mental health was worth more. This company is rotten from the top down! The director of refill used to be awesome, but I guess after a year of brown nosing he’s forgotten how he got there and forgets. What the DOMs actually do on a day to day basis. If you want to stay at the top be prepared to work 70 hrs a week at least! Right now, they are in the middle of a debacle called rerouting and if you didn’t know what a train wreck was…get hired and call me in 3 months lol. This is what’s called the blind leading the blind….right into an accident and/or brick wall. They treat their doms like complete doo doo here and only pile more and more on their plate all the while cutting off their legs and arms. Oh and your district here will be half the size of Texas…If you get hired, don’t say I told you so. 

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Route driver 1242 salaries reported	$63,960 per year
Loader 336 salaries reported	$21.36 per hour
Production technician 349 salaries reported	$24.40 per hour
Maintenance mechanic 267 salaries reported	$37.68 per hour
Service technician 217 salaries reported	$21.50 per hour

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