New Tactics from RBS

I quess thats what happens when they can't get NEW business. The local manager should be fired, plus hisor her boss for not having a handle on how 2 sell without bashing dealers.

This story is a little old but worth repeating:

We have a very good P4P client who has been with us for years. Loves their Ricoh 2090s, loves us. Adores me because I'm his local PrintShop Mail guru (yes, a little cross-vendor action there, thank you, Konica Solutions :-)...)

He went to Graph Expo last September. This is the big printing industry show that is held in Chicago every fall. It takes up most of the huge McCormick Place convention center. All the big guns (Heidelberg, Kodak, etc etc etc) are there, so it was a pretty big deal for Ricoh to step up and exhibit their production side on the same floor as those guys.

My client told me that the staff in the Ricoh booth were pretty blunt with him about going direct instead of going through dealers. He said that he felt ridiculed by the booth staff because of his loyalty to a dealer.

The end result is that he now has a lingering bad taste in his mouth over the Ricoh staff's bad behavior, and he is puzzled as to why a manufacturer that we represent fairly and honestly would do such a thing to us.

You can see where this is heading. Next upgrade, we're talking Konicas. And given his frame of mind right now after what he experienced, despite his 2090 love he is receptive to a vendor switch. If you can't trust your partner......

I had the same situation with RBS visiting a government account I have had for 10 years. Slammed my customer with all kinds of talk about why they should go direct and that the local independant dealer couldn't provide the things that they could.
Long story short, customer is still with us and very happy. They specifically told Ricoh that they are happy with us and prefer to deal with us. The most interesting and troubling comment, one especially Ricoh should listen to very closely was "I don't understand why Ricoh behaves this way, Xerox doesn't try to cut their dealers throats, why does Ricoh"?
Nice thing is that RBS cannot go into this account now. They have been directed from the higher ups to leave it alone since we are the dealer of record.
I think they are desperate. The RBS branch I was told only has two technicians that cover a huge area. I guess that is why we are getting ship ins from RBS to service and support.
Screw RBS!!

Problem is that Xerox usually only has 1 or 2 other dealers in each market.

In our small market that has less than 4 Fortune 500 companies, there are 9 Ricoh resellers between the directs and indirects. People buy from who they trust and know. Develop great customer relationships with your base and it is irrelevant what the competition says about you....if you do a great job with your accounts your competiton just looks like idiots. If they are believing what these competitors say, then you aren't doing your job very well.

My situation is similar and we have great customers that love us. However that love can only take us so far. One of the accounts that loved us felt "they had to go with Ricoh Direct" because only the directs have access to the Novation contract for hospitals.

I see this being similar to what we deal with re: leasing companies. Those that have been in the business as long as I have remember the day when lease companies ran more legitimate businesses without all the "alternative forms of revenue" that we have today. Over the years, they added new revenue streams one at a time until it has becomae almost impossible. It's like boiling a frog...if you turn up the heat slowly, they won't jump out. I see Ricoh adding more and more alternative markets, exclusive contracts and special pricing just for the directs. Mark my words, the day is going to come when:
1.) You won't be able to choose an independent dealer for ship-outs...all ship-ins will go to direct operations
2.) All Ricoh Contracts will be Ricoh Direct exclusive including GSA and state business.
3.) Ricoh will have no qualms about hiring away from dealers their best techs and salesreps.
4.) Almost anything Ricoh will be available on-line with the direct operations doing the installs.

It happens slowly, one piece at a time. If you doubt me, talk to someone who has been in the business longer than 10 years. They remember the day when there were no direct operations, there were no internet sales, and there were no exclusive contracts.

"Every business needs to prepare for the total abandonment of everything that it does." Peter Drucker.

I agree that great relationships are the key to managing your client base against competitors.

My issue is with the behavior of a vendor that is supposed to be your PARTNER. In the case of my national trade show story, the exhibit was supposed to be promoting the international company Ricoh and their global brand, of which dealers are supposedly a valued part.

Here, here Jim, I too believe the end may be near, hopefully not in my selling career. I love my job and love what I do.

All of the directs are subsidized (hope I spelled that right) by the parent companies.

There's and old saying "if you can't bet them, join them". Seriously, I have been thinking more and more about this. I would have price support, inventory, demos, marketing, and the direct name:

What I would lose: Working from home, endless boring meetings, rush hour traffic probably some more items.

It seems the next bug growth in copiers is the very high end in print production and I don't see Ricoh giving those units to dealers any time soon.

Well said Jim. That is one of the reason I made the move to larger, stronger Global company. It has almost been a year and I am working deals that I could have never done before!

By the way did you get my Voicemail a few weeks ago?

-Boston Mike

uofavb9,

I have to somewhat disagree. The customer described loved me and does again.

RBS tried to get in to my largest account (Read that rant below)(They even said they were Ricoh and had someone from corporate come up to lie to the customer) after I switched companies. I tied to explain this but I could not prove it until later. RBS made all these promises and gave references etc. The customer bought it with LOW pricing...until it came time to deliver what their FAT mouths promised. That is where it fell apart because RBS cannot deliver, price jumps and empty promises.

Needless to say I was called and was able to deliver over 100K of loaners in less than a day and got the $100k plus deal and I have a $400k+ deal for this month because they want Ricoh out (3260c/5560c line sux and RBS issue)

Now the Rant...Aficio league is crap. They are creating a database to go after your accounts...give fake names, blackout company info on invoivces and watch out for your DMAP accounts. I know for a fact that what they are doing the above from a former Ricoh employee who was in that dept who said they were lying to dealers and are doing exactly what I said...be very careful my friends!!!!

Just an FYI for anyone looking to get on with Ricoh...At least at the present time, they won't talk to you without permission from your company's owner. Like I said earlier, I think the day will come when they don't care but that is the current policy as I understand it.