VA Medical Centers and SEWP Contract

JohnMember VIP

I just want to post an issue that I was made aware of two days ago.
I work with a large VA medical center and have a 14 year relationship with the same contracting agent who handles their copier aquisitions.
This facility has about a 50/50 split of Ricoh and Xerox. With all Ricoh's being from my company.
Here is where it gets interesting.
In a follow up call with her I was told that she recently had a visit from an RBS health systems account manager.
The VA has recently been mandated internally from what I understand, to buy from the NASA/SEWP contract and not GSA. We have always used GSA LTOP and ROLP leases with this facility.
This RBS rep told her that he didn't think that independant dealerships can use the NASA/SEWP contract and he would be back the following week with more information.
I have contacted our Major Acct. Sales Manager from Ricoh to inquire about this and he initially thinks that this may be the case.
He is looking into the situation and has asked me to send him an email about this situation, our tenure with the customer and long term relationship we have established.
My understanding is that this NASA/SEWP contract is originally a Lanier contract and right before the transition with Lanier last year they somehow got it available only to RBS.
At a minimum I am looking at losing 30 plus units as they are replaced over time and just for icing on the cake, Xerox is not on the NASA/SEWP contract so I am also looking at 30 plus additional placements that I will not get over time.
I have put 14 years of solid work into this account to establish the Ricoh name and gain complete confidence from the customer in myself and my company abilities.
How can this happen?
How can we not be able to use a federal contract for Ricoh products since we are a full line dealer and are on the GSA list of authorized resellers for Ricoh.
Please, Please give me your thoughts on this and how I can proceed.
If any of you have VA medical centers as your accounts, this will affect you.
My hard work and your hard work and RBS will just waltz in and take over.
Not without a fight my friend.
John

1/26/0812:46 AM

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JohnMember VIP

By the way, you can get a little information on the NASA/SEWP contract on the aficio league info center.
John

1/26/0812:47 AM

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Old GloryMaven VIP

You are not alone. I have a hospital that is exclusively Ricoh and has been for many years but they are being pestered by the RBS rep to switch over. We were able to get Ricoh to step in and tell them to back off and they promised to get us comparable pricing. Time will tell whether we can save the account.

I fear this is only the beginning for this account and others.

1/28/089:07 AM

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hawkdaddyMember

quote:
Originally posted by John:
I just want to post an issue that I was made aware of two days ago.
I work with a large VA medical center and have a 14 year relationship with the same contracting agent who handles their copier aquisitions.
This facility has about a 50/50 split of Ricoh and Xerox. With all Ricoh's being from my company.
Here is where it gets interesting.
In a follow up call with her I was told that she recently had a visit from an RBS health systems account manager.
The VA has recently been mandated internally from what I understand, to buy from the NASA/SEWP contract and not GSA. We have always used GSA LTOP and ROLP leases with this facility.
This RBS rep told her that he didn't think that independant dealerships can use the NASA/SEWP contract and he would be back the following week with more information.
I have contacted our Major Acct. Sales Manager from Ricoh to inquire about this and he initially thinks that this may be the case.
He is looking into the situation and has asked me to send him an email about this situation, our tenure with the customer and long term relationship we have established.
My understanding is that this NASA/SEWP contract is originally a Lanier contract and right before the transition with Lanier last year they somehow got it available only to RBS.
At a minimum I am looking at losing 30 plus units as they are replaced over time and just for icing on the cake, Xerox is not on the NASA/SEWP contract so I am also looking at 30 plus additional placements that I will not get over time.
I have put 14 years of solid work into this account to establish the Ricoh name and gain complete confidence from the customer in myself and my company abilities.
How can this happen?
How can we not be able to use a federal contract for Ricoh products since we are a full line dealer and are on the GSA list of authorized resellers for Ricoh.
Please, Please give me your thoughts on this and how I can proceed.
If any of you have VA medical centers as your accounts, this will affect you.
My hard work and your hard work and RBS will just waltz in and take over.
Not without a fight my friend.
John