I get a copy of CRN Magazine delivered to my home every month. Congrats to Ricoh they won another AWARD for an Annual Partner Report Card for VARs (Value Added Resellers). As I was reading the ad/award, I noticed a link for Ricoh that I had not seen before www.ricoh-usa.com/resellers.
Hey you know me; I went in to take a peak, just the usual marketing stuff for resellers. I then saw a link to buy a Ricoh printer, now my curiosity was up. I clicked the link, then the search bar asked for state, products (you could click, printers, multifunctional printers and scanners). So, I put the info in for New Jersey, selected the “find now” button and did not find my dealership, just a bunch of VAR's. That’s OK I though, let me check out some of my friends areas, so I did a search for Tennessee and Texas, still no dealers just VAR's. I was ok with this too and then went back to the home page for Ricoh. Off to the left you can click "IT solutions for business". I did and it brought me to www.ricoh-usa.com/itchannel/. And there it was again, a link for "where to buy" I clicked and it brought me to same info that I had saw before on the reseller’s page!
Now to me, someone who supports Ricoh, eats sleeps and breathes their products and sells Ricoh printers I found this offensive to dealers and dealer salespeople alike! Our printer DSM comes in from time to time and gives the old yahoo to sell more printers, more Ricoh, they are the best and we will support you! Some dealer support you got there!
I thought about someone who will visit an office and see a Ricoh printer or printers and will ask how is the printer, do you like it? The user then gives a glowing report, and then that prospective client is off to the web to see more and then find out where he can get one! Not from us dealers!!! Just VAR's, what the heck did VAR's ever do for Ricoh, we were the ones who suffered with the POS that they first came out with, not the VAR's, we continued to sell and support printers and over time they got better and better.
Way to go Ann Moser and the rest of the Ricoh Printer Group. Can't wait to hear or see my printer rep either at Dallas or in Boston!
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