Ricoh Reviews

Pros

Your ability to get promoted is endless as long as you are a performer.

Cons

As typical with any large company-there are a lot of processes that seem redundant.

Advice to Senior Management

Keep doing what you are doing.

Pros

Ricoh Europe is not a bad place to work if you want to remain in the copier world for the foreseeable future.

Cons

What ever you do, do not join their technical arm (technology centre). Join any team in the HQ in Baker st. You will have more opportunities there

Advice to Senior Management

Place the technology centre under the management of Ricoh Global services and remove the silo style mentality that currently exists.

Pros

Product Training
Hands on sales experience
Non-complex sales

Cons

Hard closer-style, aggressive approach to sales
Difficult targets
Competing against the vendor

Advice to Senior Management

It is time to adapt to the changing market, 300 phone calls/week is silly compared to how many BDM's in successful tech companies operate.

Pros

Multi-national environment, opportunities to work with great people all over (and outside) Europe.
Structured planning process enables space for developing long-term initiatives.
From a personal perspective, I was able to develop and enhance my professional skills during the 6 years I worked there... and had great fun doing it.

Cons

Not very flexible re: working locations, working from home, etc.
Can be slow in making decisions, especially if Board approval is required.
If you like clear direction and reporting hierarchy, you won't enjoy it... strong influencing skills are a must.

Advice to Senior Management

Still need to increase the cooperation and transfer of knowledge and skills between the Head Office functions and the Sales Companies. A lot has been done already but there are more benefits to be gained...

Pros

I am having a hard time trying to think of reasons to work here. Your co-workers are unified because of the US vs. management mentality.

Cons

An extremely demoralizing place to work. Absolutely no work / life balance at all. You are expected to work at least 60- 70 hours. A complete lack of strategic selling. Just get on the phones and smile and dial and hopefully you will reach someone that hasn't spoken to the other 8 sales rep that contacted them in the past 12 months.
Extremely high turnover.
The worst career experience ever.
Militant atmosphere
Horrible employee morale

Advice to Senior Management

Why even offer advice, they are "always right" anyway. If they want your opinion, they will give it to you.

Pros

Kobaken Techno does not have enough employees, so there are a lot of opportunities if you really want to develop yourself.

Cons

Currently, Kobaken Techno is only working in domestic (in Japan). There is no international opportunity to work. If you want to work internationally, there is not right place.

Advice to Senior Management

If you want to work hard, it is the right place because salary and advance are up to your determination.

Pros

good on field training and working exposure

Cons

provide more technical working experience for intern

Advice to Senior Management

provide more works

Pros

- work life balance
- friendly working atmosphere

Cons

- very limited possibility for career development
- below average compensation package

Advice to Senior Management

Management needs to change the rigid culture and rejuvenate the company.

Pros

Ricoh is a leader in the office technology area, especially on the equipment side. They are striving to move more into the Managed Print Services arena, but it is a fledgling effort at this point.

Cons

With the purchase of IKON, Ricoh now has to merge together the RBS operation and IKON into a single direct sales organization. It will be bloody as they eliminate duplicate positions, and the RBS and IKON groups loathe each other after years of undercutting each other in the field. My guess is that IKON will end up driving the bus, so the comapny will be undergoing another change in management like they did when they acquired Lanier. The philosophy seems to be - "buy the company and put their people in charge".

Advice to Senior Management

Recognize that the existing Ricoh management has done a good job, and don't just turn the keys over to the IKON group!

Pros

None None None None None

Cons

Many many many many many

Advice to Senior Management

Non