[monochrome]

The remaining NA people are actually OK. They're developing a plan. Your case was extreme, but if 'she' said she called I'm confident she tried. I personally think (no personal information) they're going direct to consumer (yikes!) - and responding to individual issues is step 1.

One secret is to state your case agreeably. It's the same case, they'll offer the same solution (because they must) but every sales organization (including mine) is happier to help a customer they think they can 'save'.

[mee]

The remaining NA people are actually OK. They're developing a plan. Your case was extreme, but if 'she' said she called I'm confident she tried. I think they're going direct to consumer (yikes!) - and responding to individual issues is step 1. One secret is to state your case agreeably. It's the same case, but everg sales organization (including mine) is happier to help a customer they think they can 'save.'

Well I have no issue with RIAC NA. They are doing the best they can with what they have. My suspicions are in RIAC Japan keeping them on a very short leash.

And, yes, the outcome and care (from RIAC NA) is one of a very few reasons I'm still using Pentax products and didn't bail. Precision, however, is another story. I'm strongly considering 3rd party warranties from now on and skipping Precision when possible.

[monochrome]

Japan expects the Distributors (RIAC) to break even on their markup from factory cost. Sure, Ricoh could invest here and intentionally lose money for a while - and some day they will - but every dollar is scarce. Do Pentax customers worldwide want new lenses or Executive salaries in Denver? That's a very real, either/or choice.

Wait until the dollar weakens in 2019.

[Class A]

In their "Photokina 2016 highlights: What we saw (and what we didn't)" article DPReview take stock of what announcements were made at Photokina and which manufacturers did not have anything to present.

DPReview "tells Nikon off" for only having introduced new cameras prior to Photokina and make similar notes with respect to other manufactures, typically providing links to the products that have been introduced prior to Photokina.

Guess which camera manufacturer who did not present anything at Photokina did not get "told off"? Guess which camera manufacturer they did not mention once, as if it didn't exist, as if they didn't care whether it announces something at Photokina or not?

If it needed yet another proof that Pentax has no representation at DPReview, here it is, AFAIC.

In terms of a useful and fair coverage, I don't accept an excuse that the contributions are by staff members and that they just provide their personal perspective. Where is the value in that for the reader? In fact, the way they did it, you get quite a bit of repetition because the staff member's views overlap, but also holes like the absence of a Pentax discussion.

I try to be open-minded about DPReview, but they can make it really hard.

[mee]

Wait until the dollar weakens in 2019.

????

[monochrome]

????

When the US is in an interest-rate recession, GBR and EU and Japan are in expansion and the USD has dropped dramatically, Ricoh can use Yen strength to invest in USA infrastructure and Dealer Agreements at the bottom.

Until then other investments and other markets are more important.

[mee]

When the US is in an interest-rate recession, GBR and EU and Japan are in expansion and the USD has dropped dramatically, Ricoh can use Yen strength to invest in USA infrastructure and Dealer Agreements at the bottom.

Until then other investments and other markets are more important.

How do you know this will happen? A lot of events could occur between now and then that would alter this scenario.

Btw Citi via Reuters was predicting a US recession for THIS year last December...

[SKYGZR]

with all this...it seems that RICOTAX ../..PENCO will be "mum" on any future releases...and will wait to "shake up" the market w/any new offerings...all "Pentaxians" will have to wait to see what comes next ...perhaps something "great"...perhaps something "so-so"......Kinda like the K70.....

[RGlasel]

the USD has dropped dramatically

I'd like to know how many analysts have incorrectly predicted a drop in the U.S. dollar since 2008. Anyway, i assume Ricoh denominates their financial results in Yen and generally speaking consumer prices in the U.S. are very resistant to deflation, so margins on U.S. sales get better if the Yen drops against the dollar instead of the other way around. My guess would be that future investment in sales and marketing is dependent on that investment increasing sales, not on large shifts in currency exchange rates.

I think the unspoken question is "why should we spend money on marketing and sales in countries where it won't have a noticeable impact?" If there isn't a mass market for Pentax to chase, then just supply the enthusiast market who is already motivated to purchase Pentax products and cut costs to increase margins. Mind you, if cutting costs involves cutting product support it could backfire, but keeping existing customers happy is usually cheaper than finding new customers.

[monochrome]

How do you know this will happen? A lot of events could occur between now and then that would alter this scenario.

Btw Citi via Reuters was predicting a US recession for THIS year last December...

It's what I do.

[monochrome]

I'd like to know how many analysts have incorrectly predicted a drop in the U.S. dollar since 2008. Anyway, i assume Ricoh denominates their financial results in Yen and generally speaking consumer prices in the U.S. are very resistant to deflation, so margins on U.S. sales get better if the Yen drops against the dollar instead of the other way around. My guess would be that future investment in sales and marketing is dependent on that investment increasing sales, not on large shifts in currency exchange rates.

I think the unspoken question is "why should we spend money on marketing and sales in countries where it won't have a noticeable impact?" If there isn't a mass market for Pentax to chase, then just supply the enthusiast market who is already motivated to purchase Pentax products and cut costs to increase margins. Mind you, if cutting costs involves cutting product support it could backfire, but keeping existing customers happy is usually cheaper than finding new customers.

As of April there are no further costs to cut in the USA.

The USD has (and for for a time will) remained comparatively strong - though recently down vs. Yen - because relatively our economy has been the strongest economy with the highest real returns available. That will eventually change. Our securities will be comparatively high-priced with low prospects; others' low-priced with high prospects. What happens between now and recession is causal.

There's nothing particularly insightful in my prediction. It actually represents a return to normal from the distinctly abnormal, managed economy we have presently.

[mee]

It's what I do.

What happens if your prediction is incorrect?

[D1N0]

What happens if your prediction is incorrect?

Then Pentax is doomed!




as usual

[Zygonyx]

@ Class A : why do you wanna journalists say something if there is no news ?
I didn't read the blog, but it sounds better that they didn't place Ricoh in Nikon's cat.

[monochrome]

What happens if your prediction is incorrect?

The next President gets a second term.