[RonHendriks1966]

Ricoh has a different and more serious communication problem in my view. They understand B2B but suck at B2C (business to consumer) marketing.

I think this is the biggest issue for the new CEO. Is Ricoh interested in a B2C branch or is it smarter to go back to being a B2B company.

[Dipsoid]

"In business world, when you hear a Japanese say 前向きに考えます(We open our mind to it), 努力してみます (We’ll try our best), 考えておきます(We will think about it), 検討させていただきます(Please let us study it) or other similar phrases, he is rejecting you politely, trying not to hurt your feeling with a direct rejection. You should NOT call him next week and ask him about the progress of his study, because he will never do any study. It applies sometimes even when a Japanese is speaking in English. So how to tell when a Japanese really means to say ‘yes’? A good rule of thumb is whether he goes into details to elaborate his ‘yes’ or just say ‘yes’ without adding anything."

That is precisely what they said though.. we are studying it/we are researching it/we will think about it.. from your own page, seem to be saying the same thing - 'no.'

Ha, I was told before that if you ask a Japanese clerk if they have something in stock that you need, they would never tell you "no", they'll say "That might be difficult" or something similar to that. It's a polite way of telling you no without telling you no.

[barondla]

Filled out the survey. Told them I would like an updated Q with built in or optional EVF. Also said sometimes Pentax looks less polished when dealing with advertising, promotions, etc.
Hope the survey helps them.
Thanks
barondla

Enter Point & Shoot Contest #115. Any brand camera allowed. Cell phone images are welcome. Join us.

[Kunzite]

Ha, I was told before that if you ask a Japanese clerk if they have something in stock that you need, they would never tell you "no", they'll say "That might be difficult" or something similar to that. It's a polite way of telling you no without telling you no.

I said before they're telling you precisely what they mean, without a hint of misinformation! It is indeed very difficult to bring you a product they don't have!

[mee]

They aren't going to say what they want. They would be fired if they did. They are going to say what Pentax's currently public plans are - and like any plans, these cannot be more than intentions or aspirations. In the normal course of events all or most of them would come to pass, but sometimes that doesn't happen for various reasons. Just like life. Folks so often forget three important things here: a) cultural misinterpretation; b) facts vs aspirations; c) differentiation - whatever Pentax do must be done in a way that differentiates their products from those of competitors or the company no longer has a reason to exist.

I agree this makes interviews pretty pointless, but then they often are if you are looking for specifics. Look instead at how the company presents itself, how it feels about itself, how it works - all more revealing than a spec sheet about pixel pitches, I think.

That is interesting and thanks for posting.

Yet I wonder, If they are simply stating what we want to hear, in order to be polite, how is that not lying? It certainly isn't factual if their intent is not to back their claims. When I read one of these interviews I'm expecting the truth because the truth is what matters. Otherwise I see it as a waste of time. And I don't mean product timeframes or company goals shifting, but instead from the start lying through ones teeth is not a polite matter. I'm rather amazed if this aspect to Japanese culture is correct and am having difficulty believing it.

Wouldn't they know there are differences in culture when speaking to western interviewers? It seems the Sigma CEO understands this and pulls no punches. Yet otherwise it seems there are cultural differences in both parties that need to be made, one with the western interviewer not asking pointed questions (since they apparently dislike pointed questions) and two with the eastern interviewee realizing the western public is not going to understand their niche cultural formalities, so they need to loosen some. Meet in the middle, so to speak.

If anything this discussion has opened my eyes to how even more futile these interviews are for gaining knowledge than I had initially imagined.

So I still don't see anyone deciphering a product list and/or timeframe for these products out of these Ricoh interviews, not happening. If anyone thinks they can then we'd all be happy to read off the list and product release times. We can see how correct they are together.

[OJGoreng]

Can you post a link to Ricoh's tweet that includes this? I can't seem to find it and this seems suspicious.
Why do they need an email address?

FWIW, it's not a required field. I left it blank and my entry was accepted.

[biz-engineer]

Yet I wonder, If they are simply stating what we want to hear, in order to be polite, how is that not lying? It certainly isn't factual if their intent is not to back their claims. When I read one of these interviews I'm expecting the truth because the truth is what matters.

The truth is that they don't owe you anything, they run a business by definition to make money, they address a market, no one guy in particular. They aren't going to give you any relevant info, simply because unless a press release is issued so that all stakeholders WW have the same info at the same time, they can't tell you what their plans is even if they have a good one. If they tell what their strategy is, it's not a strategy anymore, a strategy is what they are going to do in the future and this is not something to be shared with competition. Waste of time? Well you hang yourself and waste time yourself by wanting something in the future instead of getting and using what's available right now.

[mee]

The truth is that they don't owe you anything, they run a business by definition to make money, they address a market, no one guy in particular. They aren't going to give you any relevant info, simply because unless a press release is issued so that all stakeholders WW have the same info at the same time, they can't tell you what their plans is even if they have a good one. If they tell what their strategy is, it's not a strategy anymore, a strategy is what they are going to do in the future and this is not something to be shared with competition. Waste of time? Well you hang yourself and waste time yourself by wanting something in the future instead of getting and using what's available right now.

Show me where I claimed they owed me anything. I'm waiting.

I think we all want something in the future otherwise we wouldn't be in the News and rumors section discussing a survey of what we want in the future from Pentax.

[biz-engineer]

Show me where I claimed they owed me anything. I'm waiting.

General attitude.

[mee]

General attitude.

Conjured only in your mind.

Besides, if you really believe that is my 'general attitude', then you've completely misread what I've said and my actual attitude.

[biz-engineer]

I think we all want something in the future otherwise we wouldn't be in the News and rumors section discussing a survey of what we want in the future from Pentax.

That's a tradeoff between the future and the now. While it's good to want sometime in a distant future to improve, it's not good to make it a top priority (hanging) to the point that it prevent enjoying the currently available gear.

---------- Post added 07-07-17 at 05:13 ----------

[mee]

That's a tradeoff between the future and the now. While it's good to want sometime in a distant future to improve, it's not good to make it a top priority (hanging) to the point that it prevent enjoying the currently available gear.

Thank you for your insight. But what Pentax offers in the next 6-12 months is really make it or break it for me. The K-1 is not so enjoyable for me right now. It's lacking lenses majorly in my opinion. I'm ok with waiting, but the reality is there is little value in an interview if the interviewee is not willing to share accurate information. It is like a deposition where the only response is 'no comment' or 'I cannot confirm nor deny that.'

Yet it is interesting when I discuss Pentax reps and their severe ambiguity on here, you decide to tear into me personally, then ask my age. The irony is heavy. But, apparently, I'm not supposed to have my own strong opinions if they are opposite to yours.

I'm not sure this dialog you want between us is going to go anywhere it should, so I'm going to forgo it further.

[Kunzite]

If they are simply stating what we want to hear, in order to be polite, how is that not lying?

Sigh... where on Earth are you reading such things? Not in the posts you are quoting, for sure.

---------- Post added 07-07-17 at 08:47 AM ----------

[Unregistered User 8]

This thread is being temporarily closed as the direction it is taking is not productive. It may be reopened after discussion with the other moderators.

[Parallax]

This started an advisory of a survey.
A few members turned it into a schoolyard "my dad can beat up your dad; nuh uh!, uhuh!, can not!, can to!" slapfest so the mod team has decided it's best left closed.