RCS Plc reviews

Simple Job highlights quality and customer service issues

It should have been pretty straight forward printing 500 double sided business cards.
But, after my job was put on hold i had to contact my customer to inform them the job would not despatched until Monday 10th for delivery Tuesday 11th, this they were fine with.
I received the Despatch Confirmation email on Mon 10 16:04. All was going well.
Until on Tuesday 11th in the morning at 10:15 i receive a phone call from Janet explaining the business cards had not been despatched due to a quality issue and they were going to reprint the cards this was going to take 2 further days (my customer would receive them on Friday), during this conversation I had to ask several times if this type of problem was covered under the Despatch Guarantee promise, as clearly RCS were not going to mention it., Janet said 'i don't know i will have to ask my manager'. I was deeply unhappy that RCS had waited until the day my customer was due to receive the print before notifying me that there was a problem.
I then telephoned my customer and explained the problem to them, they were also unhappy as the cards were being resold on and their client, who had made arrangements to come and collect on Tuesday.
I then received a phonecall from my customer explaining they had received the business cards that supposedly had not been dispatched due to a quality issue. My customer said to carry on with the reprint as they also were busy and did not have the time to check all 500 cards.
I was then back on the phone again to RCS to inform them the cards had been received by my customer. The customer service advisor was professional as usual 'You're joking!' was the response. No, i definitely was not joking.
If you set your customer expectations so high and the price is more than they would normally pay, it is even a bigger fall when there are customer service failures such as this above, my customer has told me that it has damaged our relationship and also his relationship with his customer, potentially no more orders for me or for him from his client.
I am also perplexed with all these so called wonderful RCS quality checks in place, why it came down to a lady in the packing area to spot the problem? To her a massive Thank You, otherwise we would have even more of a problem to sort out, if that is possible.
I also have not received any apology or explanation from RCS for this debacle.
We are reseller of print for RCS, but won't be for much longer as all the customers we used to have for print have gone elsewhere due to problems with the print, delivery, service or price from RCS. We have been embarrassed again by RCS's poor customer service and inhouse communication, but as long as they are OK, nothing else matters.

Great service, great quality, great price

I've used RCS for print jobs for over ten years at various employers and they have always been prompt, efficient and helpful even when we have made mistakes.

Consistently Reliable & Non-Techy

Keep you informed throughout process & deliver on time and at reliable quality. Particularly like the production staff because they are helpful rather than just lecturing you how much better a Mac is. Note to other printers: Business uses PC.

Over 10 years of happy printing

Whenever I need any printing doing, I go to RCS. I've used them for over 10 years without complaint and have never needed to look elsewhere. Business cards, letterheads, postcards, and brochures for my own company and those of my clients all come from RCS.

I once sent duff artwork with spilling mis-steaks and they not only spotted it, but corrected it too - without pushing the delivery date back.

Easy ordering, quick turnaround, happy days.

Trustworthy, helpful and reliable :)

I can't think of a bad thing to say about RCS. I've used them for many years. Although there are sometimes cheaper offers elsewhere, when I want to get quality work done promptly I feel I can rely on RCS to get it done.

excellent quality and service

Because their quality and service has been unfalteringly excellent in the 8 years in which I've used them, I'll often still use RCS on those rare occasions when their prices aren't the best.

Excellent customer service at competitive prices!

I am delighted with all aspects of service from RCS. The sales team are very polite and always respond to my queries instantly. The estimating team turnaround quotes in a matter of hours and the studio are also extremely helpful in preparing our artwork and proofs.

The print quality is excellent and on the odd occassion where we have had an issue, it has been resolved extremely quickly.

Delivery arrives on time but if there are any delays for whatever reason, then I am always informed in good time.

I have no reservations in recommending RCS to anyone.

Really Crisp & Special - That's RCS

Really prompt and efficient printing, I could go local but don't get the same service, well done guys!!

Always a pleasure

I have used RCS Plc a number of times now, and have always had a good experience. They come across as a friendly, customer-focussed company, striving to help you with your printing. Great quality stuff, and always willing to help. They once forgot to send accompanying envelopes with an order, but one phonecall and it was sorted. Thanks!

RCS does what it says on the tin!

Delivery dates adhered to, easy to deal with - simple! Would certainly use them again.

Always impressed with your services.

The staff are ever so polite. If there are any issues we are not sure about they bring about the necessary clarification. They are very friendly. Great service.

A Very Comprehensive Service

In these modern times we @ The Dent Repair Company find ordering anything online is much less time consuming and leaves us more time to run the business, RCS step up to the plate for the online ordering of all The Dent Repair Company printed stationery giving a fully comprehensive solution.

Approachable, professional and very human - highly recommended!

My experiences with RCS have been very positive indeed. As a creative studio, I often need to refer clients to print specialists and I always point them to RCS. They bend over backwards to help, picking up the phone, sending an email, helping people with no understanding of colour and print get the solution they want.

I honestly can't recommend them highly enough.

RCS is an impressive set of intricate cogs working to give a seamless service!

I've been a loyal and frequent user of RCS services for over 10 years now and in all that time, I can safely say "I've never had a cause for concern" - and neither have my clients. My core focus in more recent years has mainly focused on Online branding and design. However RCS will remain number one for any print/digital/litho output I'm required to work on now and hopefully into the future.

The DesignTHEORY Group
[TDTG™]

Great value

These stands look great, stand up straight and hold a decent amount of leaflets. Quality is very good.

Fast, Efficient and up to date

Use when ever possible - I will never forget the time RCS saved me for a rather embarassing spelling error - Even though I hadn't asked them to spell check. Also the Dot pitch is Retina Display quality!

Thats good service.

M Roberts
Getonit.co.uk

Really convenient!!!

I needed some business cards and compliment slips for my new venture. A friend recommended RCS and so I visited their website and found it was really easy to use. So much so that I placed my order in seconds. Really professional service and products with a quick turnaround...I would definitely use them again in the future!

Never let me down!!

I've used RCS for the last 5 years and found their website to be user friendly and prices on certain products to be very competitive. Delivery dates are always clear and have always turned up when they say and print quality is great. Highly recommended!!

Consistantly good quality and value

I used RCS Printers for all of the mainstream print work [with the only exception being specialist services such as letterpress]. I've used them for around 10 years now and find their service consistently reliable with prices that are competitive for the quality [ie yes, you can get cheaper but it shows in the final result!]. Staff are usually friendly and helpful whilst there are a variety of templates to guide you on their website. The variety of print options and special printing features usually caters for everything I would need in my design work.

Excellent Service

No complaints at all, very accommodating. Thanks

My indispensable partner

Life is hectic, too many jobs with too little time. RCS lighten my burden by enabling me to process dozens of jobs in a matter of minutes. I know that my files will be double checked before going to print, I know exactly when they will be delivered and the quality that I can expect.

They are now from a rare breed of companies that still invest in customer service -- they have a team of account handlers (not just a sales team) with knowledge about their products that I can easily call should I have any queries or problems.

I have been using RCS for over 15 years. Due to the cost of their print plugin I have in the past been tempted away by using other printers only to return later due to missing their superior range of products, quality and customer service.

Genuine, honest & quality printers.

Ive used RCS for over ten years & have never found a fault that wasn't my own! Customer service is honestly second to none, over the years Ive asked for some really odd print jobs on short runs, short deadlines & they have delivered every time. My clients love that I pass on the discount I get (I dont cream off the top of print jobs, I'm primarily a web & graphic designer) so as a freelancer - not some big company with oodles to spend, or clients with fortunes to "risk" on printwork - I appreciate the fact that my small money runs of 500-1250 (usually) are treated with the same respect as corporate clients running multi-thousands.

I am treated like a valued customer, my annual catalogue arrives,I get the offers newsletters & at every turn when Ive had to phone RCS to ask "I've got another really bespoke job" - they talk me through how to best go about it.

My 10/10 is genuine.
PaleGallery Design.

I can't compare RCS with anyone else, because of RCS I never needed anyone else.

At 52 yrs and having spent 34 of them in various businesses I feel qualified to judge.........Rcs & I go back around 12 yrs, I have never come across a company so organised, customer focussed & innovative, there are 2 things in life you can always rely on, your family & RCS.

Consistently good service and quality

Always happy to make it work for you.
Your problem becomes their problem.
Watertight guarantee.
Good balance between price and quality.

RCS make light work of bulk printing.

The RCS customer services team are extremely helpful and are always a phone call away to assist if there is something that you are not too sure about or require their guidance. They are very helpful and do not try to blind you with print company 'technical language'. They always deliver on schedule and demonstrate professionalism at all times.

Never let you down!

Extremely reliable, never been let down yet. Easy to use, hassle free supplier. The perfect silent partner!

Good but strongly dislike plugins

The quality is great, we have had very few issues and when we have they have been sorted out quickly.

Customer service is superb, no problems there.

But then there are the awful plugins. Most trade suppliers would offer a trade discount as standard, with RCS you have to pay for it, and its far from cheap. The cost is justified by being wrapped up with marketing assistance, but I think most design companies just want a great product with a good margin and to do their own marketing. Without the plugins it is hard, if not impossible to be competitive so you are left with no choice but to shell out the few thousand £££s. This creates a problem that if you don't sell enough, you make a loss!

Great service, great product, but far too much money paid upfront to get a decent margin.

good quality, but not the cheapest

good quality, but not the cheapest

First class quality and service

The service is 100% reliable with quality checking throughout , good customer service and guaranteed delivery dates. The pricing, however, reflects this level of service which makes RCS uncompetitive when dealing with customers who are shopping around based on price.

RCS provide quality, service and do what they say they are going to do

Strange Cargo has used RCS for many years. As an arts company our requests are many and varied and we have never been disappointed in the products we have received. Customer support is extremely high and the staff are well informed, courteous and helpful.

Complete peace of mind

I've used RCS for a couple of years and have been truly impressed by their level of service, reliability and quality of print. Ordering is simple, jobs have always been dispatched on time and the customer service is excellent.

Excellent quality but insufficent margin to allow us to be competitive

Good things:
Superb quality, can't fault it
Always deliver on time
Wide range of offering
Environmental credentials
Does actually listen!
Great offers

Bad things:
Limited range of paper stocks
Insufficient margin to allow us to compete and still make money, especialy in light of plug in cost
Often very uncompetitive on bespoke jobs

Overall 7/10. would love to do a lot more with you but price just make sus uncompetitive. In the current economic climate and with the rise of internet printers it is difficult out there!

Scotia McCombie found this review useful

Great for professionals but....

If you are a first time user of RCS’s website and you don’t understand print you will find it difficult to order due to the number of options, volume of products and you will need to set time aside to read the plethora of information for example under the artwork preparation, just on the page design requirements alone you will need to read over 2000 words to ensure your order complies with RCS’s ordering ‘rules’.
If you still want to proceed with your order and are not frustrated by the fact that you still have a large amount of work to do before you can start placing your order then read on…
If you are not experienced with design & print, a first time user or even a long standing RCS customer (like us) placing an order through the website is daunting a mind blowing number of products and choices for each product e.g. If you want to order 250 Trifold (A4 to 1/3 A4 Double Sided Full Colour Leaflets, you are given a staggering 27 choices before you can see your price and remember every time you click an option there is a cost implication, so check your total price carefully.
If you would like RCS to ‘Pre-Print Check’ your artwork, at extra cost of £3.95 + vat and more for books & booklets. This is an excellent service but problems can and do still occur with printed jobs. RCS also do not state on their website that if they find a problem, you correct and resend you have the option to select if you want to pay another £3.95 + vat.
One of the many problems with sending a job to print is how a colour will print. RCS offer you a solution of swatch books printed on their presses (£25 for a set coated & uncoated), you have to pay the £3.95 + vat to have them match to the books and we have had experience of the colours not matching at all, it seems a lot of money to pay if you can’t fully guarantee the colour. I would advise if wanting a particular colour to ask RCS to use Pantone colours (if you know about that kind of thing!) but this is an expensive option as they specialise in full colour print.
On their website it states: We aim to delight you with the quality of our print, the level of our service and the competitiveness of our prices.’
This is true but their prices are only competitive for the quality of print and the level of service they aim to delight you with!
We are a reseller of print for RCS and during the last couple of years the Reseller Plugin Packages remain unchanged and inflexible. We have been sending our print orders to RCS for 5 years now, in the beginning they helped us by generating significant turnover for our business, they have also helped over years contribute to the loss of trust, confidence and therefore sales (£1000’s) with customers/business clients and as print has become more competitive and at RCS prices (even with the so called benefits) it has been impossible to get them back. They are also under the impression that what is good for one is good for everyone.
Like anything in life if you want the best you have to pay the money for it, the only problem is if you are already dealing with other printers who you can just email, they check things for free, give great service, charge less and you are delighted with the end product. Why switch?
Overall, RCS are not a normal print company, they specialise in very high quality print using stochastic screening if that is what you are looking for, have the skills to print ready artwork as per their rules and have an above average budget then RCS are the company for you.

Scotia McCombie found this review useful

It's a shame the star rating only goes up to 5!

Quality printed products dispatched on time! what more can you ask for? The friendly team at RCS have everything covered should you need any help with the ordering of your products or the products themselves.

I can't speak highly enough of RCS and have complete peace of mind when investing in print for my business and the businesses of my customers.

Print Perfect!!

We've worked with RCS for many years and have received excellent service throughout. Their customer service is second-to-none giving help and advice whenever asked and the in-studio artwork checks have proved invaluable for picking up the occasional artwork faux-pax!
We found that the Training Days gave valuable insight, not only into the products on offer, but also sales strategies.
Although not the cheapest printer in the market, the quality produced by RCS is definitely worth that little bit more.

A well run company, it shows that the employees actually care about RCS.

I have been associated to RCS for well over 10 years and their quality and care gets better each year.

No Other Printing Company Comes Close!

Don't think about using any other printing company. The RCS team are friendly, polite, professional and the attention to detail is outstanding!
My company www.image1st.co.uk wouldn't consider using any other printing company in the UK!

Doren Gabriel

They do what they say they will do!

If you need a simplified system that checks what you have checked and understands better what we don't understand than RCS is for you.
We provide a full needs satisfaction program for our customers and RCS helps us fulfill those needs when it comes to print.
Are they the cheepest?
NO. But I wouldn't want a cheep car or woman. Would you.
Can they be an inexpensive and cost effective print solution?
Yes and they make us happy by helping us make our customers happy!

Excellent service and quality

RCS offer a great service in price, quality and speed of turnaround and delivery. Its nice being able to upload files and have them checked before printing, things do go wrong with artwork occasionally so its nice if it gets looked at prior to print. Never had a problem with delivery, always when stated and well packaged.

ok service, but lacks customer warmth

ok for certain items & services - but lacks any 'feel good factor' - very impersonal. HATE the 'alpha', 'gamma' teams etc - prefer to order online - that gives a good customer journey & is straightforward to use.

13 June 2012

Reply from RCS Plc

We are, of course, disappointed that Jay finds our service impersonal because whilst it true that it is essentially based around online ordering we have a large Customer Service Team monitoring orders and keen to answer any queries or problems over the phone. We will reflect on the comments and try hard to think about how we can bring in more of the 'feel good factor'.