Well, When Something's Too Good To Be True.....

[HonestTex]

I tell you its all a plot to do away with the manual tranny. They're just trying to ease us in to the auto so they only have to carry one type. Its a conspiracy...

 

[Muzhik]

Would you pay $1,500 for an automatic? - Yes
Okay, would you pay $1,200 for an automatic? - Uh what? Yes!
Okay, would you pay $1,000 for an automatic? - No way, must be a POS

Sounds like a TV ad for a Bass-o-Matic:
How much would you pay for an automatic? $2,000? $1,200? $1,000? But wait, there's more!

 

[JEBar]

I never got a survey so

neither did I

 

[Coss]

Sounds like a TV ad for a Bass-o-Matic:
How much would you pay for an automatic? $2,000? $1,200? $1,000? But wait, there's more!

Just pay separate shipping and handling and we'll include this <insert item here> but only if you act now!

neither did I

It's looking like only people that are $1K All In were the only ones that received it.

 

[Thomas Maule]

it seems pretty obvious to me they where just doing some last minute fishing for customer opinions before releasing the myelio.me site... its going to have prices listed, and they don't want to have to change these numbers again if they can help it.

 

[Marshall]

it seems pretty obvious to me they where just doing some last minute fishing for customer opinions before releasing the myelio.me site... its going to have prices listed, and they don't want to have to change these numbers again if they can help it.

The problem with this is that it has become a "what will the market pay" approach rather than a "what does it cost" approach which is the opposite of the original revolution in thinking. Find out the cost, add a fair profit margin, and let the customer decide.

Maximizing today's profit margin is what got Detroit in the mess it is in right now. It's also known as being greedy.

 

[Bamdalam]

Just pay separate shipping and handling and we'll include this <insert item here> but only if you act now!


It's looking like only people that are $1K All In were the only ones that received it.

All in at $500.00, and I got the survey. Has anyone that didn't get it check their spam or junk email folders?

 

[Rob Croson]

The problem with this is that it has become a "what will the market pay" approach rather than a "what does it cost" approach which is the opposite of the original revolution in thinking. Find out the cost, add a fair profit margin, and let the customer decide

I can think of a couple reasons why they went with the survey approach. First, it may be that the automatic transmission is turning out to be more expensive than they thought. If the price is so high that people aren't willing to pay, then they may be forced to offer it at cost, or go with a cheaper option. Second, they may have come to the conclusion that the AMT option won't be acceptable to the general public (advice from Roush, maybe?), and they want to know if people would be willing to pay more for an upgraded style. (The three price points corresponding to AMT, traditional automatic, and CVT?)

It doesn't have to be that they wanted to find out how much they could squeeze out of people. It could be, but I don't think that fits their style. And, really, that would be pretty stupid.

Maybe they just needed to do a bit more explaining in their survey. "Would you be willing to pay $1,500 if it meant you would get a CVT, or would you rather stick with an AMT for $1,000?" Market research is important, and perfectly valid.

 

[bunchathrees]

... Market research is important, and perfectly valid.

Agreed, well designed market research is important. The problem is that most people do not understand how hard it is to do something (anything) well. You can certainly overpay for a cleverly-designed (in this case) survey, but you can also vastly underpay. Given the breadth of assumptions stated by the survey takers when presented with the $1500 question, the results and any conclusions drawn from them would clearly be suspect.

 

[WilliamH]

I can think of a couple reasons why they went with the survey approach. First, it may be that the automatic transmission is turning out to be more expensive than they thought. If the price is so high that people aren't willing to pay, then they may be forced to offer it at cost, or go with a cheaper option. Second, they may have come to the conclusion that the AMT option won't be acceptable to the general public (advice from Roush, maybe?), and they want to know if people would be willing to pay more for an upgraded style. (The three price points corresponding to AMT, traditional automatic, and CVT?)

It doesn't have to be that they wanted to find out how much they could squeeze out of people. It could be, but I don't think that fits their style. And, really, that would be pretty stupid.

Maybe they just needed to do a bit more explaining in their survey. "Would you be willing to pay $1,500 if it meant you would get a CVT, or would you rather stick with an AMT for $1,000?" Market research is important, and perfectly valid.

Some times timing is just as important as the question.
3 or 4 days before a priced out option list comes out is, at best, suspect.
Especially when it is for something that has been implied at a certain price point fro several years.